Dairy products and constituents: a review of their effects on obesity and related metabolic diseases

Obesity has become a global public health problem that seriously affects the quality of life. As an important part of human diet, dairy products contain a large number of nutrients that are essential for maintaining human health, such as proteins, peptides, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. A growing number of epidemiological investigations provide strong evidence on dairy interventions for weight loss in overweight/obese populations. Therefore, this paper outlines the relationship between the consumption of different dairy products and obesity and related metabolic diseases. In addition, we dive into the mechanisms related to the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism by functional components in dairy products and the interaction with gut microbes. Lastly, the role of dairy products on obesity of children and adolescents is revisited. We conclude that whole dairy products exert more beneficial effect than single milk constituent on alleviating obesity and that dairy matrix has important implications for metabolic health.

Automated summary

Obesity is a global public health problem that affects people's quality of life. Dairy products, which contain essential nutrients such as proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals, have been found to be effective in weight loss interventions for overweight/obese populations. This paper focuses on the relationship between the consumption of different dairy products and obesity, as well as the mechanisms by which functional components in dairy products regulate glucose and lipid metabolism and interact with gut microbes. It also discusses the role of dairy products in childhood and adolescent obesity.