Is It OK To Drink Whole Milk Again?

The Study

Several fad diets claim that whole milk is a healthier choice than low fat milk. A recent study put this theory to the test. A Norwegian cohort of 73,860 subjects had their milk consumption measured and were followed for 33 years.

The results were compelling:

Whole milk was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of death from ischemic heart disease and all-cause mortality.

When compared to whole milk, low fat milk was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, death by ischemic heart disease, death by acute myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2025;122:1075-85.

Take Home Message

Whole milk contains high amounts of saturated fat, which is known to be an unhealthy source of fat. Don’t let authors of fad diets books distract you from decades of high quality research.

Shoot for low fat or fat free dairy products and choose healthy sources of fat such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds and avocados.