As interest in the role of dairy fats and health continues to grow, researcher Chris Blesso, PhD is helping to advance the conversation. Blesso, a researcher and associate professor of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, and others have discovered some associations between these fats and positive impacts on health.
In the first installment of our conversation with Blesso, he underscored emerging research on specific dairy fats (classified as milk polar lipids) and some beneficial impacts on cardiometabolic health. In our final installment, Blesso discusses additional health benefits, including how these fats may be anti-inflammatory and beneficial for gut health. Blesso also weighs in on national nutrition recommendations for full-fat dairy products.
What other potential benefits from milk polar lipids have you seen in the research, both yours and others?
Blesso: We’ve seen reductions in chronic inflammation in different disease models that we’ve tested. We’ve shown that these fats may lower inflammation and improve metabolic outcomes. We’ve shown in a colitis model that milk polar lipids, when consumed alongside milk fat, can alleviate inflammation of the colon.
In our heart disease models, it not only reduces blood lipid levels to prevent plaque development, but it can reduce systemic inflammation and inflammation in the arteries. Diving into more of the mechanisms behind that, we think there’s probably some indirect effects of modulating the digestion and absorption of other lipids that might affect inflammation.
Another area that’s getting attention: inflammation and cognition. There’s been a lot of interest in how milk polar lipids affect cognition and neurodegeneration. I haven’t studied that area, but I know there’s a lot of interest, with different agencies funding these kinds of studies.
We’ve also seen that some of the markers of beneficial [gut] microbiome are enhanced with milk polar lipids. The diversity of the bacteria is enhanced. We’ve seen changes in healthy bacteria in our mouse models in response to milk polar lipids. Other researchers have found the same benefits.
It seems as if the gut microbiome is getting increased attention these days, based on its impact on health.
Everyone is now interested in understanding how the gut microbiome impacts our health, with diet being a key player in regulating the microbiome. We’ve historically looked at fermented dairy and its role on the microbiome. We have some preclinical studies that may indicate milk polar lipids and the milk fat globule membrane may have a positive effect on the microbiome. There may be some bacteria that will thrive in the environment with these milk polar lipids. But we’ve got to do more [research] to understand what’s going on.
Based on what you’ve seen in the research, how should nutrition guidelines address dairy fat in the future? The latest guidelines recommend prioritizing reduced-fat options.
I’m not an epidemiologist, but from the most recent systematic reviews of the analyses I’ve seen, there doesn’t seem to be any difference between full-fat and low-fat dairy and cardiovascular risk. In general, it seems that regarding overall dairy intake, it’s either neutral or beneficial when it comes to cardiovascular outcomes. If you look at observational studies on cheese and cardiovascular disease, [full-fat cheese] usually has a neutral or beneficial impact on this disease. Based on that, it doesn’t seem like it’s warranted to be recommending low-fat over full-fat products. With the food matrix having such an impact on how saturated fat is handled, I don’t think you could make such a general recommendation due to all the nuances
Interview conducted, edited, and condensed by Fred Durso, Jr., MS, RDN.
