According to research published in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), a diet consisting of whole-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and fish is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality.

"Low-fat foods with nutrition labels emphasizing reducing fat and saturated fat have been in the spotlight for the public, food industry, and policymakers," said study author Dr Andrew Mente of McMaster University in Canada. “Findings suggest that increasing the intake of protective foods such as nuts, fish, and dairy products should be prioritized. Our results demonstrate that consuming up to two servings of dairy products per day, mostly whole-fat, can be included in a healthy diet. These findings are consistent with modern nutrition science showing that dairy, particularly full-fat, may have a protective effect against high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.”, he added.

In this study, the relationship between a new diet and associated health outcomes in a global population has been investigated. This healthy diet score, called PURE, includes 6 foods associated with longevity: 2-3 servings of fruit and 2-3 servings of vegetables per day, 3-4 servings of legumes, 7 servings of nuts, 2-3 servings of fish, and 14 servings of dairy (mainly whole-fat but not including butter or cream) per week.

The participants scored zero and one, which respectively correspond to intake at or below the median (unhealthy) and intake above the median (healthy). According to Dr. Mente, more than 50% of the participants attained the maximum diet score of six. 

In the PURE study, about 147,000 people from 21 countries were tested and the relationship between score and mortality and cardiovascular diseases was investigated. The analyses were adjusted for factors influencing the results such as age, gender, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), education level, income, urban or rural residence, physical activity, smoking, diabetes, use of statins, and total calorie intake.

According to the results, the mean diet score was 2.95, and during a 9-year follow-up, about 15,000 deaths and 40,000 cardiovascular problems occurred. The results show that a healthy diet (score of 5 or more) compared to an unhealthy diet (score of 1 or less) was associated with a reduced risk of death (30%), likelihood of CVD (18%), myocardial infarction (14%), and stroke (19%). The relationship between healthy diet score and health outcomes was confirmed in five independent studies including about 97,000 patients with CVD in 70 countries.

This was by far the most diverse study of nutrition and health in the world and the only one with sufficient representation from high-, middle-, and low-income countries. Links between the PURE diet and health outcomes were found in healthy subjects, and patients with CVD and diabetes in different countries.

The association was strongest in regions with the poorest dietary quality (low caloric intake and high consumption of refined carbohydrates), including South Asia, China, and Africa. This suggests that a large proportion of deaths and CVD in adults worldwide may be due to undernutrition, low intake of energy and protective foods.

Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University in Boston, added: "The results of this study and previous studies indicate the need to re-evaluate the guidelines for avoiding whole-fat dairy products. It is time for nutritional guidelines, private sector innovations, tax policies, food procurement policies and labeling, and food-based healthcare interventions to keep pace with science. Millions of  lives depend on it."

Reference:

https://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/96561-study-whole-fat-dairy-is-good-for-the-heart