Key Takeaways

While the internet is full of suggestions to avoid dairy due to its inflammatory properties, medical research does not appear to support that claim. A new systematic review shows consuming dairy appears to have neutral to beneficial effects on inflammatory markers.

For the September review in theJournal of the American College of Nutrition,researchers analyzed 27 trials that focused on dairy products’ effect on inflammatory markers. Dairy products included dairy food options likemilk, yogurt, cheese, and proteins from milk including casein and whey.

None of these studies suggest that either consuming dairy food or proteins from milk increase inflammation like previously believed. In fact, some of the studies report dairy intake actually results in a reduction in at least onebiomarker of inflammation.

Chris Cifelli, PhD, vice president of nutrition research at the Dairy Council in Illinois and one of the study authors, tells Verywell that this is not the first time dairy has exhibited a neutral or positive effect on inflammation, and due to the consistency of the evidence, there is a “true association.”

“I’m not quite sure when dairy became so demonized for its supposed effects on inflammation, but the current data just does not support this theoretical inflammatory effect,”Melissa Azzaro, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian in New Hampshire and author of A Balanced Approach To PCOS, tells Verywell. Azzaro was not involved with the study.

What This Means For YouIf you are trying to combat chronic inflammation, it does not appear that there is a need to avoid dairy foods and proteins from milk like casein or whey.

What This Means For You

If you are trying to combat chronic inflammation, it does not appear that there is a need to avoid dairy foods and proteins from milk like casein or whey.

Dairy for Inflammation

This recent systemic review is the third published in the past three years indicating that dairy foods offer either no effect or a helpful effect on inflammation.

What is Chronic Inflammation?Chronic inflammation can be difficult to recognize. Factors like obesity, smoking cigarettes, and eating certain foods can cause your body to react as if something is abnormal or foreign, triggering an inflammatory response in your tissues and organs.

What is Chronic Inflammation?

Chronic inflammation can be difficult to recognize. Factors like obesity, smoking cigarettes, and eating certain foods can cause your body to react as if something is abnormal or foreign, triggering an inflammatory response in your tissues and organs.

In 2017, a review of over 50 clinical trials found that dairy foods were associated with anti-inflammatory activity in subjects with metabolic disorders. Both low- and full-fat dairy products, as well as fermented dairy foods, displayed anti-inflammatory activity.

A 2019 review found similar results, reporting that consumption of milk or dairy products was not linked to inflammation in healthy subjects or those with metabolic abnormalities.

According to Cifelli, there is no reason to avoid dairy for inflammation concerns.

He explains that since more than one in five people are not meeting their dairy intake recommendations, they are missing out on key nutrients. Dairy foods are known for their calcium content, a nutrient that is key for bone health and carrying out important functions like muscle contraction.

“Of course, if you have a true dairy allergy, you shouldn’t eat dairy-containing foods," Azzaro says. And if lactose is a problem for you, you can choose lactose-free products. “But for most people, reasonable servings of dairy have been found to be beneficial, and in my line of work, the evidence supports including full-fat dairy to support fertility in women.”

The benefits of consuming dairy foods and proteins from milk extend beyond the inflammatory factor. The nutrients found in dairy foods may support bone health and immune function.Consuming proteins from milk like whey, casein, and milk protein concentrate and isolate have been shown to aid in weight loss, improve muscle tone, and enhance workout recovery.In fact, when compared with plant proteins, proteins from milk are more complete and higher quality.

New Study Challenges Importance of Dairy For Menopausal Women

How To Manage Inflammation

Maria Nicholson, RD, LDN, a Philadelphia-based registered dietitian, tells Verywell there are dietary and lifestyle choices people can make to possibly prevent chronic inflammation, including:

Additionally, data suggests that participating in 20 minutes of regular physical activity reduces the risk of chronic inflammation.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Nieman K, Anderson B, Cifelli C.The effects of dairy product and dairy protein intake on inflammation: A systematic review of the literature.J Am Coll Nutr. 2020 Sep 1;1-12. doi:10.1080/07315724.2020

Bordoni A, Danes F, Dardevet D, Dupont D. et al.Dairy products and inflammation: A review of the clinical evidence.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017 Aug 13;57(12):2497-2525. doi:10.1080/10408398.2014.967385

Ulven S, Holven K, Gil A, Dangel-Huerta O.Milk and dairy product consumption and inflammatory biomarkers: An updated systematic review of randomized clinical trials.Adv Nutr. 2019 May 1;10(suppl_2):S239-S250. doi:10.1093/advances/nmy072

International Dairy Federation.IDF Factsheet: Dairy’s role in supporting a healthy immune system.

Saunders M, Luden N, DeWitt C, Gross M, Rios A.Protein supplementation during or following a marathon run influences post-exercise recovery.Nutrients. 2018 Mar 10;10(3):333. doi:10.3390/nu10030333

Mathai J, Lio Y, Stein H.Values for digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS) for some dairy and plant proteins may better describe protein quality than values calculated using the concept for protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores (PDCAAS).Br J Nutr. 2017 Feb;117(4):490-499. doi:10.1017/S0007114517000125

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