In a new study, researchers found that children who drank whole milk had 40% lower odds of being overweight or obese compared with children who consumed reduced-fat milk.
The research was led by St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto.
The team analyzed 28 studies from seven countries that explored the relationship between children drinking cow’s milk and the risk of being overweight or obese.
None of the studies—which involved a total of almost 21,000 children between the ages of one and 18 years old—showed that kids who drank reduced-fat milk had a lower risk of being overweight or obese.
Eighteen of the 28 studies suggested children who drank whole milk were less likely to be overweight or obese.
The findings challenge Canadian and international guidelines that recommend children consume reduced-fat cow milk instead of whole milk starting at age two to reduce the risk of obesity.
The team says the majority of children in Canada and the United States consume cow’s milk on a daily basis and it is a major contributor to dietary fat for many children.
The current study shows children following the current recommendation of switching to reduced-fat milk at age two were not leaner than those consuming whole milk.
The team hopes to establish the cause and effect of whole milk and lower risk of obesity in a randomized controlled study.
Whole milk may have been related to other factors that lowered the risk of overweight or obesity.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Jonathon Maguire, a pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital.
The study is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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