Dairy and Respiratory Infections – Fact or Myth
Wojciech Wiśniewski
2026-03-24
7 min. read
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According to FAO data, global milk production is steadily increasing. Data from 2019 pointed to a more than three-fold increase in the last 30 years. Milk and dairy products (speaking of cow's milk) have been repeatedly tested and from various perspectives. WHO, as well as the creators of the Polish guidelines recommend the inclusion of dairy in the daily diet. Nevertheless, uncertainties, half-truths and puzzles about milk and dairy products in the context of their impact on infections, particularly those concerning the respiratory system, continue to circulate. It is time to prove what has a concrete basis in medical knowledge and what is a myth and should be clarified.
Dairy constituents: Nutritional and bioactive properties of milk-derived components
This discussion is strictly limited to conventional dairy products, excluding flavored variants, fruit-added preparations, sweetened milk beverages, or industrial desserts. Cow’s milk represents a rich source of complete protein with an optimal essential amino acid profile, alongside an array of bioactive metabolites and essential micronutrients—including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and the B-vitamin complex. Fermented dairy items such as plain yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk provide live lactic acid bacterial cultures with documented probiotic effects, thereby enhancing gut microbiota composition, modulating immune system responsiveness, and potentially exerting beneficial influence on metabolic regulation (e.g., glycemic and lipid profiles). Peer-reviewed research (e.g., Fardet & Rock, 2018; Michael et al., 2020; Khare & Smriti, 2020) substantiates their preventive health applications.
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