Role of Milk Fat Globule Membranes in Dairy Foods: Health Effects in Humans

Dairy foods are a major component of the nordic diet. Epidemiological data suggest potential health effects of dairy foods with regard to obesity related disorders. Low-fat dairy foods have shown to be protective, but also high-fat products have been linked to reduced risk in some studies. It is well known that dairy products increase LDL-cholesterol in blood, but effects on glucose metabolism are unclear. Intervention trials are needed to clarify the health effects of dairy foods. Some data have indicated that cheese and milk may have less hypercholesterolemic effect compared with butter. Our hypothesis is that milk fat globule membranes (MFGM), present in all dairy products except butter, can affect blood lipid profile, vascular function, insulin sensitivity, inflammation and gene expression. Such idea might explain why different dairy products could have different effects on cholesterol levels. The investigators aim to conduct a controlled study to investigate this. Overweight subjects will be randomized to one of 2 groups with different types of dairy products: 1)butter oil; 2) cream (milk fat with MFGM).

Inclusion criteria

• BMI 25-37
• LDL-cholesterol 2.0-4.5 mmol/l

Exclusion criteria

• Use of lipid lowering drugs
• Diagnosed cardiovascular disease or diabetes
• Use of extreme diets
• Food allergies relevant to the study
• Pregnancy or active lactation