Get your daily dairy

Many of you will know my keenness for unprocessed foods and my view that natural foods are unlikely to cause health problems. Many studies now support this and that natural fats do not make you fat- highly processed foods and sugars do. Low fat diets inevitably make people fatter! This week researchers say that dairy foods such as butter and cheese do not increase the risk of heart disease and therefore probably do not increase cholesterol levels. Although they do not say that saturated fats are harmless other nutrients in dairy foods such as calcium, potassium and vitamin D provide other health benefits. They also found no link between how much diary food people eat and any risk. This study to be published in the Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases Journal is based on 3630 men. You will know my view that unprocessed fats are vitally important for your metabolism, heart and brain functions- ditch processed fats such as spreads which are toxic. Interestingly, other studies have linked dairy consumption to weight loss and remember we have known for some time that eating good quality eggs does not increase cholesterol levels. Indeed, protein controls blood sugar levels, lowering insulin and provides a huge number of health benefits. However, the jury (including the World Cancer Research Fund) is still out on the evidence for high dairy diets and cancer risk. Enjoy?

Kevin, May 25.