Milky business

The battle of low-fat milk vs full-fat milk began years ago and still continues to wage. In fact, we’ve been advised to opt for skimmed milk over full-fat dairy milk for ages now. However, large population studies conducted abroad have begun to question this choice. Also, certain research has suggested that those who consume full-fat dairy weigh less and are less likely to develop diabetes too.

WHAT RESEARCH SAYS

In a recent study, published in the journal Circulation, Dr Dariush Mozaffaria and his colleagues analysed the blood of 3,333 people enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study of Health Professionals Follow-up Study taken over 15 years. They found that people who had higher levels of three different by-products of full-fat dairy had, on average, a 46 per cent lower risk of getting diabetes during the study period than those with lower levels.

   
Full-fat dairy products contain more calories, and so many experts assumed avoiding it would lower diabetes risk. However, studies have found that when people reduce how much fat they eat, they tend to replace it with sugar or carbohydrates, both of which can have worse effects on insulin and diabetes risk.

In another separate study published in the American Journal of Nutrition, another group analysed the effects of full-fat and low-fat dairy on obesity and found that among 18,438 women in the Women’s Health Study, those who consumed the most high-fat dairy products lowered their risk of being overweight of obese by 8 per cent.

EXPERT SPEAK

What do our experts think of these studies? Nutritionist Karishma Chawla of Eat Rite 24x7, says that there can be some evidence to the study mentioned. However, too much indulgence in saturated fats also can lead to imbalance in fats. Low-fat milk is preferred with the least fat percentage for fat loss and overall well-being. Saturated fats, come in from a lot of invisible fats like egg yolk, milk products, red meats, etc. Hence, it is imperative to monitor the fat coming in from foods, advises Chawla.

Dr Pradeep Gadge, diabetologist, Gadge Diabetes Centre, opines that nutrition is an ever-changing field. One day, a certain food is good for you; the next day, not so much. The researches mentioned above was conducted as prospective studies. A prospective study is a study that involves a lot of watching and waiting over a period of time. A prospective study, while helpful and interesting, is not strong enough or conclusive enough to establish cause and effect.

VERDICT

So what would our experts recommend? “Well, I think the concept of milk and fat is misunderstood. The ideal thing is to consume fats in balance, for long term health. Too much of saturated fats coming from full fat milk can disrupt the balance leading to increase of inflammation and degenerative diseases,” says Chawla.

Dr Gadge says, “You can choose to go on full-fat dairy, But consider the following: Limit your servings to no more than two per day. Eat foods with healthy, unsaturated fats. Until we learn more about saturated fat, it’s wise to make sure that you consume healthier fats.”

“One cup of whole milk provides 149 calories and 5 gms of saturated fat but 1 cup of skimmed milk contains only 83 calories and 0.1 gm of saturated fat. If you prefer milk with a thicker texture than skimmed milk, try 1 per cent milk, which has 102 calories and 1.5 gms of saturated fat per cup,” informs Dr Manjiri Puranik, weight loss expert, Insta Sculpt.
 
Puranik gives her verdict saying, “At the end of the day, if you balance the total number of calories per day, you can still have milk in your regular diet, which is high-fat depending on underlying associated medical conditions or you can opt for healthy milk options like coconut milk or almond milk.”