Dairy Consumption and Weight Gain

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a study looking at milk consumption in normal weight middle aged women. They studied 18,438 women older than 45 years from the Women's Health Study who did not have cardiovascular disease, cancer, or diabetes and had a normal body mass index between 18.5 and <25 (normal weight). Dairy intake was assess using a food frequency questionnaire initially and during follow up periods. After 11 years the researchers found that greater intake of high-fat dairy products, but not low-fat dairy products, was associated with less weight gain. Dietary or supplemental calcium or vitamin D was not associated with risk of becoming overweight or obese. This is not the first study to point out that whole milk dairy may be healthier than the low-fat versions.  Whole milk, especially organic whole milk from grass-fed cows contains conjugated linoleic acid, an important fat with several health benefits.