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Replacing dairy products with cereal and olive oil reduces disease risk
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A recent review and meta-analysis published in Current Developments in Nutrition examines long-term associations between various foods (mainly dairy) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including all-cause mortality, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study searched three online scientific repositories, identifying 2,544 publications, of which 34 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis.
After accounting for within-study bias and specificity, and adjusting for demographic and health factors, the results showed that different dairy products did not statistically alter the risk of NC in the study participants. However, replacing dairy products with red and processed meats was associated with an increased risk of NC, while replacing these products with whole grains and olive oil improved long-term NC risk. This study debunks the “healthy dairy” hypothesis, while clarifying the role of dietary patterns in modifying NC risk.
Noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide today, with approximately 73% of all deaths in 2017 attributed to this category. Despite significant advances in medicine, the prevalence of NCs continues to increase, with recent studies pointing to the role of healthy lifestyle (sleep patterns, physical activity levels, and diet) in the risk and progression of NCs. Diet, in particular, has been identified as a potentially modifiable health risk factor.
In this review and meta-analysis, researchers collected and synthesized data from over 30 publications from three online scientific repositories to identify changes in the risk of NC and overall health outcomes when replacing dairy products with 1. Other dairy products, 2. Plant products, or 3. Other animal products. The review methodology followed the recommendations of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist and was registered in the PROSPERO international register of systematic reviews.
Publication data were obtained through sequential repository searches, title and abstract screening, and full text analysis from three scientific publication databases: MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science. Data were collected until June 28, 2023.
Of the 2544 publications identified through the database keyword search, 34 publications (representing 15 unique participant cohorts) met the inclusion criteria for the review. Of these, 25 were included in the meta-analysis after risk of bias assessment.
The results of the study highlighted the absence of significant changes in the risk of NC between “healthy” (e.g. low-fat milk) and “unhealthy” (e.g. high-fat butter) dairy products. In contrast, replacing butter with olive oil significantly improved NC risk scores, suggesting long-term health benefits from replacing dairy with healthier plant-based options. In contrast, replacing dairy with red or processed meat significantly increased the risk of NC.
The present study is the largest meta-analysis to date in which researchers have looked at the effects of replacing dairy with other dairy products or other plant or animal products on the risk of NC. The results show that all dairy products carry the same risk of NC, and substitutions within the group (dairy) do not have significant long-term public health benefits. However, replacing dairy with plant or animal alternatives was associated with a change in NC risk: plant products improved risk, while red and processed meat worsened it.