TABLE 2.

Summary of the association between dairy product consumption and clinical outcomes, with assessment of quality of evidence¹

	CVD	CAD	Stroke	Hypertension	MetS	T2D
Total dairy	Neutral	Neutral	Favorable	Favorable	Favorable	Favorable
	Moderate	High	Moderate	High	Moderate	Moderate
Regular- or high-fat dairy	Uncertain	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Uncertain	Neutral
	Very low	High	Moderate	Moderate	Very low	Moderate
Low-fat dairy	Uncertain	Neutral	Favorable	Favorable	Uncertain	Favorable
	Very low	High	Moderate	Moderate	Very low	High
Milk	Uncertain	Neutral	Neutral	Favorable	Favorable	Neutral
	Very low	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Cheese	Neutral	Neutral	Favorable	Neutral	Uncertain	Favorable
	High	Moderate	Moderate	High	Very low	Moderate
Yogurt	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Uncertain	Favorable
	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Very low	High
Fermented dairy	Uncertain	Uncertain	Favorable	Neutral	Uncertain	Neutral
	Very low	Very low	Moderate	Moderate	Very low	Moderate

¹Each of these associations is described in detail in the text. The association between dairy intake (any form) and the onset of any clinical outcome is described as “unfavorable” (increased risk with dairy intake), “neutral” (no association between dairy intake and risk), or “favorable” (reduced risk with increased intake of dairy). The quality of evidence (very low, low, moderate, or high) is described by using the GRADE grading system as described in Supplemental Table 5. High-quality evidence defines a situation in which “we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect.” Moderate-quality evidence indicates that “we are moderately confident in the effect estimate. The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different.” Low-quality evidence indicates that “our confidence in the effect estimate is limited. The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect.” Very low-quality evidence indicates that “we have very little confidence in the effect estimate. The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of the effect.” CAD, coronary artery disease; CVD, cardiovascular disease; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation; MetS, metabolic syndrome; T2D, type 2 diabetes.