Dairy has come under a lot of fire recently for being full of added hormones. Many people have discovered that they’ve become lactose intolerant in their adulthood and simply can’t drink a glass of milk anymore. Most dermatologists even recommend their acne-prone clients eliminate dairy from their diet if they want clear skin. But what is less clear is the connection between milk and weight loss. Will drinking milk make you put on weight? Does it really matter if you drink whole milk instead of skim milk?
Milk Might Act As An Appetite Suppressant
Natural cow’s milk is very high in protein and calcium. The combination of these two can help you curb hunger cravings. Drinking a glass of milk when you’re hungry won’t add a lot of calories to your diet, but will stop you from feeling hungry for a while. Most of the time, untimely hunger cravings can undo all of your healthy eating goals. At your hungriest, you might eventually cave to a big tub of chocolate ice cream. Drinking milk will help you avoid that. If you choose to drink vegan milk instead, you might not enjoy the same benefits. While vegan milks like soy and nut milks are fortified to contain the same amount of calcium as cow’s milk, they don’t have the same amount of protein. Protein is the main reason why cow’s milk can keep you full for long, so don’t expect vegan milk to have the same effect.
Milk Might Help You Get A Slimmer Waistline
While milk hasn’t been seen to have much of an effect on overall weight loss, it might help you lose belly fat. One study observed that people who had three servings of milk a day showed a reduction in overall body fat percentage, especially around their waste. What’s more, people who had high levels of calcium in their diet, showed a less chance of putting back on weight they had lost. This might be because calcium increases thermogenesis, our body’s internal temperature. This can increase your metabolism and encourage more fat to be burnt.
It Can Supplement Your Workout Routine
Milk appears to be most effective when it’s used in conjunction with a good workout regime. Drinking milk or milk based drinks after a workout was seen to help people refuel and build more muscle mass. It also can lead to a reduction in body fat percentage and reduce feelings of fatigue. Most of us feel ravenous after a workout, tempting us to eat high calorie, high carb meals. Instead, drinking a glass of milk right after will help you feel full without the added calorie intake.
Cow’s Milk Vs. Vegan Milk
While vegan milk is significantly lower in calories, it can’t compare to cow’s milk in terms of protein. So while drinking vegan milk won’t do much damage to your daily calorie limit, it might not have the same post-workout benefits. You could counteract this by adding vegan protein powder to your drink. Within cow milk too, there’s whole milk and skim milk to choose from. Whole milk has more saturated fats (which aren’t all that bad for you), but also tends to be higher in calories. One glass of whole milk contains 149 calories, while one glass of skim milk contains just 83.
So while milk itself isn’t as bad for your weight as most people think it is, it won’t magically lead to weight loss either. You can add it to your regular healthy diet without a worry. But don’t expect it to undo a high calorie, junk diet.
