The Skim Milk Hoax

The skim milk hoax is not new, my friends. The “whole milk is bad skim milk is good” mantra has been hammered into our brains since the mid-1980s. It was the first time the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommended switching to low-fat dairy to manage fat intake and stay healthier. Sorry, folks, but I am just not buying into the hysteria about whole milk. (I say this as I pour myself a nice tall glass of nutrient-rich raw Jersey cow milk that has right around 5 percent fat). The horror! All that fat is going to go right to my hips! I am going to develop heart disease and who knows what other horrible diseases!

What if I told you none of that is true? Sure, eating too much unhealthy fat can cause clogged arteries and other unpleasant health issues. There is nothing unhealthy about raw Jersey cow milk. The exact opposite is true. Drinking raw milk has many benefits. Raw milk is:

• Packed with nutrients.
• Full of easily-digestible vitamins and minerals.
• Loaded with quality raw protein.

This is just a small sampling of the many ways raw milk boosts your overall health and wellness. Now that we know why raw milk is awesome, let’s talk more about the reasons why skim milk is not a great alternative.

Skim milk lacks fat

I know what you are probably thinking: “Kelsey, how is this a bad thing?” Sure, cutting out unhealthy fat from our diets helps control weight gain and prevent certain diseases. I am about to say something that might blow your minds. Some foods need fat to be healthy. When it comes to milk, all the healthy nutrients that make our bones stronger and help boost our immune systems come from the fat. When you remove fat from milk, it becomes devoid of nutrients. Vitamin K, which is found naturally in the butterfat of milk, is completely removed from skim milk. That’s a shame because Vitamin K has amazing health benefits.

Fats also slow the release of sugar into our bloodstreams. Why is this important? Well, it reduces the amount of sugar our bodies store as fat. Allowing some healthy fats into your diet is a good thing.

Skim milk contains added sugars

Let’s face it. Skim milk is not just devoid of fat. It tastes pretty gross, too. Do you know what commercial milk producers do to make it more appealing, especially to children? They add sugary flavoring to it. So, not only do you miss out on the health benefits of the nutrients found in the butterfat, but you also fill your glass with empty calories in milk that further reduces your body’s ability to release nutrients. Seems pretty counterintuitive to maintaining your health – and your weight – with empty calories.

Skim milk affects Vitamin D metabolism

A study conducted between 1993 and 2002 discovered that consuming low-fat or skim milk can increase the risk of prostate cancer. What researchers discovered is that ingredients in skim milk affected the way the body metabolizes Vitamin D, which boosted cancer risk. This is not the only scary thing about skim milk’s ingredients. Skim and low-fat milk also contain powdered milk, which is made from oxidized cholesterol, a known carcinogen. It contributes to the buildup of plaque in your arteries, which can lead to heart disease and other health conditions.

Don’t buy into the skim milk hoax

I’m a mom to five children. Staying active and healthy is important to me. It is why my family lives on a homestead, and we drink raw milk from our Jersey cows. I understand how people desperate to lose weight or protect their health might buy into the skim milk hoax. I encourage you to give raw milk a try. You will be amazed by the health benefits.