Abstract
The results of epidemiological studies on dairy products and low-grade inflammation are scarce and inconsistent. Some studies have suggested that the associations may vary depending on the type of dairy product consumed. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between intake of fermented and non-fermented dairy products and separately butter and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a common inflammation marker, among a population with high dairy intake. The study included 1338 generally healthy men aged 42-60 years and serum hs-CRP ≤10mg/L from the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factory Study, examined in 1984-1989. Dietary intakes were assessed using 4-day food records. ANCOVA and linear and logistic regression were used for analyses. The reported mean intakes of fermented and non-fermented dairy products and butter were 189 (SD 217), 522 (SD 330) and 33 (SD 27) g/d, respectively. In the model adjusted for age, year of examination and energy intake (Model 1), higher intake of total dairy, total non-fermented dairy, total milk and butter were associated with higher concentration of serum hs-CRP, whereas fermented dairy intake was not associated with serum hs-CRP. After further adjustment for potential confounders, only higher butter intake remained statistically significantly associated with increased serum hs-CRP (P-trend=0.049). The odds ratio for elevated hs-CRP (>3mg/L) in the highest vs. the lowest quartile was 2.50 (95% confidence interval 1.19-5.26, P-trend=0.02). These results suggest that high intake of butter, but not other dairy products may be associated with increased low-grade inflammation.
Highlights
In the model adjusted for age, year of examination and energy intake (Model 1), higher intake of total dairy, total non-fermented dairy, total milk and butter were associated with higher concentration of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), whereas fermented dairy intake was not associated with serum hs-CRP (Table 3)
The mean difference in the serum hs-CRP concentration in the highest vs. the lowest quartile was À0.07 mg/ L (À0.19 to 0.06) for non-fermented dairy, 0.05 mg/L (À0.05 to 0.16) for fermented dairy and À0.09 mg/L (À0.24 to 0.06) for butter intake. In these cross-sectional analyses among Finnish middle-aged men with high dairy intake, only butter intake was associated with higher hs-CRP concentrations
There were no statistically significant associations between intakes of total dairy, total nonfermented dairy, total fermented dairy, total milk, or low-fat or high-fat dairy products and serum hs-CRP, especially after the analyses were adjusted for potential confounders, or in the analyses restricted to the men with the hs-CRP concentrations 3 mg/L
Summary
Some studies have suggested that the associations may vary depending on the type of dairy product consumed. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between intake of fermented and non-fermented dairy products and separately butter and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a common inflammation marker, among a population with high dairy intake. Results: The reported mean intakes of fermented and non-fermented dairy products and butter were 189 (SD 217), 522 (SD 330) and 33 (SD 27) g/d, respectively. After further adjustment for potential confounders, only higher butter intake remained statistically significantly associated with increased serum hs-CRP (P-trend 1⁄4 0.049). Conclusions: These results suggest that high intake of butter, but not other dairy products may be associated with increased low-grade inflammation.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
