Low‐fat dairy (LFD) favorably affects lipoprotein metabolism and C reactive protein (CRP) in subjects with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

We evaluated whether inclusion of low‐fat dairy (LFD) in the diet of individuals consuming ¡Ü 1.5 serving dairy/d would favorably affect lipoprotein metabolism. Five men and 5 women 30–75 y with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned to consume LFD (296 mL low‐fat milk, 170 g yogurt and 510 g cheese stick) or isocaloric control foods (42 g granola bar and 177 mL juice) daily for 6 wk. Following a 4‐wk washout period, individuals were crossed over to the alternate treatment. We analyzed dietary records, plasma lipids, CRP and lipoprotein subfraction and size at the end of each period. Energy intake and fat intake did not differ between diets, while there were increases in protein (p<0.01) and decreases in carbohydrate (p<0.01) during the LFD period. Individuals had lower triglycerides (TG) (1.63¡À0.61 vs 1.7¡À 0.62 mmol/L) and lower CRP (2.3¡À3.2 vs 4.8¡À6.1 mg/L) during the LFD compared to the control period while LDL cholesterol (LDL‐C), LDL size and small LDL particles were unaffected by increased dairy consumption. Although no changes were observed in HDL cholesterol between periods, participants had lower concentrations of total HDL particles associated with the smaller HDL subfractions (p< 0.05) during dairy consumption. These data suggest that inclusion of LFD does not increase LDL‐C or small LDL but might promote decreases in TG and in potentially atherogenic small HDL subfractions [supported by the Dairy Council]