Milk is an essential component of the diet of ~6 billion people. The world production of milk reaches 730 million tons/y (1, 2). Even though mammals produce milk to feed their offspring, in many areas of the world humans continue to consume milk throughout their life. However, it must be emphasized that lactose intolerance is widespread throughout the world and that a large proportion of the world’s population would not benefit from the putative benefits of milk.

In addition to milk, several dairy products such as cream, butter, yogurt, kefir, and cheese have been produced and consumed worldwide for millennia. Therefore, the impact of milk and dairy products on human health is quantitatively relevant and has been the subject of several investigations, on both whole products and their isolated components. In particular, the fat portion of milk (largely composed of SFAs) and some of its minor components, notably calcium and oligosaccharides, are being actively researched for their potential health roles.