Dairy products are a significant source of saturated fats associated with heart disease. Now researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden say they also offer protection for the heart.
According to their study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, dairy products can lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol.
Dr. Eva Warensjo and colleagues measured blood levels of two biomarkers of milk fat in 444 people who suffered heart attacks and 556 healthy people.
Those who had higher biomarkers, who had consumed more dairy products, had a lower risk of having a heart attack. This risk was reduced by 26% among women and 9% among men.
Dairy products contain substances that are very beneficial to the body, such as calcium, vitamin D and potassium, and promote an increase in good cholesterol, says Dr. Warensjo.