Whole milk vs. low-fat milk: Which is better for healthy weight loss?

The Difference Between Whole Milk and Low-Fat Milk

Since low-fat diets became fashionable, many people, including women trying to lose weight, the elderly, and children, have abandoned whole milk in favor of seemingly healthier low-fat milk. But is low-fat milk truly healthy?

Based on the previous discussion of dietary fats in this book, we should understand that natural, healthy fats are not the "obstacle" to weight loss; rather, the combination of sugar and fat in food is the biggest enemy of weight loss. The biggest problem with low-fat milk is precisely that it loses fat, and naturally, it also loses the fat-soluble vitamins found in whole milk. A deficiency in fat-soluble vitamins can lead to health problems suchs as calcium deficiency, obesity, and weakened immunity.

In fact, the low-calorie and low-fat content of low-fat milk is not the key to weight loss. Low-fat milk, through homogenization, filters out healthy fats, making the milk less flavorful. Therefore, food manufacturers often add large amounts of sugar and other additives to low-fat milk, and this overly processed milk will only make you gain weight.

However, even with "higher quality" whole milk, I don't recommend drinking too much. Although milk doesn't have added sugar, it naturally contains lactose, and most Chinese people are lactose intolerant, meaning their bodies cannot properly digest lactose, leading to digestive problems such as bloating, diarrhea, and nausea.

Moreover, the lactose content in milk is quite high. A 250ml bottle of pure milk contains as much as 13 grams of lactose. Excessive lactose can also stimulate the secretion of insulin, a hormone that promotes weight gain. Therefore, people trying to lose weight should drink as little milk as possible. If you really want to drink milk, please choose whole milk, which is more nutritionally complete.