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A recently published Swedish study claimed high-fat dairy diets are linked with lower risks of developing heart disease.
It has been refuted by a prominent science research YouTuber, known as Mic The Vegan.
Swedish high-fat dairy study
The study on biomarkers of dairy fat intake, published in the PLOS One Journal, was conducted in response to many dietary guidelines that suggest limiting dairy fat consumption improves cardiovascular health.
As a result, the authors collected data from 4,150 Swedish 60-year-olds. And, they conducted a review of almost 20 similar studies.
In conclusion, the study says those who ate larger amounts of dairy were at a lower risk of heart disease
‘Dairy foods are a major source of nutrients, and their consumption is increasing worldwide; thus it is import to advance our understanding of the impact’, the author summary reads.
‘Fatal flaw’
Despite the study’s findings, it is widely agreed upon by scientists and experts that dairy poses a health risk in relation to a host of diseases, including cardiovascular.
Speaking to Plant Based News, Mic The Vegan says there is a ‘fatal flaw’ in the study due to the 15:0 and 17:0 biomarkers it uses. These biomarkers are essentially measures of biological state, such as blood pressure and heart rate.
The key criticism he makes is that naming fatty acids as biomarkers of dairy consumption is an issue because they’re also biomarkers of fiber consumption.
He cites a further study that finds that high fiber intake is associated with between 17 and 23 percent less risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.
‘Dairy is a primary source of saturated fat in Western diets. And it raises bad cholesterol which is causally linked to atherosclerosis’, he says. This is backed by the European Society of Cardiology.
Conclusions on dairy
Mic concludes that it is ‘abundantly clear’ that biomarkers are not dairy biomarkers alone.
‘Due to the highly protective cardiovascular effects of fiber it is possible that dairy could have even been boosting cardiovascular risk by +10 percent. But after the fiber, influence knocked it down to less than 12 to 14 percent’, he says.
Data shows that saturated fat from dairy ‘or otherwise’ remains detrimental to heart health, Mic explains.
