Eating high-fat dairy products which include whole milk, cream, frozen yoghurt, butter, and ghee, may increase the risk of fatty liver disease, according to a study.
The study, published in the Journal of Hepatology Reports, showed that low-medium fat dairy products such as skimmed milk, cottage cheese, and low-fat cheese may be protective, and should be preferred over high-fat dairy to prevent Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MASLD is related to nutrition, but evidence of an association between high-fat and low-fat dairy products is lacking.
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To fill the gap, a team of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israel, evaluated this association by performing experimental studies in mice and an observational human study. They found that low-medium fat low-sugar dairy products are more protective than high-fat dairy. In general, high-fat diets may be harmful. "It would be advisable to prefer low-fat low-sugar dairy products and minimise intake of high-fat dairy products; however, additional evidence is needed to allow generalisability of our findings," the researchers said. In the animal study, 6-week-old male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) consisting of lard, soybean oil, and milk fat for 12 weeks.
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All HFDs induced similar weight gain and steatosis and did not affect liver enzymes. Milk fat increases serum cholesterol and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) levels more than lard or soybean oil. Further, in 316 patients, the team found that high consumption of low-medium fat low-sugar dairy products was associated with a lower risk for MASLD incidence. "Constantly high consumption of high-fat low-sugar dairy products was associated with greater odds for new onset/persistence of MASLD". However, the team found that neither low-medium nor high-fat dairy consumption was related to fibrosis.
