Fermented dairy consumption and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in US adults

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between the consumption of fermented dairy products and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The analysis was conducted using data from the NHANES database, which spans from 1999 to 2018 and includes a total of 37,366 participants. The consumption of fermented dairy products was evaluated through the use of 24-hour dietary recall, and Cox proportional risk regression models were employed to quantify the impact on mortality risk. Kaplan-Meier methodology and restricted cubic spline (RCS) curve modeling were used to assess cumulative incidence and nonlinear dose-response relationships. Among the study’s participants, those who consumed fermented dairy products demonstrated a 18% decrease in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.82) and a 20% decrease in cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.80) in comparison to non-consumers. RCS analysis revealed a J-shaped nonlinear relationship ( P -nonlinear < 0.001) with a turning point at 150 g/d, and segmented regression confirmed significantly reduced mortality risk below this threshold (all-cause HR = 0.96 per SD, P = 0.004; cardiovascular HR = 0.94 per SD, P = 0.027) but neutral effects above it. These findings suggest that moderate consumption of fermented dairy products is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, indicating a potential beneficial role of moderate fermented dairy intake. However, it should be noted that the findings do not allow for causal inferences.