title: Effects of high and low fat dairy food on cardio-metabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized studies.
abstract: Clear guidelines on the health effects of dairy food are important given the high prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and increasing global consumption of dairy food.
  
  
  
  To evaluate the effects of increased dairy food on cardio metabolic risk factors.
  
  
  
  Searches were performed until April 2013 using MEDLINE, Science Direct, Google,Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, reference lists of articles, and proceedings of major meetings.
  
  
  
  Randomized controlled studies with healthy adults randomized to increased dairy food for more than one month without additional interventions.
  
  
  
  A standard list was used to extract descriptive, methodological and key variables from all eligible studies. If data was not included in the published report corresponding authors were contacted.
  
  
  
  20 studies with 1677 participants with a median duration of dietary change of 26 (IQR 10-39) weeks and mean increase in dairy food intake of 3.6 (SD 0.92) serves/day were included.
  
  Increased dairy food intake was associated with a modest weight gain (+0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.34 to 0.84kg, p<0.0001) but no significant change in waist circumference (0.35 , -0.75 to 1.45 cm); insulin resistance (HOMA –IR -0.94 , -1.93 to 0.05 units); fasting glucose (0.87, -0.27 to 2.01 mg/dl); LDL-cholesterol (1.36 ,-2.38 to 5.09 mg/dl); HDL-cholesterol (0.45, -2.13 to 3.04 mg/dl); systolic (-0.13, -1.73 to 1.98 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (0.13, -1.73 to 1.98 mmHg) or C-reactive protein (-0.08, -0.63 to 0.48 mg/L). Results were similar for studies with low-fat and whole-fat dairy interventions.
  
  
  
  Most clinical trials were small and of modest quality. .
  
  
  
  Increasing whole fat and low fat dairy food consumption increases weight but has minor effects on other cardio-metabolic risk factors.
  
  
  
  Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000401752, http://www.anzctr.org.au.
  
  
  
  NTX/10/11/115.
authors.affiliation: Green Lane Cardiovascular Service, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jocelyne R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Benatar
authors.forename: Karishma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sidhu
authors.forename: Ralph A H
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003611:Dairy Products; D003971:Diastole / Q000187:drug effects; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D002097:C-Reactive Protein