New Dietary Guidelines Embrace Full-Fat Dairy, Sparking Debate

Nutrition experts weigh in on the potential health impacts of the shift away from low-fat dairy recommendations.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2026, now recommend consuming full-fat dairy products with no added sugars, a shift from decades of guidance to opt for non-fat and low-fat options. While some studies suggest full-fat dairy may not have the negative health effects previously thought, nutrition experts remain divided on the merits of the new recommendations, with concerns that they could lead to overconsumption of other high-saturated fat foods like butter and cream.

Why it matters

The change in dairy recommendations is significant, as it represents a major shift in public health guidance that could impact consumer behavior and the dairy industry. Some experts worry the new guidelines go too far in embracing full-fat dairy without clear evidence, while others feel the research supports allowing consumers to make their own choices about dairy fat.

The details

The new Dietary Guidelines, released by the USDA and HHS, recommend consuming full-fat dairy products with no added sugars. This reverses decades of guidance to opt for non-fat and low-fat dairy. The change comes as a growing number of studies have suggested full-fat dairy may not have the negative heart health impacts previously thought. However, some experts argue the research is still inconclusive, and that achieving the recommended 10% limit on saturated fat intake would be difficult if also consuming more whole-fat dairy and beef as the guidelines suggest.

  • The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released on January 7, 2026.
  • A study published in the fall of 2025 by researchers at the University of Minnesota found people in their 20s who consumed the most full-fat dairy were least likely to have early signs of heart disease two decades later.

The players

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president who recently sported a white milk mustache in a social media post, telling Americans to 'Drink Whole Milk'.

Mario Kratz

A former academic researcher who studied the health impact of dairy foods while at the University of Washington, and now operates the YouTube channel 'Nourished by Science' focused on nutrition and chronic disease prevention.

Ethan Cannon

A Ph.D. student in epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and the lead author of a study that found people in their 20s who consumed the most full-fat dairy were least likely to have early signs of heart disease two decades later.

Sander Kersten

The director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, who feels the new Dietary Guidelines recommendation to consume full-fat dairy goes too far without clear evidence.

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What they’re saying

“An observational study is always reporting an association between two variables. But at least it wasn't supportive of the hypothesis that eating more whole full-fat dairy foods would be likely to actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

— Mario Kratz, Former academic researcher (Nourished by Science)

“When you think about the overall food environment out there, and all the, frankly, junk food that people are consuming, dairy products — both whole fat and low fat — would be doing more benefit than harm compared to some of the other options.”

— Ethan Cannon, Ph.D. student in epidemiology (University of Minnesota School of Public Health)

“This is such a complex subject. You can weigh the evidence very differently, and depending on how you do that, you end up with a different outcome.”

— Sander Kersten, Director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences (Cornell University)

What’s next

More research is needed to fully understand how full-fat dairy products impact heart health compared to other high-saturated fat foods.

The takeaway

The new Dietary Guidelines' embrace of full-fat dairy has sparked debate among nutrition experts, highlighting the complex and evolving science around dairy consumption and its health effects. While some studies suggest full-fat dairy may not be as harmful as once thought, concerns remain about potential overconsumption of other high-saturated fat foods if the guidelines are interpreted too broadly.