Skim, 2%, or Full-Fat Dairy?

Posted: Aug 02 in Health And Wellness, Nutrition by Dr. Lazarus

I still remember crying as a child as my mother switched us from normal milk to skim milk. “Yucky!” I said to her. But in the late 1970’s, we believed that all fat in foods was bad and would contribute to obesity and heart disease. This belief was founded on the idea that gram for gram, fat contains more calories (9) than carbohydrates (4) and proteins (4).

Of course, since the advent of low-fat diets, we’ve seen the obesity rate in America climb from 9% to 42%, and it is estimated to be over 50% by the year 2030. Yet, many contiue to believe that all fat in foods is bad for our health.

A recent study in the European Heart Journal took another look at dietary fat and whether or not it is related to developing heart disease. This study is good news for full-fat dairy lovers!

A healthy diet score was developed for over 145,000 people and looked at risk of dying, and specifically, risk of dying from a heart attack. During the nearly 10 years of this study, a diet comprised of higher amounts of fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish and whole-fat dairy was associated with a lower heart attack risk.

Of course, this is not a study looking at obesity treatment, weight loss, or sustaining weight loss. As always, interpret any given study with a grain of salt, and be sure to review the best recommendations for your unique situation with your CNC Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. But for me, when I went to the store last week, I skipped the skim and went for 2%.