When it comes to milk, your taste buds may have a preference, but the desire to make better food choices may get in the way. Most of your life you've probably been told that it's better for your health to drink low-fat milk. While there are benefits for choosing lower fat varieties of this classic beverage, whole milk may not be as bad as you've been led to believe. If you're not sure whether you should be drinking whole or 2-percent milk, consult with a registered dietitian who can help determine which is better based on your personal health and diet needs.
Comparing the Nutrition
When deciding whether you should drink whole or 2-percent milk one of the first things to consider is the nutritional profile, comparing calories, fat and other essential nutrients. It may come as no surprise that whole milk is higher in calories and fat than 2-percent. But, the differences aren't that great. One cup of whole milk has 150 calories and 8 grams of fat, while the same serving of 2-percent fat milk has 120 calories and 5 grams of fat. Both have the same amount of carbs and protein per cup, 12 grams and 8 grams, respectively.
Vitamin and mineral content is also similar, although 2-percent milk is a slightly better source of vitamin A and calcium. It's important to note that some of the vitamin A in the low-fat milk is added, because when you take out the fat, you also take out some of the fat-soluble vitamins.
Milk Fat and Heart Health
The American Heart Association recommends you limit your intake of saturated fat, no more than 11 to 13 grams on a 2000-calorie diet, because it's linked to higher cholesterol levels and heart disease. One cup of whole milk has 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and 1 cup of 2-percent milk has 3 grams of saturated fat. This is one of the primary reasons most health care professionals recommend low-fat milk over whole.
However, a 2016 prospective study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that intake of milk fat, whether from whole milk, low-fat milk or cheese, did not increase risk of heart disease. However, it did not decrease risk either. But the study did find that replacing animal and dairy fat with vegetable fat, nuts instead of cheese, decreased risk heart disease by 10 percent or more.
Milk Fat and Diabetes
More than 30 million Americans have diabetes , according to the American Diabetes Association, and it's the seventh leading cause of death. Choosing whole milk over 2-percent milk may help protect you from getting this chronic illness, according to a 2016 study published in "Circulation." This prospective study found that higher blood levels of dairy fatty acids were associated with lower risk of diabetes. While the authors of the study aren't sure why milk fat protects against diabetes, they hypothesized that the fat may help reduce production of liver fat and improve insulin sensitivity. While this sounds promising for whole milk, clinical studies are needed to confirm the association and benefit.
Whole milk
3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D
Main info:
Whole milk
3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin
D
1 cup
148.8 Calories
11.7 g
7.9 g
7.7 g
0 g
24.4 mg
4.6 g
104.9 mg
12.3 g
0 g
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For a Serving Size of (g) | |
How many calories are in Whole milk? Amount of calories in Whole milk: Calories | Calories from Fat (%) |
% Daily Value * | |
How much fat is in Whole milk? Amount of fat in Whole milk: Total Fat | |
How much saturated fat is in Whole milk? Amount of saturated fat in Whole milk: Saturated fat | |
How much monounsaturated fat is in Whole milk? Amount of monounsaturated fat in Whole milk: Monounsaturated fat | |
How much polyunsaturated fat is in Whole milk? Amount of polyunsaturated fat in Whole milk: Polyunsaturated fat | |
How much cholesterol is in Whole milk? Amount of cholesterol in Whole milk: Cholesterol | |
How much sodium is in Whole milk? Amount of sodium in Whole milk: Sodium | |
How much potassium is in Whole milk? Amount of potassium in Whole milk: Potassium | |
How many carbs are in Whole milk? Amount of carbs in Whole milk: Carbohydrates | |
How many net carbs are in Whole milk? Amount of net carbs in Whole milk: Net carbs | |
How much sugar is in Whole milk? Amount of sugar in Whole milk: Sugar | |
How much fiber is in Whole milk? Amount of fiber in Whole milk: Fiber | |
How much lactose is in Whole milk? Amount of lactose in Whole milk: Lactose | |
How much protein is in Whole milk? Amount of protein in Whole milk: Protein | |
Vitamins and minerals | |
How much Vitamin A is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin A in Whole milk: Vitamin A | |
How much Vitamin A IU is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin A IU in Whole milk: Vitamin A IU | |
How much Vitamin B6 is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin B6 in Whole milk: Vitamin B6 | |
How much Vitamin B12 is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin B12 in Whole milk: Vitamin B12 | |
How much Vitamin C is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin C in Whole milk: Vitamin C | |
How much Vitamin D is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin D in Whole milk: Vitamin D | |
How much Vitamin D IU is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin D IU in Whole milk: Vitamin D IU | |
How much Vitamin D3 is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin D3 in Whole milk: Vitamin D3 | |
How much Vitamin E is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin E in Whole milk: Vitamin E | |
How much Vitamin K is in Whole milk? Amount of Vitamin K in Whole milk: Vitamin K | |
How much Caffeine is in Whole milk? Amount of Caffeine in Whole milk: Caffeine | |
How much Calcium is in Whole milk? Amount of Calcium in Whole milk: Calcium | |
How much Iron is in Whole milk? Amount of Iron in Whole milk: Iron | |
How much Magnesium is in Whole milk? Amount of Magnesium in Whole milk: Magnesium | |
How much Phosphorus is in Whole milk? Amount of Phosphorus in Whole milk: Phosphorus | |
How much Zinc is in Whole milk? Amount of Zinc in Whole milk: Zinc | |
How much Copper is in Whole milk? Amount of Copper in Whole milk: Copper | |
How much Manganese is in Whole milk? Amount of Manganese in Whole milk: Manganese | |
How much Selenium is in Whole milk? Amount of Selenium in Whole milk: Selenium | |
How much Retinol is in Whole milk? Amount of Retinol in Whole milk: Retinol | |
How much Lycopene is in Whole milk? Amount of Lycopene in Whole milk: Lycopene | |
How much Thiamine is in Whole milk? Amount of Thiamine in Whole milk: Thiamine | |
How much Riboflavin is in Whole milk? Amount of Riboflavin in Whole milk: Riboflavin | |
How much Niacin is in Whole milk? Amount of Niacin in Whole milk: Niacin | |
How much Folate is in Whole milk? Amount of Folate in Whole milk: Folate | |
How much Choline is in Whole milk? Amount of Choline in Whole milk: Choline | |
How much Betaine is in Whole milk? Amount of Betaine in Whole milk: Betaine | |
How much Water is in Whole milk? Amount of Water in Whole milk: Water | |
Fatty acids | |
Amino acids | |
How much Tryptophan is in Whole milk? Amount of Tryptophan in Whole milk: Tryptophan | |
How much Threonine is in Whole milk? Amount of Threonine in Whole milk: Threonine | |
How much Isoleucine is in Whole milk? Amount of Isoleucine in Whole milk: Isoleucine | |
How much Leucine is in Whole milk? Amount of Leucine in Whole milk: Leucine | |
How much Lysine is in Whole milk? Amount of Lysine in Whole milk: Lysine | |
How much Methionine is in Whole milk? Amount of Methionine in Whole milk: Methionine | |
How much Cystine is in Whole milk? Amount of Cystine in Whole milk: Cystine | |
How much Phenylalanine is in Whole milk? Amount of Phenylalanine in Whole milk: Phenylalanine | |
How much Tyrosine is in Whole milk? Amount of Tyrosine in Whole milk: Tyrosine | |
How much Valine is in Whole milk? Amount of Valine in Whole milk: Valine | |
How much Arginine is in Whole milk? Amount of Arginine in Whole milk: Arginine | |
How much Histidine is in Whole milk? Amount of Histidine in Whole milk: Histidine | |
How much Alanine is in Whole milk? Amount of Alanine in Whole milk: Alanine | |
How much Aspartic acid is in Whole milk? Amount of Aspartic acid in Whole milk: Aspartic acid | |
How much Glutamic acid is in Whole milk? Amount of Glutamic acid in Whole milk: Glutamic acid | |
How much Glycine is in Whole milk? Amount of Glycine in Whole milk: Glycine | |
How much Proline is in Whole milk? Amount of Proline in Whole milk: Proline | |
How much Serine is in Whole milk? Amount of Serine in Whole milk: Serine | |
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. |
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