Dairy foods benefit health beyond the energy and nutrients they provide. Some examples of these functional health benefits may include improved gut health, reduced inflammation and positive impacts on chronic disease risk, immunity, sleep and brain health.

The Dairy Food Matrix

Nutrients, bioactives and other compounds in dairy foods work together uniquely to impact digestion, absorption and physiological functions. This dairy food matrix helps explain why dairy foods have health benefits beyond their isolated nutrients.¹

Gut Health

The microbiome refers to the unique collection of microorganisms or microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi) that live in different parts of the body. Every person has trillions of microbes throughout the body, with most of them living in the intestines.

• When people talk about gut health, they are typically referring to the number and variety of microbes living in the intestines. Some microbes are protective, and eating foods that build health-promoting microbes support gut health.²
• Gut health is affected by genetics, the environment, nutrition and other factors, and research is continuing to uncover the many ways gut health is connected to overall health.³
• Fermented dairy foods like yogurt and kefir that have live cultures can add beneficial bacteria to the digestive system, contributing to a healthier microbiota and overall gut health.

Inflammation

• Chronic inflammation may be a contributing factor to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and proper immune function. Including dairy foods in the diet is associated with lower levels of inflammation.⁴

Disease Prevention

• Eating 3 servings of dairy foods each day as part of a healthy eating pattern is associated with a lower risk of overweight or obesity.⁵
• Consuming dairy foods like milk, yogurt and cheese is linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease⁶, type 2 diabetes⁵ and stroke.⁷

Brain Health

• Drinking 3 cups of dairy milk may improve brain health in older adults by increasing the antioxidant glutathione in the brain.¹¹
• Dairy provides nutrients like protein, B12, iodine and choline, which are essential for brain development during pregnancy and early childhood.¹²

Immunity

• Fermented dairy foods such as yogurt, kefir and cheese are good for gut health, which supports immune function.³
• Six of milk’s 13 essential nutrients—protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc, selenium and vitamin B12—work together to contribute to healthy immune function.⁸

Sleep

• Dairy foods provide the nutrients tryptophan, magnesium and zinc. These nutrients are essential for the body to create the neurotransmitter serotonin and hormone melatonin, which help promote sleep.⁹
• Fermented dairy foods like yogurt and kefir are linked with better sleep, potentially by contributing to improvements in the gut microbiome.¹⁰

Dairy foods work in synergy with vegetables, fruits and whole grains to make plant-forward plates even better by adding nutrients like high-quality protein, calcium and vitamin B12 along with flavor, texture and satisfaction.

Dairy Foods' Role in Gut Health

How to Improve Gut Health

Food Synergy

Nutrition + Immunity

Gut Health and Overall Health

Maria Frye, RDN, explains how to reduce the risk for chronic diseases & inflammation in the body.

Learn more

Probiotics + Fermented Foods For Health

Kristal Mylander, RDN, explains the nutrition science behind these foods & their impact on health.

Learn more

What Supports a Healthy Immune System?

Kristal Mylander, RDN, elaborates on how nutrition plays a role in supporting immunity.

Learn more

References

1. Weaver CM. Dairy matrix: is the whole greater than the sum of the parts? Nutr Rev. 2021;79(suppl_ 2):4–15, DOI:10.1093/nutrit/nuab081

2. Dimidi E, Cox SR, Rossi M, Whelan K. Fermented foods: definitions and characteristics, impact on the gut microbiota and effects on gastrointestinal health and disease. Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1806. DOI:10.3390/nu11081806

3. Leeuwendaal NK, Stanton C, O’Toole PW, Beresford TP. Fermented Foods, Health and the Gut Microbiome. Nutrients. 2022;14(7):1527. DOI:10.3390/nu14071527

4. Ulven SM, Holven KB, Gil A, Rangel-Huerta OD. Milk and Dairy Product Consumption and Inflammatory Biomarkers: An Updated Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials. Adv Nutr. May 1 2019;10(suppl_2):S239-S250. DOI:10.1093/advances/nmy072

5. Feng X, Zhao Y, Liu J, et al. Consumption of dairy products and the risk of overweight or obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A dose-response meta-analysis and systematic review of cohort studies. Adv Nutr. 2022;13(6):2165-2179. DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmac096

6. Dehghan M, Mente A, Rangarajan S, et al. Association of dairy intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 21 countries from 5 continents(PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2018;392(10161):2288-2297. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31812-9

7. Deng C, Lu Q, Gong B, et al. Stroke and food groups: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Public Health Nutr. 2018;21(4):766-776. DOI:10.1017/s1368980017003093

8. Calder PC. Optimal nutritional status for a well-functioning immune system is an important factor to protect against viral infections. Nutrients. 2020;12(4). DOI: 10.3390/nu12041181

9. Komada Y, Okajima I, Kuwata T. The effects of milk and dairy products on sleep: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(24):9440. DOI:10.3390/ijerph17249440

10. Yu L, Han X, Cen S, et al. Beneficial effect of GABA-rich fermented milk on insomnia involving regulation of gut microbiota. Microbiol Res. 2020;233:126409. DOI:10.1016/j.micres.2020.126409

11. Choi IY, Taylor MK, Lee P, et al. Milk intake enhances cerebral antioxidant (glutathione) concentration in older adults: A randomized controlled intervention study. Front Nutr. 2022;9:811650. DOI:10.3389/fnut.2022.811650

12. Schwarzenberg SJ, Georgieff MK, Committee on Nutrition. Advocacy for improving nutrition in the first 1000 days to support childhood development and adult health. Pediatrics. 2018;141(2):e20173716. DOI:10.1542/peds.2017-3716