You have seen it all. The revolutionary Got Milk ad campaign. The silly white moustache on more celebrities than you could shake your tail feathers at. And now the new 2424milk campaign: “Drink Milk, Lose Weight”. So what’s the truth about this white liquid? Is it really a miracle food?
Believe you me: It is; but don’t get me wrong: If you really drink milk all day (especially the “whole” kind), you will not only not lose weight but add some artery-clogging saturated fat in the process. Here’s the skinny:
Milk is one of the best natural sources of a powerful combination of proteins and vitamins that you can lay your hands on. More and more studies show that this potent combination (and especially the calcium) help the body in burning fat and reduce the tendency to store fat.
In one recent study, researchers compared the effects of three different calorie-restricted diets on weight loss in overweight/obese adults. The participants who consumed at least 3 servings of milk or milk products a day (total calcium intake of 1,200-1,300 mg) lost significantly more weight and fat than those who took calcium supplements or consumed a low calcium diet (one or fewer glasses of milk). In fact, the people who consumed the equivalent of 24 ounces of milk each day, lost an average of 24 pounds in 24 weeks.
-Via Prairie Farms
But this is just a recently discovered “fringe benefit” of the calcium in milk. The major benefits of milk have not - and wont - change in a long time. Consider that milk contains:
- a great amount of calcium. Infact it is one of the primary sources of calcium for a majority of adults. The building block for bone and teeth development, calcium is vital to prevent problems like osteoporosis in later years. A single cup of milk provides you with almost 25-30% of your required calcium.
- Vitamin D and K - essential for bone health and calcium absorption.
- B-vitamins such as B-12, niacin and riboflavin, (great for cardiocvascular health and essential for energy production from food) and thiamine (useful in cognitive functions, especially memory).
- complete proteins: coming from an animal source, Milk contains all the essential amino acids for increasing lean body mass and building muscle. With one cup of skim milk having 9g of protein it’s no wonder serious athletes drink some serious milk!
- Potassium to maintain blood pressure and regulate fluid balance in the body.
The key factor in milk consumption, however, is that whole milk has a sizable amount of saturated fat (a single cup has 8g of fat with 5g of it saturated). While this is OK for toddlers who are not breastfeeding, adults who get their fat from other sources should almost always be drinking 2% or if possible fat-free (skim) milk. The best part? All the great benefits of calcium, vitamins and protein are intact even in skim milk. Infact, given the removal of fat, skim milk has an extra gram of protein per cup.
If taste is an issue, consider mixing skim milk with your 2% milk and gradually increasing the percentage of skim milk until you get used to it. Try to drink atleast 3 cups (yes it’s a 2424 thing: 24 ounces in 24 hours).
Further reading:
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