Dairy products and health: Focus on their constituents or on the matrix?

Dietary recommendations acknowledge the dairy contribution to a healthy diet but often stress to use the low(er) fat or skimmed versions. The main reason for this message to consumers is the relatively high amount of saturated fatty acids contained in the dairy fats and their (assumed) impact on the risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The primary goal of this paper was to review to what extent current dietary recommendations on intake of preferably low-fat or even skimmed dairy alternatives are justified. It is concluded that different types of dairy products have different effects on risk markers of cardiovascular disease. The message that all saturated fatty acids in all dairy products are bad is an oversimplification lacking appropriate scientific evidence. Further research into the significance of the antihypertensive effect of milk, calcium and dairy proteins seems warranted.