Dietary guidelines generally recommend limiting full-fat dairy products. This recommendation has been based on traditional hypothesis that dietary saturated fatty acids, such as those derived from milk fat, have serum LDL cholesterol raising effects. Subsequently, serum LDL cholesterol has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk based on observational evidence as well as meta-analysis of RCT data. A review of observational studies has suggested that the association between milk fat intake and serum cholesterol measures could vary depending on the type of dairy products. Differential effects of various dairy foods on plasma lipids might be partly dependent on the presence of MFGM.
MFGM lipid components may play a role in supporting cardiovascular health by modulating cholesterol and fat uptake.