Is dairy a health food or a health risk?

Consumption of dairy products does not appear to increase the risk of noncommunicable diseases or mortality, according to a scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

“In fact, it may moderately reduce the risk of several health outcomes, including adverse cardiovascular outcomes and certain cancers such as bladder, breast, colorectal, liver, oral, and ovarian,” the investigators said.

“Some studies have also linked dairy consumption to improved body composition, lower rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and better bone health,” they added.

Ninety-five reports involving five dairy exposure categories on 29 different health outcomes were included in this study. A total of 281 associations were identified, of which 37.7 percent showed a relationship between dairy intake and a reduced risk, while 48.0 percent did not find any association with disease risk. [Eur J Clin Nutr 2026;80:16-27]

Notably, 10.0 percent of the associations elicited inconclusive results, whereas 4.3 percent suggested an elevated risk of adverse health outcomes.

“In summary, this review highlights that dairy consumption is generally linked with neutral or protective associations with adverse health outcomes,” said the investigators, adding that “[c]ertain dairy foods, particularly yogurt and fermented dairy, consistently showed evidence of health benefits.”

Fermented dairy contains probiotics and other bioactive compounds that possess anti-inflammatory properties, which potentially enhance cardiovascular, metabolic, and gut health. [Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2018;10:11-21]

However, reports examining these categories were fewer than those focusing on milk and cheese: 40 reports on yogurt and 13 on all fermented dairy products compared to 65 on total dairy, 51 on milk, and 42 on cheese consumption.

“Future studies on fermented dairy products are needed to better understand their specific health benefits,” the investigators said.

Public health

These findings suggest that consuming dairy foods may confer moderate benefits on cardiovascular and metabolic health outcomes, which may have broad public health implications, considering the high prevalence of obesity, according to the investigators.

Moreover, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of disability and premature death in high-income countries and second in middle- and low-income countries. [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death; https://www.who.int/news/item/09-12-2020-who-reveals-leading-causes-of-death-and-disability-worldwide-2000-2019]

Dairy consumption is also not associated with an elevated risk of T2D, which is a major comorbidity of obesity. Furthermore, fermented dairy products have been shown to potentially lower the risk of T2D, but the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. [Am J Clin Nutr 2016;103:1111-1124; Nutrients 2017;9:1-17; J Indian Inst Sci 2023;103:167-190; Can J Diabetes 2022;46:307-312]

Notably, consuming dairy foods may also lower the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), which is consistent with the findings of a recent prospective cohort study. [Nat Commun 2025;16:375]

“This is a particularly notable finding, as CRC is the third most common cancer worldwide,” the investigators said. “Given its high incidence, even modest reductions in CRC risk associated with dietary factors like dairy intake could have meaningful implications for cancer prevention strategies.” [https://www.wcrf.org/preventing-cancer/cancer-statistics/colorectal-cancer-statistics/]