So if you’re looking for higher omega-3s per serving, check to make sure you’re buying grass fed milk.

Whole milk: Is it unhealthy?

For years, nutrition guidelines have been instructing people to avoid whole milk, mainly due to its saturated fat content.

Mainstream nutrition recommendations advise limiting saturated fat because it can increase cholesterol levels, which is a risk factor for heart disease .

Based on this information, experts made the assumption that saturated fat must increase the risk of heart disease. However, because most milk manufacturers add vitamin D to milk, each variety generally contains a similar amount .

Another significant nutritional difference between milk varieties is the amount of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that has been linked to many health benefits, including improved heart and brain health, as well as lowered inflammation. However, most of these studies either include all types of dairy products or focus on low fat dairy .

In studies that look at only high fat dairy products, like whole milk, there is a pretty consistent connection between full fat dairy and lower body weight, suggesting that whole milk can be a great addition to a well-rounded, nutrient-dense diet and may help you maintain a moderate weight.

. However, there was no experimental evidence to prove that this was true.

In the 1970s, public policy was adopted based on this assumed connection between saturated fat and heart disease. For this reason, the guidelines recommend consuming only low fat or skim milk .

In recent years, this recommendation has been called into question. However, this distinction is mostly seen in “grass-fed” milk, which is almost always organic anyway. There is emerging experimental data to indicate that eating moderate amounts of saturated fat does not directly cause heart disease .

What to know about saturated fat

While those with high cholesterol levels or heart disease may need to defer to their doctor’s recommendations and monitor their intake of saturated fat, it can still be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet for individuals without those two conditions.

In fact, multiple studies suggest that increased saturated fat intake is not directly associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, heart attack, or heart disease-related death.

Originally, researchers believed that saturated fat increased cholesterol levels, which in turn increased the risk of heart disease. As a result, official guidelines instructed people to reduce their saturated fat intake .

A cup (237 mL) of whole milk contains 4.5 grams of saturated fat, which is about 20% of the daily amount recommended by the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. However, the relationship between saturated fat and cholesterol is much more complicated.

For starters, although saturated fat does increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, it also increases levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, which can actually help protect against heart disease

Additionally, there are different types of LDL, and it’s the very small, dense particles of LDL that have the most damaging effects on the heart and arteries. For example, one review showed that cheese and yogurt were actually linked to a lower risk of heart disease, while red meat and butter were tied to a higher risk.

For this reason, it’s important to consider the overall nutritional composition of an ingredient rather than focusing solely on the individual nutrients it contains.

Even though a lot of new research is questioning the direct connection between saturated fat and heart health, it still can increase cholesterol levels in some individuals. Skim and 1% milk are produced by removing fat from whole milk.

Fat content is measured as a percentage of the total liquid by weight. The more fat a cup of milk has in it, the higher its omega-3 content .

Additionally, studies have shown that organic whole milk contains an even higher amount of omega-3s than regular whole milk. However, many studies have shown that consuming high fat dairy products may actually help support weight management instead.

The relationship between milk and weight management has been a research topic for several years, and findings have been inconsistent. Though saturated fat can increase cholesterol levels, it actually changes LDL from the small, dense particles to the large, less harmful particles .

Furthermore, other research suggests that certain foods high in saturated fat may impact heart health differently. However, in recent years, scientists have called this recommendation into question .

This article will review how the different types of milk stack up to determine which is the best option.

Different types of dairy milk: Whole, low fat, and skim

There are several types of milk available in the dairy aisle of most grocery stores, which mainly differ in their fat content.

Whole milk is sometimes referred to as “regular milk” because the amount of fat in it has not been altered. Here’s the fat content of popular milk varieties:

whole milk: 3.25% milk fat

low fat milk: 1% milk fat

skim: less than 0.5% milk fat

Since fat contains more calories per serving than any other nutrient, milk with a higher fat content is higher in calories .

Though each type of milk contains a similar amount of micronutrients, the amount of vitamin D can differ slightly. Is Whole Milk Better Than Low Fat and Skim Milk?

Milk is one of the most naturally nutritious beverages on the planet, which explains why it’s often a staple in school lunches and a popular drink for people of all ages.

For decades, nutrition guidelines have recommended low fat dairy products for everyone over 2 years old. Therefore, those with heart disease or high cholesterol levels may want to consider swapping out foods high in saturated fats for other ingredients instead.

In particular, studies show that replacing saturated-fat foods with whole grains or polyunsaturated fats  a type of fat found in foods like olive oil, nuts, and seeds — could be beneficial for long-term heart health .

Whole milk and weight management

Many people avoid drinking whole milk because they assume the extra fat and calories will cause them to gain weight.