Addition of skim milk and non-fat dairy intake to the normal routine diet has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure (BP) and improve vascular function in adults with elevated BP. High consumption of whole milk and full-fat dairy products is accompanied by elevated saturated fat intake and an increase in plasma cholesterol concentration. The solitary effects of full-fat dairy products added to the normal diet in adults with elevated BP is not known. Therefore, the primary aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of reducing elevated BP and improving vascular function when adding whole milk and full-fat dairy products to the normal diet.

Sixty participants with elevated BP underwent a randomized controlled crossover dietary intervention consisting of high dairy and control conditions. Within the high dairy condition, participants underwent an increase in 4 daily servings of whole milk and full-fat dairy products for 4 weeks in addition to their normal diets. Dairy consumption was eliminated during the control condition for another four weeks while consuming a counterbalanced diet. A 2-week washout period separated the two conditions to remove residual effects from the previous condition.

In study 1, we sought out to determine the effects of whole milk and full-fat dairy products on arterial BP in adults with elevated BP. We utilized two different but complimentary assessments incorporating seated and ambulatory BP measurements. There were no changes in systolic or diastolic BP measures for seated BP or ambulatory (e.g. 24-hour, daytime, and night time) measures. In study 2, we studied the effects of added consumption of whole milk and fullfat dairy to the normal routine diet on vascular function in adults with elevated BP. No significant changes were seen in arterial stiffness, endothelial function, or cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity.

Taken together, the findings of this dissertation study demonstrate that unlike skim milk and non-fat dairy products, whole milk and full-fat dairy products do not exert hypotensive effects or improvements in vascular function.