People who consume the most milk (especially whole) and butter have higher mortality. But those who consume cheese and yogurt would be protected.
Are dairy products our friends for life? Not sure, in any case for liquid milk and butter, if we believe a study published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirmed the association between the consumption of non-fermented dairy products and mortality All causes already combined elsewhere. Cheese and other fermented dairy products (yogurt) on the contrary could have a favorable effect.
This study follows another 2014, also Swedish, who had concluded higher mortality among large consumers, men and women, of liquid milk. And a higher risk of fractures in women who drank milk.
Nordic countries are large consumers of dairy products, perhaps because these countries are less affected by lactose intolerance, unlike most other regions of the globe (Southern Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America …). According to FAO, Sweden is the third country consumer of dairy products in the world, after Finland and the Netherlands. It is therefore in this country that researchers explored the link between the consumption of dairy products and the mortality of all causes.
Milk, yogurts, cheeses: what dairy products increase or reduce the risk of death?
For this work, 103,256 adults from a Swedish cohort, 51 % of which, were followed for an average duration of 13.7 years. There were 7,121 deaths.
The results show that large consumers of non-fermented milk (those who drank more than 2.5 times a day) had a risk of death all causes higher by 32 % to that of those who consumed less than once a week. Consumption of butter was also linked to an increase in the risk of death all causes. All types of non-fermented milks were associated with an increase in the risk of death, but the results were attenuated with skim milk.
However, there was a difference between non-fermented dairy products and fermented dairy products (yogurts, cheeses, etc.). The consumption of fermented milk and cheese were associated with a drop in mortality: – 10 % and – 7 % respectively.
More deaths by consuming whole milk
In 2025, a study on nearly 74,000 Norwegians confirmed that, compared to the 20 % that consume the least whole milk, the 20 % that consume the most have cardiovascular mortality and all causes higher, + 12 % and + 22 % respectively. On the other hand, the consumption of light milk in fats is not associated with more mortality. The cohort of this study included adults invited to health screening as part of the Norwegian Counties Study. Participants answered food questionnaires during each screening between 1974 and 1988.
Mortality, cancer: what studies on dairy products say
Many studies have analyzed the link between dairy products and mortality. Thus, a meta-analysis of 29 studies, published in 2017, relating to 938,000 participants has not found an association between the consumption of dairy products and mortality (with a slight reverse association for the consumption of fermented dairy products).
A significant consumption of milk and dairy products has been associated with certain cancers, such as prostate cancerbut also at the risk of lymphoma (except yogurt) and Parkinson’s disease.
The authors also evoke the role of galactosesugar from lactose digestion. A glass of milk leads to absorb about 5 grams of galactose. Experimentally, in animals, galactose induces changes that resemble aging, including a reduced life expectancy caused by oxidizing stress, inflammation degeneration of nerve cells, a decrease in immunity and changes in the expression of genes. However, the fermentation made by bacteria (in yogurts, cheeses) reduces lactose levels. In addition, the bioactive compounds present in fermented products influence the interactions between the intestinal flora and its host; They could have positive effects on immunity and therefore health.
