The ‘‘Dietary Guidelines for Americans’’ have recommended for decades that people steer clear of whole milk, but recently the scientific support for that guidance has been eroding, and new research published Thursday underscored the idea that millions of people might have been healthier had they ignored the government’s advice.
The research, published in the Journal of Nutrition, finds that people who consume full-fat dairy products such as whole milk are less likely to be afflicted with so-called ‘‘metabolic syndrome,’’ a set of related risk factors predicting heart disease and diabetes.
‘‘Dietary recommendations to avoid full-fat dairy intake are not supported by our findings,’’ the researchers said.