Plate Nº 60 · recorded October 10, 2026
Health & Medicine ResearchReported finding
Dairy Trans Fats Don't Raise Heart or Diabetes Risk, 22-Study Review Finds
A review of 22 studies found that naturally occurring trans fats in milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese do not raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes, unlike industrial trans fats from processed foods.
By James Calloway3 min read640 words
In brief
- Researchers reviewed 22 studies: 10 controlled dietary trials and 12 long-term cohort studies.
- The analysis was published October 7, 2026 in the journal Nutrition Research.
- Daily trans fat intake in the controlled trials ranged from 1.3 to 13.2 grams.
- Some cohort studies followed participants for more than two decades.
- Dairy trans fats showed no association with heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular death, or type 2 diabetes.
A systematic review of 22 studies found that naturally occurring trans fats in dairy foods do not raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular death, or type 2 diabetes. The analysis, published on October 7, 2026 in the journal Nutrition Research, draws on ten controlled dietary trials and twelve long-term cohort studies conducted across Europe, Canada, and the United States.
The conclusion challenges a common assumption that all trans fats are equally harmful. Researchers at the University of Reading and collaborating institutions separated the trans fats found naturally in milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese from industrial trans fats produced during partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils—a process once common in processed and fried foods.
"People hear the words 'trans fats' and assume the worst, but the trans fats in your morning milk, yogurt, butter or cheese are not the same as the ones from industrial partially hydrogenated fats," said Professor Ian Givens, one of the lead authors. He added that dairy, eaten as part of a balanced diet, is "not something to worry about for your heart."
What did the controlled trials show?
In the ten dietary trials, researchers gave participants dairy foods with naturally enhanced trans fat levels and compared their blood lipid profiles—standard biomarkers used to predict heart disease risk—with people eating regular dairy. Across all ten studies, daily trans fat intake ranged from 1.3 to 13.2 grams.
The trials found no meaningful differences between the two groups. Total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, HDL ("good") cholesterol, and triglycerides did not shift in ways linked to higher cardiovascular risk.
What did the long-term studies find?
The twelve cohort studies followed thousands of people for years; some lasted more than two decades. Instead of manipulating diet, researchers measured dairy trans fat levels directly in participants' blood and tracked later health outcomes.
Higher blood levels of dairy trans fats did not correlate with higher rates of:
- heart disease
- stroke
- cardiovascular death
- type 2 diabetes
Why might natural and industrial trans fats differ?
Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat. Ruminant animals—cows, sheep, and goats—produce them in their stomachs through bacterial fermentation, which is why small amounts end up in milk and dairy. Industrial trans fats form when manufacturers hydrogenate liquid vegetable oils to make them solid at room temperature.
The two sources create chemically distinct mixtures. Dairy trans fats contain large amounts of vaccenic acid and its derivative, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Industrial trans fats contain more elaidic acid, which earlier research has linked to inflammation and higher LDL cholesterol.
What are the study's limits?
The authors flag several caveats. The number of controlled trials remains modest, and most participants came from Western, high-income countries. Researchers could not fully separate dairy trans fats from other dairy components such as calcium, protein, and saturated fat.
Measurement methods for trans fats in blood also varied across studies, and some cohort work relied on self-reported dietary intake. The reviewers call for larger, longer trials using standardized biomarkers to confirm the results.
How could this change food labels?
The team says the review supports distinguishing natural and industrial trans fats on nutrition labels and in dietary guidelines. Many countries have banned or restricted partially hydrogenated oils, but dairy products still carry trace amounts of naturally occurring trans fats that appear on a generic "trans fat" line.
A clearer system could stop consumers from avoiding dairy unnecessarily, the researchers argue, while keeping pressure on manufacturers to remove industrial trans fats from the food supply.
The paper, "Trans fatty acids from dairy foods do not affect risk of cardiometabolic diseases," appears in Nutrition Research, volume 150, page 33 (DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2026.03.009). Its authors are Constance Gayet-Boyer, Fanny Tenenhaus-Aziza, Moises Torres-Gonzalez, D. Ian Givens, and Cindy Schweitzer.
via dx.doi.org (Original)
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