A review of 22 studies found natural dairy trans fats were not tied to heart disease or type 2 diabetes

What the research found

Study (review of trials and cohorts). ScienceDaily carried the University of Reading account on 7 October 2026. Constance Gayet-Boyer, Fanny Tenenhaus-Aziza, Moises Torres-Gonzalez, D. Ian Givens, and Cindy Schweitzer report in Nutrition Research (2026; 150:33; doi 10.1016/j.nutres.2026.03.009). They separated trans fats that occur in milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese from industrial trans fats made by partial hydrogenation. Ten controlled trials compared dairy with higher natural trans fat (about 1.3 to 13.2 grams a day) with ordinary dairy and found no meaningful difference in blood lipids. Twelve cohort studies, some longer than 20 years, in Europe, Canada, and the United States, did not link higher blood levels of dairy trans fats with heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular death, or type 2 diabetes. Givens said these dairy fats are not the same as industrial partially hydrogenated fats, and that the finding is about dairy inside a balanced diet, not a reason to seek out trans fat. The release does not split results by sex or age. Educational notes. This is not medical advice.

Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.

Read the original at University of Reading / Nutrition Research