ENJOY A WIDE VARIETY OF NuTRITIOuS FOODS
57Guideline 2
Evidence statement Grade
Consumption of at least one and a half serves of dairy foods (milk, yoghurt, cheese) per day is associated with reduced risk of
type 2 diabetes. C
Consumption of more than one serve of milk per day is associated with reduced risk of rectal cancer. C
Consumption of dairy products (particularly milk) is associated with improved bone mineral density. C
Notes: The term ‘dairy’ refers to cow’s milk and the yoghurt and cheese produced from it.
Grades – A: convincing association, B: probable association, C: suggestive association
Includes evidence statements and gradings from the Evidence Report (literature from years 2002–2009). Does not include evidence from
other sources, such as the 2003 edition of the dietary guidelines (in which individual studies were classified according to their design as
level I, II or III but overall grades for relationships were not derived), although these sources have been used to inform these Guidelines.
Grade C evidence statements showing no association and all Grade D statements can be found in Appendix E.
Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and excess weight
• Coronary heart disease: It is probable that the consumption of at least two serves per day of dairy foods
(milk, cheese and yoghurt) is associated with reduced risk of ischaemic heart disease and myocardial infarction
(Grade B; Evidence Report, Section 5.3).^576
• Stroke: It is probable that the consumption of two or more serves of dairy foods per day (milk, cheese and
yoghurt) is associated with reduced risk of stroke (Grade B; Evidence Report, Section 5.4)576,577 particularly
reduced fat varieties.
• Hypertension: It is probable that consumption of three serves of low fat dairy foods (milk, cheese and yoghurt)
is associated with reduced risk of hypertension (Grade B; Evidence Report, Section 5.5). The evidence also
suggests that consumption of three serves of any milk, cheese or yoghurt products per day is associated with
reduced risk of hypertension (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 5.5).213,578-581
• Type 2 diabetes: The evidence suggests that consumption of two to four serves of dairy foods (milk, cheese,
yoghurt) per day is associated with reduced risk of metabolic syndrome (Grade C; Evidence Report,
Section 5.7)576,582 and that consumption of at least one and a half serves of milk, cheese and yoghurt per
day is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 5.6).213,576,583
• Excess weight: The evidence suggests that consumption of dairy foods is not associated with weight change
or risk of obesity in adults (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 5.8)209-214 and consumption of milk is not
associated with BMI or change in BMI in childhood (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 5.9).215,217-219,584,585
Total energy intake is always important in weight management.^9
Cancer
• Rectal and colorectal cancer: Recent evidence suggests it is probable that consumption of more than one
serve of dairy foods per day (especially milk) is associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer (Grade B;
Evidence Report, Section 5.11)492,586,587 The evidence suggests that consumption of more than one serve of
milk per day is associated with reduced risk of rectal cancer (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 5.12).586-588
The WCRF report found probable evidence that consuming milk is associated with reduced the risk of
colorectal cancer (see Appendix F).^43
• Renal cell, breast and endometrial cancer: It is probable that consumption of three or more serves of milk
per day is not associated with risk of renal cell cancer (Grade B; Evidence Report, Section 5.13).^589 There is
evidence to suggest that mean consumption of one serve of dairy food (milk cheese, yoghurt) per day is not
associated with the risk of breast cancer (Grade C; Evidence Report, Section 5.15)590,591 and that consumption
of dairy food (milk, cheese, yoghurt) is not associated with risk of endometrial cancer (Grade C; Evidence
Report, Section 5.16).^592
• Prostate cancer: Recent evidence suggesting an association between milk consumption and prostate cancer
is inconclusive (Evidence Report, Section 5.14). The WCRF also found limited evidence that consumption of
milk and dairy products is associated with risk of prostate cancer (see Appendix F).^43