The effects of long-term consumption of full-fat dairy products on satiety, body weight and glycemic control

Project Overview

Cardiometabolic diseases which include obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes are major global health burdens. Dairy products, especially ones that are higher in fat are perceived as being “detrimental” to cardiometabolic health. However, contrary to public perception, a growing number of studies have shown that dairy fat and regular fat dairy products may be beneficial in reducing cardiometabolic risk including obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However, there is still controversy and skepticism amongst key opinion leaders and the public regarding the place of higher fat dairy products in a healthy diet.

The overall objective of this project is to address obesity and type 2 diabetes, two major health burdens facing Canadians, by providing high level evidence towards the substantiation of health claims related to consumption of dairy products on satiety, postprandial glycemia and weight management. 

What Will the Research Team Do?

The research team undertook a multi-centre clinical trial to investigate the effects of regular consumption of full-fat dairy on body weight, body composition, cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as gut microbiota. 

The primary objective of this project to determine the efficacy of regular consumption of three servings of full-fat dairy (30 g cheese, 250 mL milk, 175 g yogurt) consumed throughout the day in energy-restricted and unrestricted diets. The main hypothesis is that adding dairy will provide a greater reduction of body weight and risk factors for diabetes and chronic diseases in overweight and obese adults. 

A secondary objective is to determine if the acute effects of single servings of dairy on postprandial glycemia (PPG), satiety and thermogenesis are sustained after 24 weeks of consuming three servings of dairy in diets, with and without energy restriction.