Not all trans fats are equal: review finds no added risk from dairy fats
A meta-analysis of 22 studies does not link natural trans fats in dairy to more heart disease or diabetes. Industrial trans fats remain a concern, the authors say.
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Natural trans fats found in dairy products do not appear to carry the same risks as industrial ones. That is the conclusion of a systematic review and meta-analysis by the University of Reading, published in the journal Nutrition Research. The researchers pooled 22 studies involving thousands of participants in Europe, Canada and the United States: 10 controlled dietary trials in which participants consumed 1.3 to 13.2 grams of trans fat a day, and 12 long-term cohort studies, some running for more than two decades.
The trials found no meaningful differences in blood lipid levels between people eating dairy with higher natural trans fats and those eating regular dairy. In the cohort studies, higher blood levels of these fats were not linked to greater risk of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular death or type 2 diabetes. Industrial trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are a different matter, the authors say: they are strongly linked to heart disease.
"People hear the words 'trans fats' and assume the worst," said Ian Givens, one of the lead authors. The findings should reassure people that dairy eaten as part of a balanced diet does not carry that risk, he said. The review describes associations in existing data and is not individual dietary advice.
This article is for information only and is not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Figures as of the date stated.