Cheese does NOT increase the risk of heart attack

Eating dairy does not raise the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, a team of international experts have found.

Even full-fat cheese, milk and yoghurt do not increase the danger, a meta-analysis of 29 studies found.

The findings contradict warnings that dairy can be harmful because of its high saturated fat content.

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Eating dairy does not raise the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, a team of international experts have found (stock image) 

EATING CHEESE DOESN’T RAISE CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

Eating cheese everyday doesn’t raise your cholesterol levels, research published in March suggests.

In fact, those who avoid the fat are at risk of heart disease due to their higher levels of LDL cholesterol.

Their analysis found that cheese consumption was not associated with increased body fat. Nor was it linked to high amounts of LDL cholesterol.

Study author Dr Emma Feeney said: ‘What we saw was that in the high consumers they had a significantly higher intake of saturated fat than the non-consumers and the low consumers and yet there was no difference in their LDL cholesterol levels.

‘We have to consider not just the nutrients themselves but also the matrix in which we are eating them in and what the overall dietary pattern is.

‘So not just about the food then, but the pattern of other foods we eat with them as well.’ 

The NHS warns, in public information on milk and dairy, that too much saturated fat builds up cholesterol which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

But the research team, including the University of Reading, concluded that dairy has only a ‘neutral’ impact on human health.

Ian Givens, professor of food chain nutrition at Reading University, said: ‘There’s quite a widespread but mistaken belief among the public that dairy products in general can be bad for you, but that’s a misconception.

‘While it is a widely held belief, our research shows that that’s wrong.

‘There’s been a lot of publicity over the last five to 10 years about how saturated fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and a belief has grown up that they must increase the risk, but they don’t.’

The meta-analysis found no links between milk, total dairy, high or low-fat dairy and coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease. 

In fact, the studies including 938,465 participants suggest fermented dairy products may even potentially slightly lower the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

The paper, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, found no increased risk of death from any cause.

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This is based on research done across the globe over 35 years, including five studies conducted in the UK.

It comes as low-fat dairy sales have soared in recent years, with 85 per cent of all milk sold in the UK now skimmed or semi-skimmed.

The findings contradict warnings that dairy products such as Stilton cheese can be harmful because of its high saturated fat content (stock image)

Dr Givens said public health warnings have seen people shun full-fat versions of cheese, milk or yoghurt, in the mistaken belief that they could harm their health.

Young people, especially young women, risk damage to their bones and osteoporosis by drinking too little milk, which can also deprive them of calcium.

However, the official advice remains to exercise caution about eating too many products high in saturated fat and stick to low-fat versions instead.

A spokesman for Public Health England said: ‘Dairy products form an important part of a healthy balanced diet, however, many are high in saturated fat and salt. 

‘We’re all consuming too much of both, increasing our risk of heart disease.

‘We recommend choosing lower-fat varieties of milk and dairy products or eating smaller amounts to reduce saturated fat and salt in the diet.’

The research was conducted in collaboration with the Universities of Wageningen and Copenhagen (SUBS – PLS KEEP) and was funded by a grant from the Global Dairy Platform, Dairy Research Institute and Dairy Australia.

Jing Guo, a nutrition scientist the University of Reading, said: ‘This latest analysis provides further evidence that a diet that is high in dairy foods is not necessarily damaging to health.

‘The number of participants in particular gives us a really clear global picture of the neutral association of dairy on heart disease risk, and some indications about the potentially beneficial effect of fermented dairy on heart health, although further studies are needed to confirm this.’