Benefits of Whole Milk – Why You Should Eat Whole Milk and Cheeses

Before getting into my soap box, I'll be honest with you: I was not always in the train of dairy products. When I was young, my family always bought milk, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese low in fat or fat free. After all, that's what was considered healthy in the 90's and early 2009.

But in recent years, I've changed my tone, switching to whole milk, to yogurt in milk whole, with regular cheese and butter. Smart Balance. This is largely in part to the growing body of scientific evidence that saturated fats in dairy products can not be so bad. Not to mention, whole milk tastes much better than skim milk – both in my coffee and mixed with chocolate syrup after a speed workout.

When I was the editor of Runner's World I made it a point to serve the magazine's content and from the website that encouraged runners to diet, which included the substance full of fat. Yes, I know that the science of nutrition is constantly changing – a huge challenge when we try to advise readers on what's best to eat – but the more I read and experience directly, the more I start to be agree with the author Michael Pollan. Not too much.

I've already talked about my struggle with eating disorders, and that's only when I started eating everything in moderation – ice cream, bread, hamburgers – that my weight has stabilized, and I felt good. myself.

When I started buying whole milk instead of skim, the number on the scale did not increase. My pants were not too tight. I felt fuller. My coffee with cream tasted better than the dirty water that came from the addition of skim milk.

Last week, a new study was published (we talked about it here) that revealed that saturated fats in dairy products were not related to long-term heart disease. And that's not all: One of the particular fatty acid chains can even be linked to a decreased stroke risk .

Unlike previous studies, this research examined three fatty acids in dairy products as opposed to one. And he followed the adults over a long period of time, more than two decades.

"Our research adds to a growing body of evidence showing no harm (or benefit) to heart disease or overall mortality badociated with the consumption of whole fat dairy products," says Marcia Otto, Ph.D., principal investigator , Nutritional and Cardiovascular Epidemiologist at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.

She also pointed out, in an email to Runner's World that these results need to be confirmed and deepened in broader studies "so that we can understand the potential mechanisms linking this fatty acid to reduce the risk of "

Although these results are based on older adults (65 years and older) who were not necessarily active, this is not the case. to reinforce the riders' decision to eat dairy products Nisevich Bede, RD, owner of Swimming, Cycling, Running, Eating .

"Since athletes have a lower risk of disease cardiovascular, these results give me even more confidence [about recommending full-fat dairy] for athletes. Their risk is even lower, "said Bede Runner's World .

So, going full dairy is not only bad for health, but there's also a host of people. other benefits for runners: you feel full not to snack on empty calories later in the day, and fat allows for some absorption of nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, E and K. The dairy is also a excellent source of protein, to help your muscles recover, and calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D strengthens your bones.

Okay, so if you're still not convinced, and you say : "Well, you can get these nutrients from low-fat or fat-free dairy products," you're not wrong, but when you remove fat from food, you need to replace it with something to make food or drink more acceptable.We are talking about arti ficials, thickeners, and yes, sugar, which is worse than fat, but more about it at another time.

"You do not make any health benefit with little or no fat," Bede said.

And yes, we still advocate whole dairy products, even if you are trying to lose weight. Why? You need fat in your diet. As I mentioned, it helps your body absorb nutrients. It also helps to produce certain hormones that your body needs. And it protects your organs and keeps you warm.

"Pay attention to portion sizes," says Bede.

I have no doubt that we will see a study that says, "Wait a minute, maybe we were wrong to recommend whole dairy products." That's how nutrition science is constantly evolving. . But I'm confident that if you consume everything in moderation, eat a balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and yes, entire dairy products and exercise, your health, your weight and your performance will be better off. Not to mention, the food will taste much better.