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Skim Milk Vs. Whole Milk

Ashwini Kulkarni Sule
Health benefits of skim milk are myriad, as opposed to whole milk, which is considered more fattening. Here is a detailed evaluation, so that you can take your pick.
Milk is a single source of several nutrients. Traditionally, people have been drinking dairy milk or whole milk, without bothering about its calorie content. Skim milk, on the other hand is a recent discovery, the outcome of the wave of 'health consciousness' that gripped the world.
People ditched whole milk and went for the much healthier substitute that is skim milk. However, is skim milk your only option to healthy life? Who can really benefit from drinking it? How do you evaluate the nutritional content of skim milk and whole milk? Let's find out the answers to these questions, next.

Skim Milk Vs. Whole Milk Comparison

Whole milk is the dairy milk which has undergone only basic processing. Thus, it is more or less in its natural form. As a result it is rich in natural fat. Skim milk is a dairy milk, which has all of its fat removed, by processing. Conventional method of making it involved removing a thick layer of fat from whole milk.
However, these days a process called centrifugation is used to separate the fat content from the milk. The milk that is obtained after removing all of its fat is called skim milk. Skim milk is undoubtedly a healthier option and absolutely essential, if you are on a weight loss program.
However, if you have no weight concerns, then you may go for whole milk, since it tastes better and also contains some good fats, which you may lose, if you go for the skimmed version. The propagators of whole milk even label skim milk as 'junk milk', considering it devoid of nutrients.
However, this is not true, as skim milk is often fortified with nutrients, thereby making it nutritionally equivalent to whole milk. The only thing you lose out on, is good fats. The nutritional value of both the types of milk is given here, in detail.

Whole Milk Nutrition

The nutritional composition of whole milk for 1 cup (8 oz) is as follows:
Fat - 3.5%
Calories - 150
Calcium - 290 mg
Whole milk is considered as a best option for toddlers, who are neither on breastfeeding, nor on external diet. It provides them with all the essential nutrients for growth. Moreover, as toddlers don't have to worry about putting on weight, it can be safely consumed as a complete food. As it tastes better than skim milk, kids are more likely to go for it.

Skim Milk Nutrition

The nutritional composition of skim milk for 1 cup (8 oz) is as follows:
Fat - Less than 0.5%
Calories - 90
Calcium - 316 mg
It is a common misconception that whole milk is richer in terms of nutrients. You must have noticed that skim milk contains more calcium than whole milk, this is because, during processing some nutrients are often added to skim milk, in order to enrich it. This includes addition of some vitamins, like vitamin A and D, phosphorous, magnesium etc.
The nutritional value of both milk types is more or less the same. Nonetheless, you should begin giving your child skimmed milk by the age of 2, if you have a history of obesity in family. This way, your child will stick to skimmed milk throughout her life and can avoid weight concerns to some extent.
If you are averse to the taste of skim milk, but still want to avail its health benefits, then you can opt for 1% or 2% milk. These versions have more fat content than skim milk, but less than whole milk. Moreover, these versions taste somewhat like whole milk, thus, you can get the advantages of skim milk without having to put up with its bad taste.
Thus, while evaluating the two milk types, one cannot mark skim milk as 'good' and whole milk as 'bad', since each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. You should take your pick considering your individual health and nutrient requirements. After all, skim or whole, any milk is good for health.