Which Is Better: Low-fat Or High-fat Dairy Products?

For several years, it has been said that low-fat dairy products were better because high-fat dairy products made people gain weight and caused cardiovascular disease because of the fat they contained. However, more and more studies contradict this fact. In this article, we will explain whether low fat or high fat dairy products are better.

Low fat or high fat dairy products?

Fatty products have always had a bad reputation among the general population due to:

• Calories. Fatty dairy products contain more calories than the low-fat ones, since fat is a macronutrient that provides more calories. It is easy to remove fat from dairy products. It therefore seems logical that they pose a lower risk of obesity since they contain fewer calories.
• Saturated Fat. Saturated fats have always been known as “bad” fats because they can cause diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is therefore an additional benefit to remove them.

However, when you remove fat from your diet, you also remove many of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D and E) and also many minerals.

Experts have conducted countless studies to check whether fatty products cause people to put on weight or improve their overall health. Here,  we will show you different studies:

Weight and milk

A study published in  The American Journal of Nutrition,  observed weight differences among those who consumed low-fat and high-fat dairy products. The results were that the group consuming fatty products had reduced the risk of being overweight.

This article states that a high fat intake from dairy products is associated with a lower risk of central obesity and cardiovascular disease, just as a low fat intake from dairy products is associated with an increased risk of central overweight.

Health and dairy products

Most studies find no difference between high-fat and low-fat products or that high-fat products give better results. In fact, fatty products can improve some diseases, such as:

• Type-2 diabetes.
• Cardiovascular diseases.
• Metabolic syndrome.
• Hypertension.
• Colon cancer.

Should children choose high-fat or low-fat dairy products?

It is important that children consume fatty milk because a significant portion of vitamins and minerals are lost in low-fat dairy products, as we mentioned above. In a study of 2745 children, experts observed that the intake of fatty milk was associated with higher concentration of vitamin D in the blood and a lower BMI.

We need to mention that these dairy products should not be added to sugar because many dairy products for children already contain a lot of sugar and preservatives, which is counterproductive.

Conclusion

In general, one must adapt each case, since dairy products are not the primary cause of being overweight. If it is difficult for the body to digest high-fat dairy products, then one can opt for low-fat products. If you drink several glasses of milk a day, this also applies.

If you have to follow a low-fat diet for some reason, then it may be best to choose low-fat dairy products. If you need to perform a physical activity later in the day, it can also be a good choice. You need to consider some key concepts:

• Not all fat is “bad”:  you just need to know its origin. As you have seen, saturated fat from milk does not contribute to obesity or cardiovascular disease.
• Since fatty dairy products contain fat, they promote the feeling of satiety,  which can make one eat less during the day.
• Low fat dairy products tend to taste less and for that reason people may add sugar and refined grains to them. In other words, they remove fat to add other components that are more harmful to health.