While dairy products can be incorporated into the Mediterranean diets, which types of dairy products needs to be done with careful consideration. For instance, there is evidence for the beneficial effects of low fat or fermented dairy products to alleviate or protect various disease conditions. However, studies of the Mediterranean diet with full fat dairy products have not been completed.  It is also very important to keep in mind that in low fat dairy products, fat should not be replaced with high sugar which is known to increase the adiposity.

The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by high consumption of vegetables, fruits and nuts, legumes, and unprocessed cereals; compared with low consumption of meat and meat products. The inclusion of dairy products in the diet has been a long-standing, controversial issue. There are clinical studies that endorse the use of dairy products including in the context of the mediterranean diet. Particularly, the PREDIMED study, which demonstrated that the consumption of low fat dairy products or fermented dairy products with traditional Mediterranean diet were beneficial in disease conditions.

Benefits of Low-Fat Dairy in a Mediterranean Diet

Researchers working out of the University of Navarra in Spain assessed the relationship between low-fat dairy product intake and blood pressure in an observational follow-up study conducted in a large population at high cardiovascular risk participating in the PREDIMED study, a trial to test the effects of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular outcomes.

They have shown a unique benefit of low-fat dairy products when they are consumed within the context of a Mediterranean Diet. In their study of more than 2,000 older adults—60% of them with high blood pressure—the Spanish researchers found that high intake of low-fat dairy products within the context of a Mediterranean Diet (the equivalent of 2.5 cups of low-fat milk per day) did a better job of lowering high blood pressure than did the absence of these foods.

From a biological point of view, protection against hypertension by low-fat dairy products has been attributed to their nutrient composition. Dairy products are good sources of K, Mg, Ca, peptides with an inhibitory effect on angiotensin-I converting enzyme activity and opioid-like peptides. All these mechanisms add biological plausibility to the hypothesis of a specific protection against hypertension provided by low fat dairy products.

Do Whole Milk Dairy Products Have Adverse Effects on Health?

It is commonly believed that high consumption of whole milk dairy products has adverse effects on health. A possible mechanism for this could be the presence of medium and long chain saturated fatty acids in whole milk, which increase serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and are atherogenic. However, there is increasing evidence suggesting the contrary; a beneficial effect of dairy products on cardiovascular risk factors.

So, at PreScouter, we can conclude that a moderate amount of low fat or fermented dairy products is safe and healthy along with the Mediterranean diet. Though, further evidence for benefits of dairy products after long term usage with mediterranean diet is required.