Not logged in
2 % Milk Exposed!
By Dr. Shamira Hudda on 12/01/2008
Recently I had a patient, wanting to learn more about nutrition, ask me a question that I've heard many times before: "What's the difference between 1% and 2% milk - I mean, what's the big deal - it's only one little percent, right?" Wrong.
Before I begin my lesson in nutritional mathematics, for all the 2% milk drinkers - this is not to scare you (well, ok maybe a little!). But after reading this, it may make you change your mind and go 'skinny' with your milk!
Most of us know that from a health standpoint, choosing lower-fat dairy products is a smart choice for our hearts and our waistlines. So when choosing milk, is it just a one percent difference in Milk Fat (MF) between 1% and 2% milk? Seems like it, right?
Unfortunately, the answer is a whopping...No! Here's why: Long, long ago, when dairy farmers were bringing this product called 'milk' to consumers, they came up with the idea (which the government approved!) to market the % MF in dairy products by VOLUME instead of by Calories.
It was ingenious, really - because it doesn't tell the consumer the how much fat is actually in milk as it relates to calories - which is most important.
Here's where the math comes in – (stay with me here!)
We know that 1 gram of fat yields 9 kcal. So if we want to know the % of fat is in a glass of milk, we need to do the following calculation:
Taking a grocery-bought carton of milk, it shows 1 cup of 2% milk yields 130 kcal and 5 grams of fat.
So 5 grams of fat x 9 kcal per gram = 45 kcals coming from fat in 1 cup of milk.
Therefore, the actual % of fat in 1 cup of 2% milk is not 2%, its 45/130 x 100 = 34.6%!
So if you drink 1 cup of 2% milk, over 1/3 of that is fat! Compare that now to 1% milk which yields 22.5% per cup.
Clearly, the difference between 2% and 1% milk isn't just one percent - its 12%!
So remember, next time you're grocery shopping, numbers are not always as they seem! Choose lower-fat dairy products - your heart and waistlines will thank you!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Printer-friendly versionAbout the author
Dr. Shamira is the founder of Art of Wellness - a boutique-style Centre for Health & Well-being, located in Toronto, Canada. With a special interest in women’s health, she provides integrated, natural health care to help people live at their fullest potential.
To learn more, please visit www.artofwellness.ca or contact her at info@artofwellness.ca.
Email this Article
Comments
Anonymous
The subject about milk shouldn't be how much fat is in it, but how healthy is the milk. If you are drinking raw milk you will look healthier, BE healthier and it will help with weight loss.
Joseph C Moore (USN Ret)
Sorry, Dr Shamira. I don't buy, that low fat, pasteurized milk is healthier. What should be of concern is the nutritional value. Raw milk is decidedly healthier than low fat, pasteurized which deletes good fats, and destroys the enzymes that provide nutrition. The pasteurized milk foisted on the public has little available calcium and other nutrients due to said pasteurization (irradiation and heat treatment). The government should get the Hell out of our personal choices.
AZ93
Not sure what the two comments above are supposed to be about. Dr Shamira's article was meant to inform us about the actual percentage of fat in milk, not about raw vs processed. After reading this, I looked up a milk label online and see that what she says is absolutely correct. Thing is, the nutritional label DOES state % of fat by volume and calories, the same way it does for all foods. But the product 1%/2% labeling truly is very misleading. I really learned something today. Only skim for me from now on. Thank you!!
Post new comment