Harvard Study Links Weekly Ice Cream Consumption to Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Key facts

• A 2014 Harvard study tracked roughly 190,000 people over several decades.
• Regular consumption of ice cream and other dairy correlates to lower rates of type 2 diabetes.
• The research used data from the Nurses' Health Study I (began 1976) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (began 1986).
• Both studies ran for between 20 and 40 years.
• Participants who ate small portions of real ice cream weekly showed a lower statistical risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease compared to those who ate none.
• Some scientists suggested the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) may have metabolic effects, but its role remains uncertain.
• The research is purely observational and cannot establish causation.
• Harvard's Nutrition Source notes mixed evidence linking dairy foods with type 2 diabetes, with more consistent associations involving yogurt rather than ice cream.
• Nutritionists agree you should avoid frozen desserts that replace milk fat with vegetable oils, or ice cream brands that use stabilizers and emulsifiers.
• The full study is available on the National Library of Medicine.