Whole, low-fat, skim, almond, rice, coconut, soy, cashew … the list of different things called milk just keeps on getting longer. But how does low-fat milk stack up against old-fashioned whole milk?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that preschoolers should drink low-fat milk instead of whole milk because of the low calories.
Recommended Videos
However, a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that whole milk may actually be better.
In a Canadian study, researchers collected height and weight data on over 2,500 healthy children from ages 1 to 6. They recorded what type of milk they drank and how much.
What they found was the kids who drank one cup of whole milk per day had vitamin D levels comparable to kids who drank about three cups of one percent milk, but their body mass index, or BMI, was lower by .79.
Researchers suggest that vitamin D needs fat to be properly absorbed. Children who drink low-fat milk may be hungrier for more calorie-heavy food later on.
If you are still not sold on whole milk, a study from the University of Virginia found that weight gain was not restrained when obese children drank one percent milk or skim milk.