The Jewish calendar has just commemorated a nine day mourning
period, where among other things; meat and chicken products are avoided. This
is hardly an issue in Israel. We don't call it “The Land of Milk and
Honey” for nothing.
Traditional recommendations warn us to avoid full fat dairy
foods and stick to skim milk, low fat cheese and yoghurt starting at a young
age.
Where did this negative association with full-fat dairy come
from?
Back in the 50’s and 60’s, a link was found between an
increase in saturated fat and high blood cholesterol levels. Dairy fat is high
in saturated fat (the “bad” fat) and therefore a link was made between the two.
There were also studies that showed higher rates of heart disease in areas
where there was high consumption of saturated fat compared to Mediterranean
countries with lower dairy consumption.
Then we have the classic view, that
higher fat = more calories = more weight gain.
To put it simply – low fat dairy means less risk of heart
disease and obesity.
More recently, there have been conflicting views on this
subject, where it is actually recommended to consume full fat dairy. Obviously
this does not mean you should go and buy yourself a full-fat double-cream-extra-fat-chocolate-chip-caramel-Frappuccino
(I’m sure this exists somewhere). Funnily enough, Israel has always had a lot
more full fat dairy products available.
Paradoxically, full-fat dairy products might actually reduce
the risk of obesity. One theory is that the full-fat version will keep us
feeling fuller for longer (fat generally makes us feel full, think: hot chips
and pizza), and therefore we will eat less of it. Another claim is that there
are certain fatty acids specifically found in milk that might help with weight
regulation. These substances help us use the fat and burn it for energy, rather
than store it. There are also some low fat dairy products where the fat is
replaced by sugar (e.g. fat free yoghurts filled with sugar), which will result
in more weight gain compared to a full fat, free-of-sugar version. Then there
is the issue of what we are (consciously or unconsciously) replacing the
reduction of fat in dairy products with. And then there are the natural foodies
who promote eating foods closest to their natural form. The less processing the
food goes through, the fewer additives and sweeteners it will contain, and the better our body will able to process it.
There have also been a number of studies that have shown that
the omega-3 fatty acids in dairy foods might be protective for heart disease.
So – it isn’t necessarily that the saturated fats have no effect on heart
disease, but rather there are other substances that counter this effect.
And finally, like every other association between food and
disease: maybe, the long standing link between full fat dairy and heart
disease, is really an association with other life style factors that come along
with people that consume full fat dairy (e.g. less exercise, and other high fat
foods). Yes, another generalisation.
Despite these recent findings, official dietary guidelines
in Australia (http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n31.pdf)
and America still maintain to consume low fat dairy products.
So where does this leave us?
Unfortunately, the nutrition world always seems send mixed
messages. And, I always seem to come up with the same phrase: “everything in
moderation”. In this case, if you are enjoying your daily full cream cappuccino,
there is no need to give it up. On the other hand, if you are consuming a lot
of dairy in your diet and trying to lose weight, it might help to go from 5%
fat to 3% or 1% fat. Though, there is probably no point in having a fat free iced
coffee with ice cream on top.
