Dairy foods do not adversely impact fasting lipid profile, BP in metabolic syndrome

A diet rich in full-fat dairy does not significantly affect fasting lipid profile or blood pressure (BP) in men and women with metabolic syndrome compared with diets limited in dairy or rich in low-fat dairy, reveals a study. Dairy fat, when consumed as part of complex whole foods, does not pose a negative effect on these cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.

Seventy-two individuals with metabolic syndrome participated in this randomized controlled trial and completed a 4-week run-in period, limiting their dairy intake to ≤3 servings/wk of nonfat milk. They were then randomized to one of three diets, either continuing the limited-dairy diet or switching to a diet containing 3.3 servings/d of either low-fat or full-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese for 12 weeks. Exploratory outcomes measured in the study were changes in the fasting lipid profile and BP.

The per-protocol analysis (n=66) revealed no intervention effect on fasting serum total, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; free fatty acids; or cholesterol content in 38 isolated plasma lipoprotein fractions (p>0.1 for all variables in repeated-measures ANOVA).

No intervention effect was also noted on diastolic BP, but there was a significant impact for systolic BP (p=0.048), with a decreasing trend in the low-fat dairy diet (–1.6±8.6 mm Hg) relative to the limited-dairy diet (2.5±8.2 mm Hg) in the post hoc testing.

Results of intent-to-treat analysis were consistent for all outcomes, except for systolic BP which became nonsignificant (p=0.08).

“Dietary guidelines traditionally recommend low-fat dairy because dairy's high saturated fat content is thought to promote CVD,” the authors said.