Milk and Dairy Linked to Increased Heart Disease

Dairy products may increase the risk of myocardial infarction and death in patients with stable angina pectoris.

Highlights:

Dairy products are conceived as healthy as they contain protein, Vitamin B12, and healthy fats. Moderation is the key
In people with stable angina pectoris, it is seen that milk and butter increase the chances of stroke and death.
Cheese however, is seen to decrease the chances of heart attack

Dairy products have been villainized in recent times even though they contain nutritional benefits like healthy fats, calcium, protein and Vitamin B12. However, there might be substance to this dislike. In 2019, cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the leading cause of mortality globally and accounted for 27% of all deaths (). One of the most important behavioral risk factors for CVD is an unhealthy diet () making dietary intervention a crucial preventive measure. Although there is a widespread agreement that lower intake of red and processed meat and higher intake of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains is protective against CVD, the role of dairy products remains controversial ().

The study that was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology involved taking a look at a cohort from the Western Norway B-vitamin Intervention Trial. During the analysis of 1,929 patients who were a mean age of 61.8 years old and dealt with stable angina pectoris, those behind the study noted various aspects related to the participants' health, lifestyle habits, medication use, and diet including the consumption of dairy products ().

Dairy Consumption May Reduce Heart Disease, Death Risk
Dairy consumption may lower heart disease and death risk. Therefore, consuming three servings of dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese and butter per day can help protect your heart health and reduce mortality risk.

‘A recent study consisting of 1929 participants suggests that milk and butter increases chances of stroke, while cheese may decrease it.’

When follow-ups were conducted with the patients, it was found that those who consumed more milk had a higher risk of both stroke and death. Those who regularly ate butter also had a higher risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and death. However, patients who ate more cheese had a lower risk of AMI.

Experts suggest that since dairy and milk have saturated fats and cholesterol, excess consumption can lead to CVD and puts a CVD patient more at risk of mortality and stroke.

As for the differences in dairy products, it is noted that the study did say that a higher intake of milk was associated with an increased risk of mortality and stroke, but more specific data as to how many increased servings have been taken by the participants in the study.

Fermented Dairy Products Can Prevent Heart Attack
Fermented dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, quark, kefir, and sour milk can protect you from heart disease. So, include more fermented dairy products.

It has something to do with excess consumption in which cholesterol and saturated fat builds up in the body and cause CVD issues.

As for butter and cheese, butter is incredibly high in saturated fat, trans-fat, and cholesterol compared to cheese. In both 100-gram servings, butter has 51 grams of saturated fat, 3 grams of trans-fat, and 215 mg of cholesterol as compared with cheddar cheese with 19 grams, 1 gram, and 100 mg, respectively.

Does Drinking Milk Increase Your Cholesterol Levels?
Milk consumption does not increase your cholesterol levels and it is not a significant issue for cardiovascular disease risk even though there is a small rise in BMI and body fat among milk drinkers.

When it comes to how aware one should be when it comes to different dairy products, experts say that it is important to only know how much you should be eating and what kind of dairy is needed for your body. While this is key for everyone, it is especially true among people with heart diseases, lipid problems, and other metabolic diseases.

Having said all that, dairy and milk should not be seen in bad light. It does provide tremendous benefits to health, but knowing what to choose the kind and amount of it according to a person’s profile can still improve overall health.

Milk and Dairy Products Do Not Increase Childhood Obesity
Consuming milk and dairy products such as yogurt and cheese do not promote childhood obesity. Milk and dairy products are nutrient-rich foods which provide many essential nutrients throughout life.

References:

The top 10 causes of death - (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death)
Intake of 12 food groups and disability-adjusted life years from coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer in 16 European countries - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030306/)
Milk and Health - (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1903547)
The association between dairy intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with stable angina pectoris - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36134600/)

Source-Medindia