Nutritional benefits of dairy

Following publication of a review of public health guidelines from the 1980s that recommended consumers reduce consumption of full-fat milk and butter, Dr Anne Mullen, director of nutrition at The Dairy Council issued the following statement.

She says, “Butter and full-fat milk are nutrient-rich products that have been consumed as part of diet for many hundreds of years. Public guidelines should be clear, recognisable and achievable. It is more important to look at the science-based evidence over many years, rather than individual studies, and there is a very strong body of evidence to demonstrate the nutritional qualities of dairy products. They have stood the test of time well. An excess in consumption of saturated fat contained in any foods would not be a good, balanced diet but the reality is that anyone putting butter on their toast in the morning or drinking full-fat milk – unless they have a particular medical condition – can do so in the knowledge that these are nutritionally sound products. The overarching issue in terms of saturated fat is the amount rather than the existence of it in a particular product.”