What Happens to Your Heart Health When You Eat Full-Fat Dairy Regularly

When it comes to controversial foods, dairy is often near the top of the list, especially with the specific recommendation of whole milk and other full-fat dairy products in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Full-fat dairy is a source of saturated fat, a nutrient known to have adverse effects on heart health when consumed in excess, so many people are confused by the new recommendations to prioritize it.

1. Your Blood Fats May Rise

Research shows that foods high in saturated fat, when consumed in excess, are associated with increased levels of specific heart health biomarkers.

For instance, diets high in saturated fat often lead to higher than optimal levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides, which ultimately make you more susceptible to heart disease, especially if you have other risk factors.

On the other hand, replacing at least some saturated fats (such as those found in full-fat dairy, beef tallow, and coconut oil, among others) with unsaturated fats (like avocados, olive oil, and nuts) in your diet has been shown to have heart-protective benefits, often helping to reduce high levels of said biomarkers.

2. Your Arteries May Become Less Healthy

Some evidence suggests that excess consumption of saturated fats may contribute to stiffened arteries by raising LDL, which can impair blood flow over time and lead to hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart disease.

Furthermore, high saturated fat consumption may be associated with increased systemic (whole-body) inflammation. Chronic inflammation is linked to atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque in the arteries that can create blockages and raise blood pressure, as well as heart disease progression.

When it comes to dairy specifically, though, recent evidence is mixed, concluding that dairy in general is neither pro-inflammatory nor anti-inflammatory. But again, this likely depends on how much dairy you consume and on other foods in your diet.

3. Your Blood Sugar Regulation May Become Impaired

When you consume carbohydrates, such as the lactose in dairy products, they’re broken down into sugar (glucose) molecules and sent into your bloodstream. From here, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that transports glucose into your cells, where it can be used for energy or stored.

Research indicates that a high intake of saturated fats can impair insulin’s ability to bind to insulin receptors and facilitate transport. Ultimately, this can lead to high circulating blood sugar and an insulin response system that doesn’t work as well as it should. This is called insulin resistance and, left unaddressed, can become type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Eat Full-Fat Dairy Mindfully

Dairy foods range from skim or fat-free to low-fat to whole or full-fat, depending on the total amount of fat per serving. This also means that the more total fat in a given dairy product, the more saturated fat it contains. Some varieties, like kefir, are also fermented, offering potential gut health benefits.

The new Dietary Guidelines recommend three servings of dairy per day and the inclusion of full-fat options. This is starkly different from previous guidelines, which emphasized nonfat and low-fat dairy that may offer benefits without being as detrimental to heart health.

It’s important to remember that no single food or nutrient can make or break your well-being. Often in nutrition, the dose makes the poison. Good cardiovascular health requires both a high-quality, nutrient-dense diet and other healthy lifestyle habits, not just focusing on one food.

How Much Saturated Fat is Too Much?

The recommended limit for saturated fat is no more than 10% of total daily calories, according to the Dietary Guidelines. However, the American Heart Association places stricter limits at 6% for optimal heart health.

On a standard 2000-calorie diet, this limit would be around 13-22 grams per day, depending on which guide you follow.

To put things into perspective, here is the saturated fat content per serving of various full-fat dairy products:

• Whole milk, 1 cup: 5 grams
• Full-fat plain yogurt, 3/4 cup: 6 grams
• Heavy cream, 1/4 cup: 12.5 grams
• Cheddar cheese, 1-ounce slice: 5.5 grams

In general, consuming a serving or two of full-fat dairy per day isn’t going to push you over your daily saturated fat limits.

However, consuming three servings of just the foods listed above brings your daily saturated fat intake to 15-18 grams or more. If you also consume other animal products, such as meat, poultry, eggs, and butter, or enjoy cooking with coconut oil or beef tallow, it will be tough to stay within the recommended limits.

Recent research concludes that improving heart health among Americans is probably less about the fat content of dairy alone than about reducing overall saturated fat intake, since the Western diet has numerous sources of saturated fat.

Healthier Alternatives to Full-Fat Dairy Products

If you regularly consume full-fat dairy products and are concerned about your heart, consider switching to skim or low-fat dairy products or plant-based dairy alternatives.

Some research suggests that consuming low-fat dairy products can have positive effects on heart health, diabetes prevention, and other aspects of health, likely due to some of their nutrients.