Limit high-fat dairy foods in diet to ward off fatty liver disease risk

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.

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.

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.