Which Milk Should I Drink?

Milk and other dairy products are good products: milk contains high-quality protein, calcium, Vitamin D and other minerals and vitamins. However, it has long been maligned for its saturated fat content and intolerance to lactose by some.

Whole milk usually has around 3.5% fat and does provide more calories (energy) and fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins that are dissolved in fat by liver and fatty tissue) such as vitamin A: supports vision, skin and immunity. Vitamin D: helps to absorb calcium and supports bone health. Vitamin E: acts as an antioxidant. Vitamin K: helps allow blood to clot properly. Now semi-skimmed milk has about 1.5–1.8% fat, it contains fewer calories and less saturated fat while maintaining similar levels of protein and calcium. Skimmed milk is even lower in fat but does lose most fat-soluble vitamins. Generally, when deciding which is better for health we need to consider who is drinking it. For example, whole milk’s increased calorie and saturated fat content compared to semi or skimmed milk, might be more beneficial for those needing more energy or wanting to increase satiety. However, if you are trying to manage weight or cardiovascular risk factors semi or skimmed might be a better option, because they still provide the same essential nutrients but with fewer calories and less saturated fat.

Now some people think you lose out on the nutrients if you choose semi or skim milk over whole milk, but this is not necessarily true! Calcium for example is in the water-based portion of the milk, not the fat and this is the same for iodine meaning it doesn’t matter which milk you choose they have pretty much the same amounts. Now don’t panic about the vitamins either! Semi and skim milk do still contain the same vitamins. There may be less in semi or skim compared to whole milk, but that is not likely to cause any issues or deficiencies especially in developed countries like the UK, because we do receive it in many other foods. For example, vitamin A is in eggs, cheese, fish, dark green veggies, carrots, sweet potatoes and many more. Also, in developed countries vitamin A deficiency is uncommon as well as vitamin E and vitamin K deficiency. Vitamin D is the only one out of these that people do sometimes have a deficiency in within the UK, but that is due to sunlight not milk. Milk is not our main source of vitamin D and in US and other countries milk is often fortified with vitamin D.

Now there are suggestions that the saturated fat in milk behaves differently than that in coconut oil, butter and fatty meats. Studies suggest that because of the mixture of calcium, protein and other bioactive compounds some of the potential negative effects on cholesterol levels could be decreased. Studies such as (Givens, 2010) and (Engel et al., 2017) Confirm this concept. However, there is not enough evidence to suggest this idea fully. The guidelines still stand that much of the fat in milk is saturated fat and eating too much saturated fat can lead to raised levels of cholesterol in the blood and increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It is suggested that if you’re trying to cut down on fat, 1% fat or skimmed milk are a good swap- this is from the NHS. The British dietic association suggest that a portion of milk in 200ml (1/3 pint) roughly 1 glass and they also suggest try opting for lower fat and lower sugar options where possible. When we are discussing how many of these potions you can have a day, the British heart foundation suggests around 3 portions of dairy per day for adults. So, an example could look like 1 glass of milk, 1 pot yogurt and 1 slice of cheese. So, if you decide to have 3 glasses of milk in a day that would meet the standard adults’ daily dairy recommendations.

So finally, we come on to the problem of processing, which seems to be putting people of certain foods because they are considered ‘processed’. But this term and the knowledge around it is incredibly misleading. Most food you buy in a shop is processed in some way: from making food safe i.e. pasteurization; canning or freezing food to preserve it; then we have adding salt and sweeteners; creating ready meals and snacks. The ‘NOVA’ system is how foods are classified by degree of processing, ultra-processed foods being industrial formulations containing additives such as emulsifiers, sweeteners, colors and preservatives.  So yes, on the grand scheme of things eating less ultra processed foods like chocolate bars, sugary energy drinks and ready meals is a positive change with benefits to health because Ultra-Processed foods (UPFs) tend to be higher in calories, saturated fat, salt and free sugars, lower in fiber, protein and lower in veggies and fruit. However skimming milk to remove some of the fat is just a simple mechanical process that does not make it ultra processed and in fact most milk undergoes a level of processing to make it safe for consumption such as pasteurization (a controlled heat treatment that destroys disease), and this is a positive thing that protects our health because it kills of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, listeria and mycobacterium tuberculosis. So, no you don’t have to worry about milk being processed because that processing is there to protect your health.

So, in conclusion, the idea that some milks are ‘bad’ and others are ‘better’ not necessarily true there is not one ‘healthiest’ milk- all standard types of milk remain nutritious and are a good source of calcium and remember if you’re worried you can get all these nutrients and vitamins from other sources in your diet! So really it comes down to your personal preferences and what your goals/ health requirements are. So have a think of what you’re trying to achieve and then make your decisions.