Review of 22 studies found no link between dairy trans fats and higher heart disease risk — ScienceDaily

Naturally occurring trans fats found in milk, butter, yogurt and cheese were not associated with a higher risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes, according to a review. The authors of a review of 22 studies involving thousands of people in Europe, Canada and the United States reached this conclusion, ScienceDaily reports.

Data from controlled trials

Scientists analyzed ten controlled dietary studies. They compared participants who consumed dairy products with naturally elevated levels of trans fats with those who consumed regular dairy products.

Daily trans fat intake in these trials ranged from 1.3 to 13.2 grams. The scientists assessed blood lipid markers used to evaluate the risk of heart disease. Across all ten studies, no significant differences in these markers were found between the groups.

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Results of long-term observations

A further 12 studies were cohort studies: they tracked the health of thousands of participants over many years, with some lasting more than two decades. Researchers measured levels of dairy trans fats in the blood and compared them with subsequent health outcomes.

Higher levels of these trans fats were not associated with a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, death from cardiovascular causes or the development of type 2 diabetes. The work was published in the journal Nutrition Research. One of the lead authors, Professor Ian Givens of the University of Reading, noted that naturally occurring trans fats in dairy products differ from industrial trans fats associated with partially hydrogenated fats, and that this concerns the consumption of dairy products as part of a balanced diet.