The Aesthetics Advisor

Do you avoid whole milk, or better yet, raw milk, because of its saturated fat content? If so, you may be missing out on one of the greatest health foods there is. Studies 1   have repeatedly failed to find an association between full-fat dairy and cardiovascular events. Instead, they’ve found the opposite — full-fat dairy reduces your risk of cardiovascular events and deaths thereof. Dairy products are also associated with lower risks of Type 2 diabetes, 2  liver disease and more. One of the reasons for these health benefits is because whole-fat dairy contains health promoting compounds such as: 3 Specific amino acids Unsaturated, medium-chain, and branched-chain fats Odd-chain saturated fats — pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) and heptadecanoic acid (C17:0) Phospholipids Vitamins and minerals Probiotics Odd-Chain Saturated Fats From Dairy Are Likely Essential Fats Of these, the odd-chain saturated fats (...

For decades, Americans have been told to avoid whole milk due to its saturated fat content, which has been falsely accused of clogging arteries and causing heart disease. To this day, the U.S. dietary guidelines and health authorities like the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization recommend drinking low-fat or skim milk for this reason. However, as Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Tufts University, recently told New York Times reporter Alice Callahan, 1  this guidance goes back to the first edition of the dietary guidelines, issued in 1980, and most studies performed since then have exonerated full-fat whole milk. In fact, most studies have found that dairy products are associated with lower risks of high blood pressure, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, regardless of fat content. What’s more, even though full-fat dairy products have higher calorie content, they don’t appear to contribute to weight gain, either. Dairy Prot...

Whole milk, cheese and butter have long been demonized as unhealthy, their saturated fat content incorrectly identified as a driver of obesity, heart disease and related health problems. We now know eating fat does not make you fat. Science has also demolished the idea that saturated fats clog your arteries and promote heart disease. On the contrary, these fats are important for optimal health, and combat many of today's chronic diseases, including heart disease. While the low-fat myth still lives, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans1 does recognize that reducing TOTAL fat intake has no bearing on obesity or heart disease risk. Instead, the guidelines rightfully warn that sugar and refined grains are the primary culprits. Unfortunately, the guidelines fall far short by still suggesting a 10% limit on saturated fats especially, and the low-fat dairy recommendation remains. This, even though mounting research supports consumption of full-fat dairy products over low-fat ones. Fu...