Got (whole) milk?
You've heard the all the mooing about milk and weight loss: A diet high in dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, etc) can help you lose more weight than a diet containing little or no dairy. The dairy industry has been milking this research for all it's worth, with their "24/24" weight loss program (drink 24 ounces of milk every 24 hours). But, of course, you're advised to choose low-fat dairy products in order to control fat and calories.
So, I was fascinated by this new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which found that women who regularly eat whole milk or other full-fat dairy products gain 15%-30% less weight over a ten year period than women who choose only low-fat dairy products. Is this good news or what? Brie is now diet food!!
Most scientists have been working under the assumption that it is the calcium in dairy products that has the weight-modulating effects, but this new study makes you wonder. You get just as much calcium from low-fat milk as you do from whole milk--and yet the whole milk seems to prevent weight gain better.
With these big population studies, it's always tricky to know what is actually producing the effect that you're seeing. It could be that people who eat whole milk and cheese end up eating fewer calories overall, because the higher fat content is more satisfying. (I'd buy that.) Whole milk and cheese also contain more of a fatty acid called CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is being studied as a weight loss aid. Or it could be something much less obvious. Perhaps women who eat more cheese tend to eat less sugar.
Personally, I hedge my bets with dairy products. I use low-fat (not non-fat) yogurt and milk because I don't mind the taste and they help me keep my total calorie intake in line. But when it comes to cheese, I don't have much use for reduced fat versions. I'd much rather have a small portion of the real thing--and according to this research, eating a little full-fat cheese or milk every day can work towards long-term weight control. It's a happy new year, indeed!
A few month's ago, I ran across a recipe for home-made ricotta cheese on Epicurious.com. If you enjoy little cooking projects, you've got to give this one a try. It's super easy and you absolutely cannot beat the taste of fresh homemade ricotta. It only keeps for a couple of days (as opposed to the scary 6-week shelf life of store-bought ricotta) but you can make half a batch at a time if you don't use it up very quickly.
Two tablespoons of whole milk ricotta contains about 50 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 3 grams of protein. (Here's the full ND analysis.) Try spreading a couple of tablespoons of fresh ricotta on a slice of fresh or toasted whole grain bread with applesauce, sliced figs, or other fruit for a great breakfast or snack.
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Posted by: Bob | Jun 2, 2009 12:44:01 AM
I think Littlebill made a silly comment about milk drinking. Humans are the only animals that would have access to milk as adults. An animal cannot go to the store to buy it, and what nursing animal would allow an adult of it's species to suckle? That doesn't make it unhealthy for us! That's just faulty logic.
Posted by: michelle | Dec 9, 2008 8:57:10 AM
We become fat when we fill our fat cells with sugars (starch, carbohydrate). Eating fat does not make you fat anymore than eating brains makes you smarter. We DO use the fat in our diet to build cells, such as nerve cells. It would be my guess that more sugar was used by these women to process the fat in the milk, so less was available to store as fat. But, I would rather have seen results in BMI than weight.
Posted by: cassy | Dec 8, 2008 1:20:42 PM
enough with the pus, and pee in milk- that can be said of any foods- There was a slug in the salad; insect parts in peanut butter; maggots in the banana; ecol i on the spinach;
a worm in the apple; harden poo fertilizer on the potato that needs scrubbing off; cat pooing in the garden; gardens absorb acid rain, etcera.
changes are these were consumed as well.
Posted by: LittleBill | Oct 28, 2008 4:14:12 AM
Adults are not meant to drink milk from ANY species, including their own. Humans are the only animals I can think of who consume milk after they're full grown. What's funny is all the people who have stomach problems when drinking milk are labeled "lactose intolerant" as if that's something unnatural. They didn't have a problem with lactose from mommy's boobies as a baby, but when they got older their body says no to lactose. Hmm...I wonder why.
We've been trained to believe that you MUST drink milk to get your calcium. Well, leafy greens such as spinach are loaded with calcium. And in the case of vitamin D, your body produces plenty of it from spending a few minutes in the sun.
In my opinion, a baby should only get milk from his/her mother's breasts unless that's not possible and then shouldn't consume milk at all when they get older.
Posted by: worleyhimself | Oct 16, 2008 10:51:46 PM
whole milk, skim milk. its milk for another species. just because it has calcium and we need calcium doesnt mean we should drink milk from another animal. cardboard has protein. we all know we need protein. despite ethical issues with drinking milk. if you do drink raw grass fed dairy. that has calcium. that has vitamin D. that has enzymes to help breakdown the amino acids. Non organic pasteirized milk is filled with pus, blood, urine, antibiotic, hormone, and poo. not to mention it is fortified with calcium and fortified with vitamin D. cows get their calcium from the grass. if it is not grass fed. guess what, no calcium. it doesnt matter skim or whole. pausterization also kills all the beneficial bacteria and enzymes used to breakdown the dairy. and yes it does kill bad bacteria that can be harmful (to unhealthy people that dont take care of themselves and lack the necessary probiotics in their gut). pasteurization is not the answer. how about hiring back the officials to QA the dairy facilities. that way we can pass sanitation and not harm people with obsession of pausterization that kills all the beneficial nutrients none in milk.
some good resources are mercola.com and naturalnews.com
Posted by: Bartek Kolodziejczyk | Feb 5, 2007 5:57:47 AM
Dear Monica,
I have reviewed the IF Ratings for some foods and one thing bothers me concerning hazelnuts.
Hazelnuts have a lot of omega-6 and almost no omega-3 fatty acids. Having this in mind, they should yield a highly negative IF Rating.
What are the positive ingredients of hazelnuts that make them so positive to our health despite the high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids?
Posted by: Hannah | Feb 4, 2007 9:48:25 AM
Interestingly, the fat in milk carries the Vit. D which is naturally high in whole milk and naturally absent in skim. Skim and 2% have to be fortified--but we've seen in many cases that fortification does not have the same effect that naturally-occuring vitamins do. Could this have something do do with it?
Posted by: Sigrid | Jan 29, 2007 9:46:13 PM
I wished we had all the great quark here, that they sell so cheaply in central Europe (about 1$/lb). It is just the milk solids, and you can buy it in any variety from fat free to creamy. If you get it here at all it costs 4$/lb and is high fat.
You can use if with fruit for sweet deserts, with fresh herbs to eat with potatoes or on dark, whole, grain bread, and much more.
But I guess there is no traditon for making this in the US. The lean variet would be so easy to market as a weight loss food! Any takers?
Posted by: Erik | Jan 25, 2007 2:17:27 AM
If you want the nutrients of whole milk without all the cholesterol and fat, there's this stuff called "skim milk". A quart of the stuff contains as much Calcium and protein as 2 gallons of raw kale.
I am constantly amused that absolutely EVERYTHING is touted as a healthy food these days. Donuts are "cholesterol free". Mayonnaise is "0 carbs". Pure sugar is "naturally low in fat". With all these healthy foods everywhere, we ought to all live to be 120.
Posted by: Monica | Jan 17, 2007 1:10:18 PM
Elizabeth,
Two good points! The unfortunate truth is that women between the age of 40 and 55 tend to gain on average about 1 to 1.5 pounds a year. (The various reasons for that might be a good subject for a future post.)I also agree with you that there are many possible explanations for the outcome of this study. However, if you're interested in more details, the authors do analyze the results according to the women's starting weight and many other variables. You can access the study here: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/6/1481
Posted by: Elizabeth | Jan 17, 2007 10:45:59 AM
I just wanted to add two points. My first concern is why and how much did the women gain over a 10 year period? My second point is that women who are already a little over weight are more likely to choose low fat options in hopes of saving a few calories, where as those that have no weight worries will choose what they like. This would put a much higher % of normally thin women in the those that choose the whole fat options. I think the study is way too vague to draw any conclusions from.
Posted by: michelle | Jan 9, 2007 11:07:39 AM
I have always relied on dairy as a significant source of protein. I love spinach and kale, but find it impractical to use them as a replacement for dairy, especially when I'm on the road. And soy has its problems...Mooo!
Posted by: Sam | Jan 8, 2007 12:28:58 AM
"women who regularly eat whole milk or other full-fat dairy products gain 15%-30% less weight over a ten year period"
So they're still gaining weight in the end. Why? Because they're intaking so much dairy. I don't think that slowing weight gain is much of an accomplishment. Not to mention these women are raising their risk for cancer, diabetes, and taking in a lot of extra cholestrol.
The PCRM has published a few papers on the weight loss propogated by the dairy industry: http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/dairy_deception.html
Personally I think the nutrients gained through milk, such as calcium and protein, can be gained through much more wholesome sources without cholestrol, and much less fat. Examples being spinach, kale, and fortified tofu.
