Adults who consume a high dairy diet are up to 25 per cent less likely to develop heart disease, a study suggests.
Previous research has generally leaned the other way and linked dairy to cardiac problems, because things like milk and cheese are high in cholesterol and fat.
But the latest Australian study suggests the other nutrients inside dairy have a protective effect on the heart and help it to function normally.
They said people should stick to dairy products that have less additives and are not sweetened or salted.
Heart and circulatory diseases are behind around 160,000 deaths a year in the UK, while they are behind 655,000 fatalities in the US.
But the study's experts claimed that the type of dairy product consumed may be behind the heart problems, rather than its fat content
Co-lead author Dr Matti Marklund, from the George Institute for Global Health in Australia, said it was important to eat dairy.
'While some dietary guidelines continue to suggest consumers choose low-fat dairy products, others have moved away from that advice.
'Instead, suggesting dairy can be part of a healthy diet with an emphasis on selecting certain dairy foods — for example, yoghurt rather than butter — or avoiding sweetened dairy products that are loaded with added sugar.'
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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He added: 'While the findings may be partly influenced by factors other than dairy fat, our study does not suggest any harm of dairy fat per se.'
