Dairy products and the risk to develop type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease

Diet is important in the prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of metabolic risk markers, leading to type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim of this review is to summarize recent findings from human studies on the effects of dairy products in this area. Epidemiological studies suggest a beneficial relationship between the consumption of low-fat dairy products and type 2 diabetes. For CHD, relationships are less consistent. These associations, however, do not prove causality, which can only be demonstrated by intervention studies. Several intervention trials have indeed shown positive effects on metabolic risk markers, of which dairy products were a part. The contribution of dairy products to the effects observed, however, is not known. Another important question is if dairy products contain a bioactive component that can explain these findings. In this respect, it is not likely that effects observed can be attributed to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).