They’ve been demonised for the past 40 years as the cause of heart disease, but now researchers have discovered the very opposite: high-fat dairy products, such as milk, cheese and butter, actually reduce your risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease).

People who eat the most dairy in their diet have the greatest protection from CVD, still the West’s major killer, responsible for one in three deaths.

Consuming dairy can reduce your risk by around 14 percent, compared to someone who instead chooses low-fat and non-dairy alternatives, a major new study has discovered.