A new international study has found that naturally occurring trans fats in dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese and yogurt are not associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke or type 2 diabetes. Researchers analyzed evidence from 22 studies involving thousands of participants across Europe, Canada and the United States and concluded that dairy-derived trans fats behave differently from industrially produced trans fats commonly found in partially hydrogenated oils and some processed foods.
The research, published in the journal Nutrition Research, included 10 controlled dietary trials and 12 long-term cohort studies. In the dietary trials, participants consumed dairy products containing naturally enhanced trans fats at levels ranging from 1.3 to 13.2 grams per day, with no meaningful differences observed in blood lipid biomarkers compared to regular dairy products.
Long-term studies tracking participants for up to two decades also found no association between higher blood levels of dairy trans fats and increased risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cardiovascular mortality or type 2 diabetes. Researchers said the findings provide important clarity for consumers and policymakers as industrial trans fats continue to be phased out globally, making dairy one of the more significant remaining dietary sources of naturally occurring trans fatty acids.
The authors emphasized that naturally occurring dairy trans fats should not be viewed in the same way as industrial trans fats, which remain strongly linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Source: Dairynews7x7 29 May, 2026 Rad full story here