Saturated fat from dairy sources

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

I had a question about something from Austin’s most recent article “Where should my priorities be to improve my health?.” In the dietary guidelines section of the article, after noting that saturated fat intake should be limited to 10% or less of total daily energy intake, he says “one notable exception is that saturated fats from dairy sources (excluding butter) appear to be healthful as well.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard or seen this mentioned in any BBM material up to now or from anywhere else for that matter. Is there pretty robust evidence for this, or is it something that’s still in question? His use of the word “appear” makes it sounds like maybe it’s not a for sure thing. Furthermore, is there any proposed mechanism for why this might be the case? Particularly, why would the saturated fat from some dairy products like cheese be healthful while sat. fat from butter is not?
Thanks!
-Perry

2

We have pretty good evidence that dairy consumption (e.g., milk, yogurt, cheese) tends to be health-promoting for those who tolerate it, whereas butter tends to have more of an adverse effect profile. This is thought to be due to changes in what’s called the “food matrix” in the processing needed to produce butter, whereby certain protective compounds are removed in the process.

1 Like
3

Thanks, Austin! That is awesome to know considering how much I love cheese. For someone trying to follow the recommendation to limit their saturated fat intake to 10% or less of total daily calorie intake, would it be advisable for them to not count the saturated fat from non-butter dairy sources towards their total saturated fat intake?

4

We wouldn’t recommend micromanaging this, but rather to reduce saturated fat intake to 10% or less of total daily intake. I don’t think increasing dairy-sourced saturated fat is necessarily good or bad, as the relationship between dairy intake and health is complicated.

5

Understood. I appreciate the response, Jordan.

6

Can you provide more detail? What are the “protective compounds”? What kind of protection does it provide (and what kind of protection is available in non-butter dairy foods?) Does this happen with all processed butter? Is it possible to get butter in which this doesn’t happen?