Does Milk Really Make You Gain Weight? Explore the relationship between milk consumption and weight gain. Learn about the calorie content, nutritional benefits, and potential factors that influence weight gain. Get the facts and make informed choices about your diet.
In today’s world, Milk has been classified as one of the functional foods, a reliable source of nourishment, especially for young ones. Since one can obtain all the nutrients required for growth and development from milk, it has always held a firm position as a baby’s first food. For diehard milk fans, it is a go-to beverage for its soothing taste and potential health benefits. In contrast, some people are concerned about their weight gaining tendencies when consuming milk. Milk has its perks, but in abundance it can be detrimental. Saying that, this brings us to our next question: Can drinking milk cause weight gain?
Are There Any Risks With Drinking Milk in Great Quantities?
The Milk Fallacy, does drinking too much milk is bad or good, is a widely debated topic. People amongst various communities and cultures argue whether the advantages of this beverage outweigh the downsides, both of which are plenty. Protein, calcium and fat are essential nutrients that can be found in milk, so it is no surprise that different types of milk have added sugars to their production. Which in turn makes some people think that drinking an excessive amount of calories will eventually cause weight gain.
It cannot be denied that milk is nutritious, but there should be a balance.
The concern with consuming a lot of milk is that it may lead to an unnecessary intake of calories, which, if not worked off with exercise, can result in fat storage. Like any food or drink, the excessive intake of milk can lead to a surplus of calories which is the main contributor to gaining weight. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that consumption of milk in moderate amounts is beneficial for a balanced diet.
Milk and Weight Gain: The Story Behind this claim.
Milking cows, shee, goats and more has always been a norm in most cultures, how such a diet affects weight was always been the topic of discussion and varied opinions. For most people having an average intake of milk does not add weight through body fats, quite the opposite, milk is believed to be a healthy and light supplement to a meal or dish. The addition of excess calories to your can be a concern when you consume whole fat milk because it can heavy, otherwise moderate amount of consumption won’t affect your weight regardless of the body fat percentage.
A regular cup of milk has about 11 to 12 grams of carbohydrates, give or take. Calories intake from the different types of milk varies greatly. For instance, one cup of whole milk has approximately 146 calories while a cup of semi skimmed milk has 122 calories and a cup of skimmed milk has around 86 calories. Moreover, low-calorie milk contains around 102 calories.
Some studies claim that excess calories accrued from intake of dairy products do not necessarily lead to gaining extra weight, people actually lose weight. A 2019 research published in the journal ‘Nutrients’ show that regularly consuming full-fat dairy can help gain weight that comprises A lean muscle mass while reducing fat, particularly when carbohydrates are not taken. This leads to the idea that it is not just the fatty portion of milk that causes weight gain but rather an imbalance in the nutrients consumed throughout the day.
There are several patients that could benefit from including milk into their diets for its nutritional value such as calcium, protein and vitamins. However, not everyone is able to consume milk and its products due to a plethora of reasons, these people include those who are lactose intolerant and those that are on weight loss plans.
How to Avoid Gaining Weigh While Drinking Milk
If you do not want to overweight by drinking milk, you should be careful about the amount and type of milk you want to drink. One option is to pick low fat milk or skim milk because this will assist you immensely in getting all the necessary nutrients without gaining extra calories. It is also critical to avoid excessive sugar use since many flavored milk or processed drinks have added sugar which results in unneeded weight gain.
Adhering to the suggested quantity of milk is another big factor in not overweighting oneself. Children are advised to take 4 cups of milk while adults should target to drink around 3 cups per day. In some cases, pregnant or breast feeding women are allowed to drink 4 cups. This helps in attaining the required health benefits with the milk without putting on excessive weight.
In order to maintain a healthy weight, the right strategy is not just to cut down on the milk calorie intake, but to also ensure that there is a balanced diet of different food types. You have to be active enough to burn the calories you consume, so being active whilst limiting your milk consumption is key to managing a healthy weight.
Top 5 Health Benefits of Drinking Milk
Milk can be a source of many nutrients, including high protein content and fats. If we analyze one cup of milk, regardless of the fat, that cup offers around 8 grams of protein which is beneficial to milk drinkers who partake in strength works as the protein aids in muscle repair and growth.
On top of protein, milk also contains several important nutrients needed by humans such as;
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Vitamin B12
Potassium
Phosphorus
Fortified varieties of milk sold in the market contains vitamin A and D as well which promotes vision, bone health and boosts immunity over time. Regular intake of dairy products such as milk has been proven to reduce the risk factors of such ailments according to a study done in 2016 by the National Library of Medicine that dairy products such as milk would reduce the risk of heart disease and colorectal, bladder, breast, and gastric cancers furthermore people who have type 2 diabetes have shown less risk in developing further complications from drinking harvesting milk and other dairy products.
Conclusion
Milk is a beverage that has multiple benefits in an individual’s diet as one will not be gaining weight by consuming it. It is, nonetheless important to understand that it is integral to ensure that consumption of such beverages is done in moderation as consuming milk with sugar can lead to weight gain in addition to consuming milk with a high fat content. In this regard, it is recommended to only consume low-fat milk as well as restrict added sugar and stick to the serving limits to enjoy the health benefits without gaining weight.
Based on the dietary requirements where protein, vitamins C, D, calcium, and various other vitamins are essential for your diet can be fulfilled by incorporating milk into your diet. If your goal is to build muscles, gain weight, or even if you want to indulge in a healthy drink, as long as it is consumed in moderation milk can fit into your regime. Also remember that balance is key in order to have a healthy body and a suitable weight so make sure to have a steady hand the next time you reach out for a glass of milk.
