High dietary intake of whole milk and full-fat dairy products does not exert hypotensive effects in adults with elevated blood pressure

Regular consumption of low- and nonfat dairy products reduces blood pressure (BP) in adults with elevated BP. Currently, it is unknown if conventional full-fat dairy products exert similar hypotensive effects. We hypothesized that adding full-fat dairy products to the normal routine diet would reduce seated office and ambulatory BP (primary outcome) in adults with elevated BP when compared with a no dairy control. Using a randomized controlled crossover design, 60 adults with elevated systolic BP (systolic/diastolic BP: 120-159/<99 mm Hg) participated in a 4-week high-dairy (4 servings a day of full-fat dairy products + regular diet) and a 4-week no-dairy condition (plant-based food items + regular diet) separated by a 2-week washout period. Data were analyzed based on time, condition, and sex. Seated office systolic BP did not change significantly in either condition. There were no changes in systolic BP in male or female participants across either dietary period. Ambulatory (24-hour) systolic BP did not change significantly in the high-dairy (133 ± 2 vs 131 ± 1 mm Hg) or no-dairy conditions (132 ± 2 vs 131 ± 1 mm Hg). No significant changes were observed for diastolic BP or pulse pressure during condition for office or ambulatory measures. The solitary addition of full-fat dairy products to the normal routine diet does not exert hypotensive effects in adults with elevated BP when compared to the no-dairy control.