A new Canadian study led by the University of Toronto has challenged the long-standing assumption that full-fat dairy necessarily worsens cardiometabolic health. In a 12-week study involving 74 adults with overweight or obesity, researchers found that consuming three servings of full-fat dairy daily did not meaningfully increase body weight, body composition, energy metabolism or blood lipid levels.
Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: a low-dairy, calorie-restricted diet; an energy-neutral diet containing three dairy servings daily; and an unrestricted diet also containing three daily dairy servings. Participants in the dairy groups were provided with full-fat dairy products and received guidance based on Canada’s food guide.
After 12 weeks, the researchers found no meaningful differences in weight gain, body composition or cholesterol levels between the low-dairy group and those consuming three servings of dairy per day. However, participants consuming more dairy experienced improvements in blood pressure and increased their intake of calcium, protein and vitamin D, with no evidence of insulin resistance or adverse blood lipid levels.
The researchers suggest that the findings may be explained partly by the “dairy matrix” hypothesis, which proposes that the physical structure of dairy foods influences how nutrients are digested and absorbed. Dairy contains casein and whey proteins combined with fat and other nutrients, potentially producing effects that cannot be predicted by looking at saturated fat alone.
The findings could be particularly relevant for older adults, who may need to obtain sufficient protein and essential nutrients while managing energy intake. Researchers noted that dairy can provide energy, protein, calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients in a familiar food format.
The study supports a broader shift toward evaluating whole foods rather than individual nutrients in isolation, although the researchers do not suggest that full-fat dairy should automatically be preferred by everyone. The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition, 2026; 156(4):101373, and was supported by Dairy Research Cluster 3 under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership AgriScience Program and the Mitacs Accelerate program. (ScienceDaily)
Source: Dairynew7x7 10 Aug, 2026 Read full story here
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