Dairy is often treated as a single food group, yet milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter can have very different effects on health. Some evidence links yogurt to favourable outcomes, while butter is known to raise LDL cholesterol. And then there’s the paradox of cheese: high in saturated fat, but not consistently associated with higher heart disease risk.

These complexities raise the question of whether the “dairy matrix” (the combination of nutrients and food structure) explains why not all dairy acts the same.

In this episode, Prof. Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, a nutrition researcher and registered dietitian, is on the show to examine what recent trials and large population studies tell us about dairy foods and cardiometabolic health. The discussion covers blood lipids, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and how guidelines should interpret this evolving evidence.

Timestamps

• [02:18] Interview start
• [09:38] Dairy consumption and type 2 diabetes
• [16:06] Dairy and cardiovascular disease
• [21:42] Dairy, blood pressure, and hypertension
• [25:56] Dietary guidelines and dairy
• [43:30] Key ideas segment (Premium-only)

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• Referenced studies linked here