Dairy intake and prevention of overweight or obesity: A review of current evidence

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, an abnormal lipid profile, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. It is estimated that, in 2016, 39% of the world’s adult population was overweight, and 13% obese. Although it is recommended to consume milk or dairy products due to the contribution of nutrients, especially calcium and proteins, of high biological value, the consumption of these foods has been questioned due to their potential relationship with weight gain due to the energy contribution of milk fat. In this regard, the objective of this review is to present recent evidence on the relationship between dairy consumption and overweight or obesity in the population. A review was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, of papers published between 2016 and 2020, on the association between the consumption of cow’s milk and its derivatives, and overweight or obesity in healthy children and/or adults. Studies on milk formulas or where milk and dairy are not the main exposure were excluded. Seventeen studies were identified: 12 original, 5 reviews, 3 meta-analysis. Twelve studies found an inverse association between dairy consumption and being overweight or obese, and 4 studies reported a mainly neutral association. Only one study reported positive associations in relation to some specific dairy products. Recent scientific evidence based mainly on meta-analysis of observational studies, shows that there is an inverse or neutral association between the consumption of milk and dairy products and the risk of being overweight or obese, both in children and in adults.