Milk is known as the "white blood" and is one of the oldest natural beverages. It is rich in nutrients and is currently the most comprehensive beverage in terms of nutritional value for the human body, second only to breast milk. Currently, there are whole milk, low-fat milk, and skim milk, as well as milk with added ingredients such as high-calcium milk. So what are the differences between whole milk, low-fat milk, and skim milk?
Whole Milk
Whole milk refers to pure milk that has only undergone high-temperature sterilization without any additives or reduction of any components. Since the milk has not undergone any other purification or processing, it only undergoes necessary virus killing, and the components inside are almost the same as fresh milk.
Low-Fat Milk
Low-fat milk refers to milk that has been skimmed, but the amount of fat removed is not very high. The fat content in the milk is about 50% of that in fresh milk, reducing the calories in the milk, but also reducing many fat-soluble nutrients.
Skim Milk
Skim milk removes part of the fat from normal milk, reducing the fat content to below 0.5%, which is less than 1/7 of the fat content in regular milk. Here, skim milk refers to completely skimmed milk, not that there is no fat at all in skim milk.
Which milk is better to drink?
Which milk is better among the three mentioned above? It depends on different people. Children who need to grow and develop should drink whole milk or pure milk, as the loss of nutritional components is relatively low. Older people or those who are afraid of fat should consume skim milk to meet the requirements of "high protein, low fat." Low-fat milk is suitable for diabetes patients, obese people, and cardiovascular patients who need to control their diet. It can also be consumed by infants with weak digestion or diarrhea.
Precautions for drinking milk
1. Low-fat milk and skim milk, because they have removed the fat content, also lose fat-soluble nutrients, especially fat-soluble vitamins. Therefore, they are not suitable for long-term consumption as it can easily lead to malnutrition.
2. No matter which type of milk, it is not suitable to drink on an empty stomach. The main reason for lactose intolerance on an empty stomach is the protein in milk, which is less related to fat. Drinking milk on an empty stomach can easily cause bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
