The Dairy Council has welcomed a new study which has found that eating milk, yogurt and cheese, does not increase risk of heart attack or stroke.

The study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, which offers a meta-analysis of 29 cohort studies, questions the link between dairy, saturated fat and heart health. In line with a growing body of science, the study shows that dairy has a neutral or protective association on long term heart health.

The meta-analysis, based on 35 years-worth of research, found no links between milk, total dairy, high or low-fat dairy and coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease.

Dr Anne Mullen, director of nutrition at The Dairy Council, explains, "Milk and dairy foods are often misunderstood in regard to heart disease and type 2 diabetes and are frequently targeted in saturated fat reduction initiatives. However, research has evolved significantly and a growing body of work, such as this study, is showing that there has been a shift in the evidence base on milk, dairy and cardiometabolic health.

"Consumers have become more concerned about saturated fat and as it is found in milk and dairy foods, it is often assumed dairy plays a role in the possibility of developing heart disease or type 2 diabetes. However, when we look at the science, these claims are not supported.

"Recent debates on saturated fat do a disservice to the nutritional quality of foods such as milk and dairy. There have been a number of large studies in recent years that have shown that the consumption of milk and dairy over many years has either no effect or a beneficial effect on heart health and also type 2 diabetes.

"Dairy is more complex than just saturated fat, and this is an important lesson. If we simply looked at single nutrients we would blacklist foods unfairly. Instead, we need to take a step back and look at all of the nutrients as a whole, as well as how they interact, to appreciate the impact milk and dairy has on our health."