Skimmed Or Whole Milk Products: Which Is Better?
Whole milk products are healthier than you might think: in moderation, they do not make you fat and they provide various health-promoting nutrients.
For a long time it was assumed that skimmed milk products are healthier than whole milk products because they contain less fat and as a result the risk of cardiovascular diseases was considered to be lower. But more and more studies indicate that this is not the case. In today’s article we explain interesting facts about the differences between skimmed and whole milk products.
Skimmed or whole milk products?
Whole milk products have a bad reputation. The following reasons are responsible for this:
- Calories: Products made from whole milk contain more calories than skimmed dairy products because fats are a macronutrient that provides a lot of calories. With dairy products it is very easy to remove these fats, so the logical conclusion seems to be: less fats, fewer calories, less risk of being overweight or obese.
- Saturated fat: These are also known as “bad” fats because they can cause diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular problems. For a long time, it was believed that removing saturated fat was beneficial.
But when the fat from the milk is removed, a large part of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E are lost at the same time. The same thing happens with important minerals.
There are numerous studies investigating whether skimmed or whole milk products are healthier. We mention various interesting study results below :
Body weight and dairy products
A study published in The American Journal of Nutrition observed the weight of study participants who consumed skimmed or whole milk products. The result was astonishing: the group that consumed more whole milk products was able to reduce the risk of overweight and obesity by 8 percent!
In this article you can read that an increased consumption of milk fats is associated with a lower risk of central obesity and cardiovascular diseases. People who only consume small amounts of milk fats are said to have a correspondingly higher risk of central obesity.
Health and whole dairy products
Most studies either failed to find significant differences between skimmed and whole milk products, or whole milk was found to be beneficial. According to these studies, whole milk products have a positive effect on the following diseases:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Metabolic syndrome
- High pressure
- Colon cancer
Skimmed or whole milk products for children?
Whole milk products are very important for children because, as already mentioned at the beginning, they provide the necessary vitamins and minerals that are lost during skimming. In a study of 2,745 children, it was found that whole milk is associated with higher levels of vitamin D in the blood and lower muscle mass.
However, it is important not to add sugar to whole milk products! Special children’s products often contain a lot of sugar and preservatives and are therefore unhealthy.
Final remark
It is particularly important to take the individual situation into account. In general, recent studies show that whole milk products are not the primary cause of overweight and obesity. If you don’t like whole milk, you can use semi-skimmed products. Even if you drink several glasses of milk a day, semi-skimmed milk is better.
However, if you must be on a low-fat diet for specific reasons , skimmed dairy products are best. This is also the case if you exercise afterwards.
Consider the following aspects:
- Not all fats are bad, but it is important to know where they come from. According to scientific studies, the saturated fats in milk are usually not responsible for obesity or cardiovascular diseases.
- Whole milk products fill you up longer, so you eat less during the day.
- Skimmed dairy products taste more watery, which is why more sugar and refined grains are usually added. Although they contain less fat, they contain other ingredients that are harmful to health.
