Is low-fat or full-fat the better choice for dairy products?

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In the 1980s, fat came under fire, and low-fat or fat-free products became a dietary staple. But today, nutrition experts largely agree that dietary fat should have a spot at the table.

Healthy fats, including those found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados, can help your body absorb crucial nutrients and contribute to overall health. But does the same advice apply when it comes to dairy products? Is it time to trade in your low-fat and skim milk for whole milk and cheese?

The type of fat matters

An important reason why you shouldn't eat full-fat dairy with abandon is that - unlike the so-called healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, oily fish, and nuts - dairy products primarily contain saturated fat, which can contribute to heart disease risk.

A rule of thumb is to have no more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day for the average 2,000-calorie diet. The % Daily Value that you see on Nutrition Facts labels is based on this number. For context, one cup of whole milk has 4.5 grams of saturated fat.

The American Heart Association recommends keeping daily intake of saturated fat under 6% of total calories (so, 13 grams or less on a 2,000-calorie diet), and recommends that all people over 2 years old choose low-fat dairy products.

An easy way to track this is by reading nutrition labels and aiming for no more than 3 grams of saturated fat per serving in the foods you eat. But if you have a history of cardiovascular disease or high cholesterol, stick to 2 grams per serving.

Is the landscape changing?

Recent research is beginning to suggest that at least some types of full-fat dairy may not be as concerning as once thought. In particular, fermented dairy - yogurt and cheese - have been shown to be slightly protective against cardiovascular disease, or at least not increase risk.

A 2025 review of data, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, stated that dairy consumption of any kind - full-fat, low-fat, fat-free - has not been associated with cardiovascular disease risk. The review made several points:

• Total dairy intake has been shown to either have no association with cardiovascular disease risk, or to be slightly protective.
• There are no consistent differences in outcomes when comparing full-fat dairy intake to low-fat dairy intake.
• Some studies suggest that full-fat milk - but not other dairy products - is associated with slightly higher cardiovascular disease risk.

A similar review published in a different journal looked at nearly 100 studies focused on associations between dairy intake and health outcomes, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. About half the time, dairy intake was not linked with health outcomes at all, either positively or negatively. About 38% of the time, dairy consumption was linked to more favorable outcomes; 4% of the time, it was linked to unfavorable outcomes.

However, a recent study including data from more than 400,000 adults found that people who ate a lot of dairy fat were at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, compared with those who ate little to no dairy fat.

What does this mean for dairy intake?

It's better to focus on healthy eating overall, rather than overthinking one aspect like dairy, or one nutrient like saturated fat. When people run into nutritional problems, it's rarely because they opted for a full-fat dairy product instead of a low-fat option. It's often what goes along with it, such as when the cheese they're eating is on top of a pepperoni pizza.

In addition, sometimes when people focus on cutting fat, they start eating more refined carbohydrates and sugar, which can create health risks.

Experts often recommend people eat dairy products because they are a good source of calcium in the diet. But guidance on calcium may be changing; the U.S. recommendations are higher than those of other countries.

For most women, one to three servings a day is sufficient. Adult women, particularly postmenopausal women, should also focus on getting enough protein, which can help to maintain muscle and bone mass. Healthy protein choices include poultry, fish, nuts, legumes, and even some ancient grains, such as quinoa, in addition to moderate amounts of dairy.