Full Fat Dairy vs. Low-fat Dairy – Why Do We Still Care?

A recent CBS article shares the results of two new studies that suggest that full fat dairy products may be better for us than low fat dairy products. I decided not to spend any time assessing the design rigor of each study. If the studies don’t ask meaningful questions, what’s the point?

Although the results of these studies are not conclusive, let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the conclusions are correct. What if, as part of the Standard American Diet (SAD), full fat dairy products provide some slight benefit over low-fat dairy products? How much would it really matter?

Elisabetta Politi, nutrition director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center at Duke University states “These findings highlight for me the fact that nutrition is an evolving science and that we have just scratched the surface.”

It’s hard to argue that nutrition isn’t an evolving science, but isn’t every science evolving? All science involves inquiry, investigation and discovery. Nutrition science is no different.

I can’t speak for Dr. Politi, so I’m not quite sure what she means by “we have just scratched the surface”. My guess is that she was referring to our knowledge of what constitutes an optimal diet for humans. I expect this is what she means because she, like most nutrition researchers and educators, probably has a highly reductionist view of nutrition.

T.Colin Campbell PhD, nutritional biochemist and author of “The China Study” writes:

“Reductionism by definition seeks to eliminate all “confounding” factors: any variables that might influence the outcome in addition to the main substance under investigation. But because nutrition is a wholistic phenomenon, it simply doesn’t make any sense to study it as if it were a single variable. Studying nutrition as if it were a single-function pill disregards its complex interactions.”

One of these studies looked at full fat dairy consumption and diabetes, the other looked at full fat dairy and obesity. Results of studies like these that are not seen through a wholistic (big picture) framework are not very useful. The results of these particular studies are meaningless, as the very question of “full-fat dairy vs. low fat dairy” ignores the mountains of reductionist and wholistic evidence that show we’d be better off with little to no dairy at all.

Dr. Politi either is unaware of this evidence, or does not acknowledge the many well-designed correlation-based ecological studies that strongly point to whole food plant based (WFPB) diets as optimal for humans. Reductionist scientists trash such studies and often state that correlations tell us nothing about diet and disease associations.

Dr. Campbell writes “it is true that nothing conclusive about causation can be established because of the way that these studies are done but this criticism depends on the assumption that investigators are trying to identify single factor causation, again defying what nutrition is”.  Dr. Campbell states “the fault line in these studies is the formulation of hypotheses. If these hypotheses are formulated to truly reflect the wholistic characteristic of nutrition where multiple nutrients, biomarkers, and outcomes are simultaneously measured, then assessing causation is much more reasonable”

Until scientists, dietitians and physicians start taking a “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” approach to nutrition, they, along with most everyone else, will remain confused about nutrition. The big picture must always be taken into account.

Part of this big picture includes clinical research by Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr Caldwell Esselstyn which show that dairy-free low fat WFPB diets can reverse coronary artery disease (CAD) – our number one killer.

For those eating the SAD diet, switching from full fat dairy to low fat dairy, or vice versa, is as effective in preventing CAD as rearranging deck furniture is in preventing ocean liners from hitting icebergs.

To prevent titanic health problems, lose the dairy, meat, fish poultry, eggs and added oils. For most people, transitioning to a WFPB diet dominated by fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes is a big change. The big results you’re likely to experience will make it all worthwhile.