Full Fat or Low Fat Skim Milk; Which Milk is Best?

If we pick food that is in its complete and true natural state, it is the healthier option. When presented with the question as to what would be healthier, I always go for the most natural option. In the instance of milk, full cream and organic is the healthiest for a number of reasons.

I am writing this article because there is a push towards foods that are low in fat for weight-loss. There are some instances where low fat foods are important for a patient and I will point that out. But for everyone else, you are better off to consume the fats.

Fats are important in milk is because fats slow the release of sugar into your blood stream. Fats help balance the fat and sugar component of milk making it a more wholesome food. It means you are slowing the release of sugar into the blood stream, so less will convert into fat.

Skim milk is going to be more of a problem when it comes to obesity because it contains almost no fat but so much sugar.

That sugar causes problems with blood sugar spikes and will make the body crave fat or crave fullness. You need fat to feel full.

Skim milk can leave you feeling unsatisfied because it doesn’t have the fat in it. And because you feel unsatisfied you then eat less healthy foods to fill yourself up.

Saturated fats that are found in whole milk trigger the release of a hormone, cholecystokinin. This hormone is a hormone that helps you to feel full. Its important when you eat or drink something that it helps you feel full, otherwise you will just keep eating.

Companies are adding sugary additives and flavourings to encourage people to enjoy the taste and drink more, particularly in kids milk drinks which is quite scary. Sugary milk drinks equate to more empty calories in milk, therefore releasing fewer nutrients into your body.

Full cream milk contains fat and therefore contains fat soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E and K. These fat-soluble vitamins are so important in keeping the immune system strong, and also for brain and eye developments and our nervous system.

When you take the fat out of milk, you are not getting your fat-soluble vitamins.

There are certain situations where full fat milk is not a good idea.

Firstly, someone who has had their gallbladder removed. If you have had your gall bladder removed it is harder to process fatty foods. And eating fatty foods or drinking fatty drinks can cause problems like diarrhoea. Rather than switching to skim milk, I would suggest another beverage that is natural. Potentially almond milk or cashew milk.

Another situation where full cream milk may not be a good idea is if you have high cholesterol. A little bit of milk will be fine but having large doses of full cream milk will contribute to your cholesterol issue. When a person with a cholesterol issue looks after their liver so that it can filter the fats out of their blood properly, that can often resolve the issue.

In conclusion, full cream vs skim milk, I go for full cream organic milk 100%. There are further arguments around is dairy good for you or not. I will touch on that very lightly.

For our oncology patients at the clinic, we recommend they stay away from dairy as much as possible. Particularly when they have a cancer that responds to hormones because dairy contains hormones. Generally speaking, in the case of oncology, we try to avoid dairy.

Years ago dairy was considered a very important part of the diet and that had a lot to do with the marketing of dairy. It can be a great food and it does suit a lot of people. At the same time, we have to consider that approximately 68% of the Asian and South East Asian population have an intolerance to dairy. That’s makes up a huge percentage of the world’s population.

At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong answer to this. When you are making the decision as to what milk you are consuming there is a lot of things that you need to think about. Nothing is good or bad, its more about what are your goals and what are your priorities for your health. If you have cancer you are going to have very different priorities to somebody who is trying to lose weight, versus someone who is struggling with hormonal issues. Take a look at your priorities first then choose accordingly.

For more nutritional guidance, book in to see one of our Naturopaths & Integrative Health Practitioners.  Call our clinic on 07 4946 7910 or book online today!