Even though dairy products can be high in saturated fat, they don’t necessarily raise the risk of heart disease, says a study from Brown University.

A study of 3,630 adults in Costa Rica found that the amount of dairy they consumed -- milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. -- had no relationship to their heart attack risk.

Although the researchers don’t suggest that saturated fats are harmless, they theorize that other nutrients in dairy products, such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, potassium, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are protective. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.