Milk is one of the most naturally nutritious beverages on the planet, which explains why it’s often a staple in school lunches and a popular drink for people of all ages.
For decades, nutrition guidelines have recommended only low-fat dairy products for everyone over 2 years old. Due to this recommendation, Between the years1975 and 2014, sales of whole milk decreased by nearly 61% while Sales of low-fat and skimmed milk increased by around 170% and 156%, respectively, according to data from the USDA.
Recent studies suggest that skim might not always be the best health-promoting choice when it comes to milkand for the last few years, scientists have called this recommendation into question.
There are several types of milk available in the dairy aisle of most grocery stores, which mainly differ in their fat content. Although other differences can appear as Lactose-free, fortified, and even other sources of milk that make a vast diversification.
Whole milk is sometimes referred to as “regular milk” because the amount of fat in it has not been altered. Skimmed and 1.5% fat milk are produced by removing fat from whole milk.
Fat content is measured as a percentage of the total liquid by weight. Here’s the fat content of popular milk varieties:
• Whole milk: 3.25% milk fat
• Full fat milk: 3% milk fat
• Low-fat milk: 1.5% milk fat
• Skimmed milk: less than 0.5% milk fat
• Since fat contains more calories per serving than any other nutrient, milk with a higher fat content is higher in calories. It could be a serious concern for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases or diabetes and those struggling with obesity. But subsequent research has shown that because fat is more satiating, or filling, eating some higher fat foods can lead to lower overall calorie intake. Cow’s milk, including whole milk, also does not cause a significant insulin response, which is what leads to weight gain. several recent studies in the European Journal of Nutrition and Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care have shown that consumption of high-fat dairy foods is inversely associated with obesity.
• Some other fat-related concerns are hormones content, trans fatty acids, calcium content, and absorbability and the most important one is the cholesterol amount in each serving of milk.
• Though each type of milk contains a similar amount of micronutrients, the amount of vitamin D can differ. However, because most manufacturersfortify milk with Vitamin D, each variety generally contains a similar amount.
• Whole dairy products would also promote human health due to the presence of certain bioactive fatty acids including short and medium-chain SFA. it is worth mentioning the maintenance of gut microbiota relies on them. Additionally, Vaccenic and Rumenic acids can also prevent chronic inflammatory diseases.
• On average, milk fat contains 20% of short-chain fatty acids (C4–C10). Over 70% of the total fatty acids are saturated. Milk fat contains a very small amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, yet it is the richest natural dietary source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA, which is a group of positional isomers of linoleic acid (C18:2), has been shown to possess anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherogenic, and immunomodulating activities, among other health benefits. Recently, anti-tumoral activity has also been associated with butyric acid.
• Another significant nutritional difference between milk varieties is the amount of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that has been linked to many health benefits, including heart and brain healthimprovement, as well as inflammation reduction. The more fat a cup of milk has, the higher its omega-3 content is. Additionally, studies have shown that organic whole milk contains an even higher amount of omega-3 than regular whole milk. However, this distinction is mostly seen in “grass-fed” milk, which is normally organic. So, if you’re looking for higher omega-3 per serving, make sure you’re buying grass-fed milk. Although, Milk fat is not the best source of Omega-3.
My choice is whole milk but I don't think it's a good idea to eat a lot of full-fat dairies. Find balance by choosing a combination of low-fat and full-fat options. This might even include one glass of low-fat or skimmed milk paired with full-fat yogurt.
