It seems like common sense: if you’re trying to get healthy and lose weight but you love milk and dairy benefits like strong bones are important to you, you should choose skim over reduced fat or whole regular milk. But could there be more to this issue than meets the eye?

MSNBC reports that one study in 2005 studied the correlation between milk and weight and found some remarkable results. Researchers expected to find that consumption of dairy fat was correlated to weight gain, so they were surprised to  find that in a study of almost 13,000 kids aged 9 to 14, skim and 1% milk were related to weight gain, while whole milk was not.

Regular Milk vs. Skim Milk

MSNBC goes on to posit that when it comes to losing weight, cutting fat might not be the real solution. When someone eats a food that is rich in fat, a hormone called cholecystokinin is released. This chemical signals to your body that you are becoming full. Using this evidence, it is possible that full fat regular milk can actually curb the appetite. Even when it comes to heart health, the evidence is on the side of milk fat. While dairy fat has been shown to raise cholesterol, it is not the harmful LDL type, but rather the benign LDL cholesterol that is impacted.

The Benefits of Drinking Milk

Drinking milk is healthy no matter if you are drinking regular milk or skim. WebMD even reports that one study showed that women who drank milk after a workout lost more fat and gained more muscle than women who drank energy drinks. And of course milk is also packed with essential nutrients like calcium, protein, and Vitamin D.

When it comes to choosing the right milk to drink, remember that the choice is not always so simple. It just might be that regular milk is the superior option.

Source:

• “Is Skim Milk Making You Fat?”, MSNBC

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