Is Skimmed Milk Healthier Than Whole Milk

Are you drinking skimmed milk because you believe it is a healthier option than whole milk? Do you think that the skimmed milk which you get in supermarkets is the best form of milk available? Then you got to think again. Believe it or not, there are some facts about skimmed milk that you should know, and they will change the way you look at milk forever.

Yes, Milk Is Healthy:

It is recommended you consume three cups of dairy in the form of cheese, milk, and yogurt on a daily basis. Milk contains vital nutrients, such as calcium and Vitamin D, which are required for optimal health, growth and development.

However, whole milk contains fat, which nutritionists and doctors believe add to the calories you consume every day and thus, can result in obesity. This is the reason health experts recommend people consume skimmed milk, as it is devoid of fat, but contains the same vital nutrients that your body requires. Hence, you do not experience weight gain and reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

But did you know there is very little scientific data to support the claims of nutritionists and doctors? In fact, based on the available data and evidence, skimmed milk may not be as healthy as you think. If you are a regular consumer of skimmed milk and are still gaining weight, most probably skimmed milk is contributing to your weight gain.

Nutritional Facts About Skimmed Milk:

You will find skimmed milk often labeled as fat-free milk or toned milk. For milk to be calledskimmed milk, it should have less than 0.5 percent of milk fat. Now compare this to whole milk, which contains about 3.5 percent of milk fat.

Here are some nutritional facts about skimmed milk that you should first know before we delve into why this milk may not be as healthy as you think.

• Sodium – 130 mg
• Carbohydrate – 13g
• Sugars – 12g
• Potassium – 382mg
• Protein – 9g
• Cholesterol – Less than 1%
• Vitamin A – 10%
• Vitamin C – 4%
• Calcium – 30%
• Vitamin D – 25%

Why Skimmed Milk May Be Unhealthy?

Here are some facts that show you how skimmed milk may be actually ruining your health and interfering with your weight loss endeavors.

1. Nutritional Deficiency:

Milk has many nutrients that are fat soluble. So, if the fat is removed from the milk, it also removes vital nutrients, such as vitamins A, D and E. Once the butterfat is removed from the milk, your body needs to take the vitamins from those stored in the body to be able to absorb the calcium and protein present in skimmed milk. Hence, consuming skimmed milk leads to nutritional deficiencies, as your body uses up its stored vitamins, and these vitamins do not get replenished.

2. Contains Dried Milk Concentrate:

Once the fat is removed from the milk, it becomes watery and extremely thin. This makes it unappetizing and unpleasant for consumption. To give it bulk, dairy manufacturers add dried milk concentrate to skimmed milk. This concentrate is first put through high temperatures to get into a powdered form, and this denatures the protein in it. As a result, your body is unable to use the protein. Also, these high temperatures cause the formation of oxidized cholesterol, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease, as it promotes plaque formation in arteries.

3. Sugary Flavorings:

To make skimmed milk more palatable to kids, milk producers add sugary flavorings to it. As a result, kids end up consuming too many calories while hardly getting any nutrients that their growing bodies require.

4. Unsatisfied Feeling:

As skimmed milk does not contain fat, you end up feeling unsatisfied after consuming it. This primarily is because saturated fat in milk stimulates the release of cholecystokinin, which is a hormone and responsible for satiation. If this hormone is not released, you will feel unsatisfied. Due to the unsatisfied feeling you experience, it will cause you to binge on unhealthy foods and snacks. This can be counterproductive, especially if you are overweight and trying hard to lose weight by drinking skimmed milk.

5. Transient Weight Loss:

Studies have shown that when you switch from whole milk to skim milk, you may notice a weight loss. This will thrill you until a few weeks down the line you regain the lost weight plus some more.

6. Increased Body Fat:

The fats present in whole milk slowdown the release of sugar into the bloodstream. As a result, less sugar is converted into fat and stored in your body. However, when the milk is devoid of fat, as is the case with skimmed milk, there is a surge of sugar into your bloodstream and the result is increased body fat.