Skimmed Milk vs Whole Milk - The Showdown

Having had a discussion between a trainer at my gym advocating Whole Milk to gain weight and muscle, and myself who advocates Skimmed Milk for weight loss - it is now time for a milk showdown, to discover the benefits of both.

First let's look at the following which can also be viewed at http://www.answerfitness.com/tag/whole-milk-versus-skim-milk/

' “Milk - it does a body good” has a new meaning for people looking to add muscle, stave-off bone loss and reduce body fat.

A flurry of research — albeit, mostly funded by the dairy industry — over the past few years has suggested that including skim milk or fat-free milk into your diet can actually help you lose weight. But aside from the weight loss claims (which we’ll take a look at later), there are additional reasons that including skim milk in your diet can keep you fit, trim and healthy.

What is Skim Milk? Skim milk is whole milk from dairy cows that has most or all of it’s fat removed.

Traditionally, this was done by letting milk settle, and then “skimming” the fat off the top of the milk. What is left is the protein-rich, low-fat liquid below the layer of fat. In modern milk processing, the de-fatting process is done with centrifuges (basically the milk is spun around inside a big stainless steel tank and the fat is separated and drained off.)

Skim milk (also labeled as “fat-free milk” or “non-fat” milk) generally has less than 0.5 percent milk fat. Low-fat, semi-skimmed milk or “1% milk” has between 1 and 2 percent fat. For comparisons sake, whole cows milk has around 3.5 percent fat, or 7.9 grams of fat (4.6 grams of which are the “bad” saturated type of fat) in a 1 cup (16 oz) serving. In terms of calories, whole milk weighs in at 147 calories, in comparison to the 91 calories in skim milk.

Clearly choosing skim milk over whole or even 2% milk makes the most sense from a fat and calorie perspective.

But what about the difference in nutrition between skim milk and whole milk? Does the skimming process remove any nutrients? '

Now let's look at the following which can also be viewed at http://pediatrics.about.com/od/milk/i/05_milk.htm

' Milk, in one form or another, is a big part of your younger child's nutrition. And fortunately, it isn't too hard to figure out which kind of 'milk' to give your newborn and younger infant, as most parents know to give them either breast milk or an iron fortified infant formula.
Most parents also know to switch to whole milk once their baby is a year old, or after that, once they decide to wean from breastfeeding.

When to switch to low fat milk is a little more confusing for many parents though.

Milk is good for kids and teens.

It is a good source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein.

In fact, depending on their age, most kids should drink between 2 and 4 glasses of milk each day, especially if they aren't eating or drinking any other high calcium foods, such as yogurt, cheese, or calcium fortified orange juice.

The only problem is that whole milk has a lot of fat in it, especially as compared to lower fat 2%, 1% and skim milk, which the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children over age 2 drink. This extra fat is especially concerning considering the childhood obesity epidemic we are currently trying to deal with.

Case For Whole Milk

Whole milk is a good option for toddlers over age 12 months who aren't breastfeeding and who aren't drinking a toddler formula. According to the AAP, in their Guide To Your Child's Nutrition, these 'young children need calories from fat for growth and brain development,' and 'this is especially important in the first 2 years of life.'

The only other real benefit of whole milk over low fat milk is that many people do think it tastes better, so for kids who don't get used to low fat milk and simply refuse to drink it, whole milk may be the only way that they will drink any milk at all.

Whole milk might also be better if you have a very picky eater who is not overweight and is simply not getting enough fat and calories from the rest of his diet. You don't want all of your child's calories to come from milk though, so talk to your Pediatrician and/or a Registered Dietician if you feel like you are in this situation.

Case For Low Fat Milk

Although the AAP touts the benefits of whole milk for younger toddlers, they do say that 'after age 2, you can switch your toddler to skim or low-fat milk, like the rest of the family.'

Is the difference between whole milk and low fat milk really that much of a difference?

A quick comparison of milk nutrition labels (per 8 ounce serving) shows that it really does:

• Whole Milk - 150 Calories - 8g Fat
• 2% Milk - 120 Calories - 4.5g Fat
• 1% Milk - 100 Calories - 2.5g Fat
• Skim Milk - 80 Calories - 0g Fat

So if your 5 year old goes from Whole Milk to 1% Milk and typically drinks 3 cups of milk a day, he would save 150 calories a day. Although that doesn't sound like much, since you gain about a pound for every 3500 calories you consume, those extra 150 calories might cost you an extra pound in body weight every 3 weeks or so (150 calories/day x 23 days = 3450 calories = 1 pound).

Resolution

So what should you do? According to the AAP recommendations, if your toddler isn't going to continue breastfeeding, you should switch her to whole milk once she is 12 months old. Next, switch to skim or low fat milk at age 2 years.
Making the switch at an early age is much easier than doing it when your child is older, when they are more likely to notice and be resistant to switching to low fat milk. Still, even with your younger child, you can make a gradual switch, going first to 2% Milk and than later switching again, this time to 1% Milk or Skim Milk.

An early switch to low fat milk also helps to ensure healthy habits for the rest of your child's life, as he will be more likely to continue to drink low fat milk as a teen and adult, instead of higher fat and calorie Whole Milk.

Remember that soy milk and rice milk is typically low fat, so would also be a good choice once your child is 2 years old, especially if he is allergic to cow's milk or has a lactose intolerance. '

And finally, let's look at the following which can also be viewed at http://stronglifts.com/how-to-build-muscle-mass-guide/

Drink Whole Milk. If you don’t bother gaining some fat, drink 1 gallon whole milk daily on top of your current food intake. You can gain 25lbs in 1 month if you combine this with 3 weekly Squat sessions. '

Ok we've established some views on milk overall. In offering my own thoughts as a conclusion, I believe it depends on your own personal goals. If you want to gain weight so that your muscles are bigger then yes whole milk will do it. However, in doing so you are taking on fat as well as protein, and with that being the case, no matter how big your muscles are, they will never be seen through the layer of fat covering them. The same principle applies when it comes to having a six pack stomach. Yes you need lots of protein to help maintain and build muscle, but I would recommend going for the low fat variety. This can be achieved with tuna and chicken, and yes Skimmed Milk.

So when it comes to the Skimmed Milk vs Whole Milk Showdown, as judge and jury, I declare Skimmed Milk the winner. Done!