[OnceUponADrive]

I only drink fat free milk but I love it to death. I love having a glass of carnation instant breakfast in the morning. I was reading up on body types (I'm an endomorph) and it talked about milk being bad because it causes excess water gain as well as increases cellulite. Recently I also read that milk can help aid in weight loss. What's the deal? Is it good or bad? I'd hate to have to cut it out of my diet!

[Glory87]

I think it's up to you. Skim milk is a relatively high protein, low calorie food, if it fits into your life and your health goals, then drink up. I'd like to see a cite from a reputable source that states milk directly causes cellulite, that sounds kinda

[Suzanne 3FC]

I've never heard that milk caused cellulite. Studies on cellulite indicate it's genetic.

Milk, or more specifically calcium, has been proven to assist weight loss. Studies have shown that increased calcium resulted in more fat loss. However, this was shown through real foods such as dairy products and leafy greens, and not through calcium supplements.

One study at a university showed that volunteers who consumed 3 cartons of low-fat yogurt every day as part of a calorie controlled diet lost more than 20% more body fat than the others who consumed the same number of calories. Also, most of the extra fat that was lost came from their bellies.

The amount suggested by the studies is at least 1000mg up to 1600mg (depending on the resource) per day. Be careful not to overdo it because excess calcium could lead to impaired kidney function, according to the NIH. The tolerable upper limit is 2500mg.

According to the book "The Truth about Food", published in conjunction with the Discovery Health channel and endorsed by Dr. Oz, calcium combines with fat inside the stomach, forming a substance similar to soap that can't be absorbed, so it passes out of your body. They also state that calcium plays an important part in metabolism.

[CherryBlossom]

I've heard about that too, the people who drank the milk lost more weight around their waists.

Is there any theories as to why that happens? I mean, not the weight loss, but the stomach losing the most fat.

[Megan1982]

I personally believe that diets that include "eating for your body type" or "eating for your blood type" or things like that are a bunch of hoey. I think we all need to find out what works for our own bodies. For example, I have figured out that eating whole grains for breakfast keeps me fuller in the morning than a protein breakfast, while some people do better with eggs for breakfast, etc.

Lowfat or skim milk is a good source of calcium and protein. Calcium helps build strong bones, teeth, along with a aiding a myriad of other biological processes in your body, in addition to these recent studies that show it can help people lose more weight than cutting calories alone, and/or help keep weight off the midsection area. Plus it tastes so yummy on my cereal. So I say if you like it, drink it!