Full fat milk is the cream of nutrition

London: Far from being the evil that we've been led to believe, dairy products - even full fat versions - are positively good for you.

Some of the fats, proteins and vitamins in full-fat milk have previously unrecognised benefits for the meta-bolism, which can help keep pounds off, according to scientists at Cardiff University.

The nutrition police have over the years hoodwinked people into thinking all fat in food is bad fat. Of course, being fat rarely goes hand in hand with good health but the emergence of omega-3 oils, particularly in fish, and the benefits of olive oil, have opened eyes to good fats.

And now the Welsh study has found that regular consumption of medium chain fatty acids found in full-fat milk and dairy products (such as cheese and yogurt) can have a positive effect on metabolic syndrome, a condition associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity while reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack by two thirds.

Not so long ago, whole milk was considered the perfect food for children, invalids and just about anyone. A pint a day kept the doctor away, in fact. And now science seems to have come a full cycle: it's the season of clotted cream with jam and scones, farmhouse cheese, rich whole milk and unctuous yogurts again.