DAIRY AUSTRALIA has welcomed new advice from the Heart Foundation which says regular fat milk, yoghurt and cheese are healthy options for Australians.
The updated advice means the Heart Foundation has removed its previous restriction on regular fat milk, cheese and yoghurt. The organisation has confirmed these products do not increase or decrease the risk of heart disease or stroke, and are a source of healthy nutrients like calcium.
Dairy Australia’s Human Health and Nutrition Policy manager Melissa Cameron said the new recommendations are good news for dairy.
"The Heart Foundation’s announcement reinforces the clear nutritional benefits of consuming recommended serves of dairy as part of a healthy diet,” Ms Cameron said.
“This new advice is based on a growing body of high quality evidence which shows it’s important to consider the effect of the entire food matrix, rather than focus on single nutrients, like saturated fat.
“Dairy is one of the five recommended food groups according to Australian Dietary Guidelines. Both regular and reduced fat varieties of milk, cheese and yoghurt are associated with numerous health benefits, including a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.”
The latest data from Dairy Australia shows that in 2018–19, more than two thirds of consumers purchased regular milk over reduced and non-fat varieties from supermarkets — a 12 per cent increase from just 56 per cent of consumers a decade earlier.
For more information, visit the Heart Foundation’s website.