Why Whole-Fat Milk & Yogurt Are Healthier Than You Think

For years, experts have recommended low-fat dairy products over the full-fat versions, which are higher in calories and contain more saturated fat. Recent research, however, indicates that full-fat dairy may actually be healthier than its reputation suggests, and that people who eat full-fat dairy are not more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes than people who consume low-fat dairy. They may even be less likely to gain weight.

Now, new research published Tuesday in The Lancet, adds to that body of evidence.

The research suggests that eating dairy products of all kinds is associated with a lower risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease and stroke. “About three servings of dairy a day is associated with a lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease,” says study co-author Mahshid Dehghan, a nutrition epidemiology researcher at the Population Health Research Institute in Canada. “We are suggesting that dairy is healthy, and people should be encouraged to consume dairy.”

To read the rest of the story, please go to: TIME