Should you choose low fat or full fat milk? It’s a product most people purchase weekly and consume on their morning cereal or in their coffee. Everyone has an opinion and a preference based on taste, health perceptions and culture.
But which one should you choose? Is low fat milk actually healthier?
Dairy is one of the Australia’s core food groups. This is largely due to it being a great source of calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends choosing low-fat milk, cheese, and yoghurt products for anyone over the age of 2. This is because of the high saturated fat in full cream dairy products.
Saturated fat is associated with the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Due to this association, it is assumed that the saturated fat in dairy will increase your risk of these diseases. Therefore, many nutrition recommendations have encouraged low fat dairy intake.
However, recent research has been looking at the ‘food matrix’ of dairy. The ‘food matrix’ describes the interaction of the nutrients in a whole food rather than considering each nutrient in isolation. Milk is made up of many nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and micronutrients, to name a few.
So when saturated fat is consumed in dairy foods, does it still increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes?
A large number of prospective observational studies have been completed to look into this question. A prospective study is when researchers follow a group of people for a period of time and observe their behaviours – in this case dairy consumption – and outcomes – risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
It has been shown that people who consume high amounts of full fat dairy are not at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes. Some studies even found that people who consumed high amounts (>2 serves) of full fat dairy could be slightly reducing their risk of these diseases.
Even better, fermented dairy, in particular yoghurt, has many health benefits. It can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce LDL (or bad) cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure. Full fat dairy was also associated with weight maintenance, likely due to its ability to keep you feeling full.
The reason for these positive health effects of dairy and full fat dairy remain unclear. But it seems the saturated fat content of milk, cheese, and yoghurt may not be as bad as we once thought. It is important to note that most of the evidence is around the consumption of milk, cheese, and yoghurt in healthy individuals. Other dairy foods like butter, cream, and sour cream have not been well studied. And, the effect of full fat dairy on people living with cardiovascular disease has not been extensively studied, so low fat dairy may still be the best option for these people.
Kim is an experienced Accredited Practicing Dietitian. If you would like to discover how you can grow your knowledge and confidence around nutrition click the link to discover more.
Here is a summary and some practical tips when thinking about including dairy in your diet:
Of course, there are going to be people who still prefer or need to consume low fat dairy and that is still a healthy choice. Just keep your eye out for any extra sugar that may be added, particularly in low fat yoghurt. You can find this on the label of the product.
But overall it is good news for lovers of delicious and creamy milk, cheese and butter. Eating these foods is actually good for you!