One of the benefits of skim milk is the amount of protein per serving, but it’s important to note that cow milk has three times the protein per serving that human milk does. Some researchers suggest that cow’s milk isn’t meant for human consumption. Farmers still feed pigs skim milk for this reason. But research in pigs going back to the 1930s found that feeding skim milk to pigs helped them quickly gain weight. There are several things to consider when drinking skim milk. One of the benefits of skim milk is that you can get a good amount of protein from just one glass with no added fat. Skim milk and whole milk are also good sources of potassium, which can lower your blood pressure. It may prevent conditions like osteoporosis. Whole milk is often fortified with extra vitamin D.īoth kinds are good sources of calcium, an essential mineral for the health of your bones and teeth. They have vitamins A and D, but these nutrients are added back into skim milk because they are lost when the milk fat is removed. Skim milk may be a better choice if you’re watching your saturated fat intake.īoth skim milk and whole milk offer the same vitamins and minerals. Also, the fats in whole milk aren’t the healthy fats that are in products like: This is why many people avoid whole milk and opt for skim. For a 2,000 calorie diet, that should be less than 200 calories or less than 22 grams of saturated fat daily. But the saturated fats in whole milk and dairy products also raise your levels of HDL.Įxperts recommend your intake of saturated fat should be limited to less than 10% of calories per day by replacing them with unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats. When you drink whole milk, your LDL goes up more than if you drank skim milk. There are two kinds of cholesterol: LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, and HDL, the “good” cholesterol. Whole milk has a bad reputation because it has more saturated fat and may raise cholesterol. Nonfat milk has become a popular choice because it is lower in fat and calories than whole milk. Many thought that the more fat you ate, the more fat your body would store, making you gain weight. in the 1980s, when people began paying more attention to the amount of fat in their diets.

In fact, recent studies show that higher fat intake from dairy and other sources is linked to lower risks of stroke, death not related to cardiovascular disease, and death from any cause.

But newer research shows that it’s the kind of fat that matters, more than the amount. In the past, it was thought that foods that are higher in fat were bad. Skim milk is not creamy.Įxperts have long debated whether the fat in milk is healthy. The milk fat is removed so it’s fat-free. Skim milk, also labeled as nonfat milk.Some has been removed, but it still has some of the creaminess and flavor of whole milk. Reduced-fat milk, also labeled as 2% milk.No fat is removed from the milk during processing.

This has a fat content of at least 3.25%. Whole milk, also labeled as full-fat milk or vitamin D milk.You’re probably familiar with the basic types:

Fat Content in MilkĬow’s milk is usually labeled according to its fat content. There are so many kinds of milk on store shelves, it can be hard to choose. Here’s what to know about skim milk.

Calories in skim milk vs whole milk