Dairy products and inflammation: A review of the clinical evidence

Abstract

Inflammation is a major biological process regulating the interaction between organisms and the environment, including the diet. Because of the increase in chronic inflammatory diseases, and in light of the immune-regulatory properties of breastfeeding, the ability of dairy products to modulate inflammatory processes in humans is an important but unresolved issue. Here, we report a systematic review of 52 clinical trials investigating inflammatory markers in relation to the consumption of dairy products. An inflammatory score (IS) was defined to quantitatively evaluate this interaction. The IS was significantly positive for the entire data set, indicating an anti-inflammatory activity in humans. When the subjects were stratified according to their health status, the IS was strongly indicative of an antiinflammatory activity in subjects with metabolic disorders and of a pro-inflammatory activity in subjects allergic to bovine milk. Stratifying the data by product categories associated both low-fat and high-fat products, as well as fermented products, with an anti-inflammatory activity. Remarkably, the literature is characterized by a large gap in knowledge on bioavailability of bioactive nutrients. Future research should thus better combine food and nutritional sciences to adequately follow the fate of these nutrients along the gastrointestinal and metabolic axes.

Trans Fatty Acids Suppress TNF‐α‐Induced Inflammatory Gene Expression in Endothelial (HUVEC) and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HepG2) Cells

“…In human studies, tissue levels of rTFA, and especially tPA, are often used as a biomarker of dairy fat intake [48,49]. A systematic review of human clinical trials reported a beneficial impact of dairy products on inflammation, especially in subjects with metabolic disorders, while the impact in healthy subjects was either beneficial or neutral [50]. In the present work, rTFA exerted their anti-inflammatory action in cells stimulated with TNF-α.…”

Whey and Casein Proteins and Medium-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids from Milk Do Not Increase Low-Grade Inflammation in Abdominally Obese Adults

“…However, data suggest that dairy products do not exert adverse effects on CVD risk and low-grade inflammation [11][12][13][14][15]; some investigators even found a decreased level of inflammatory markers associated with the consumption of dairy products [16]. In this regard, Bordoni et al found that the anti-inflammatory properties were characteristic of both low-and high-fat dairy products [17], but a better understanding of the relationship between dairy protein, dairy fat, and chronic diseases is essential [18].…”

Whey and Casein Proteins and Medium-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids from Milk Do Not Increase Low-Grade Inflammation in Abdominally Obese Adults

“…However, data suggest that dairy products do not exert adverse 45 effects on CVD risk and low-grade inflammation [11][12][13][14][15]; some investigators even found 46 a decreased level of inflammatory markers associated with the consumption of dairy products [16]. In this regard, Bordoni et al found that the anti-inflammatory properties 48 were characteristic of both low-and high-fat dairy products [17], but a better 49 understanding of the relationship between dairy protein, dairy fat, and chronic diseases 50 is essential [18].…”