#575: How Does Dairy Impact Cardiometabolic Health? – Prof. Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier

Introduction to this Episode

Dairy is often treated as a single food group, yet milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter can have very different effects on health. Some evidence links yogurt to favourable outcomes, while butter is known to raise LDL cholesterol. And then thereʼs the paradox of cheese: high in saturated fat, but not consistently associated with higher heart disease risk.

These complexities raise the question of whether the “dairy matrix” (the combination of nutrients and food structure) explains why not all dairy acts the same.

In this episode, Prof. Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, a nutrition researcher and registered dietitian, is on the show to examine what recent trials and large population studies tell us about dairy foods and cardiometabolic health. The discussion covers blood lipids, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and how guidelines should interpret this evolving evidence.

Referenced studies:

• Drouin-Chartier et , 2016 – Comprehensive Review of the Impact of Dairy Foods and Dairy Fat on Cardiometabolic Risk
• Drouin-Chartier et , 2019 – Changes in dairy product consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from 3 large prospective cohorts of US men and women
• Drouin-Chartier et , 2017 – Differential impact of the cheese matrix on the postprandial lipid response: a randomized, crossover, controlled trial
• Drouin-Chartier et , 2014 – Impact of dairy consumption on essential hypertension: a clinical study
• Drouin-Chartier et , 2016 – Systematic Review of the Association between Dairy
• Product Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular-Related Clinical Outcomes

Useful Terminology for this Episode

• Cardiometabolic Health: A broad term referring to the interrelated health of the heart and metabolic systems. It typically encompasses risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (like coronary heart disease, stroke) and metabolic diseases (such as type 2 diabetes). Markers of cardiometabolic health include blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, blood glucose and insulin, body weight, etc.
• Food Matrix: The composite physical and nutritional structure of a food, beyond just its individual nutrients. In dairy, the “matrix” includes the protein network, minerals (calcium, etc.), microbial content (in fermented products), and texture.
• Fermented Dairy: Dairy foods produced via fermentation by bacteria or yeast, such as yogurt and most cheeses. Fermentation imbues these foods with live microbial cultures (probiotics) and can alter their nutrient profile (for example, reducing lactose content and producing bioactive compounds).
• Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM): A method of measuring blood pressure continuously over 24 hours while a person goes about normal activities. It uses a portable monitor that records blood pressure at regular intervals. ABPM is considered a gold-standard for assessing true blood pressure status and diurnal patterns, as it captures daytime and nighttime readings outside of a clinical setting.
• DASH Diet: Acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, an eating pattern proven to lower blood pressure. The DASH diet is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; includes low-fat dairy products; and limits red/processed meats, sugary drinks, and sodium.
• Prospective Cohort Study: An observational study design where a group of individuals (cohort) is followed over time to see how different exposures (e.g. dietary habits) relate to the occurrence of outcomes (e.g. development of hypertension or diabetes). Prospective cohorts are frequently used to study diet-disease relationships in nutrition science.