The latest research by the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) has revealed something that dairy food-enthusiasts will be happy to know - full-fat dairy products are not only harmless and that they may reduce the risk of heart-related deaths.

The prospective study carried on for a 16-year period, whereby the scientists followed the habitual consumption of dairy products of 1,529 adult Australians aged 25 to 78 years old.

De Jolieke van der Pols from QIMR said that specific types of fats in dairy might be protective against heart disease.

The study - which has been published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition - discovered that there was a 70 per cent less risk of death by heart disease in people who consume the highest of full-fat dairy product.

Dr van der Pols said, We found that people with the highest intake of full-fat dairy had 70 per cent less chance of death by heart disease or stroke than those who had the lowest intake of full-fat dairy.

It is likely that the milk fat contains nutrients that neutralize the undesirable effects of the saturated fat in dairy products, explained Dr van der Pols.

The findings stated clearly that there is no correlation between total dairy consumption and deaths associated with cancer or general risks of death.

Future research is definitely required to further analyzed and confirm the potential beneficial connection between the consumption of full-fat dairy and heart-related deaths.