Will drinking milk before bed make you fat?
First of all, it's important to clarify that drinking milk at night will not make you fat, nor will it hinder weight loss. Generally speaking, 100g of rice contains 110~150 calories, while 100g of low-fat milk only has 50~80 calories, which is much less than rice. In addition, the fat content in milk is not high, accounting for only about 3.4%—3.8% of the total. Furthermore, the main component of milk is protein, which is mainly digested in the small intestine. Therefore, even if you drink it before bed, it will not burden your nighttime energy consumption. So, don't worry about gaining weight from drinking milk at night. However, if you are naturally prone to weight gain, it's best to choose skim or low-fat milk at night to reduce the possibility of gaining weight.
Three major benefits of drinking milk before bed
1. Aids sleep
According to research by medical experts in the US and UK, milk contains a "natural sleep-inducing factor" called alpha-lactalbumin, which can regulate our brain nerves and improve sleep. Experts suggest drinking milk half an hour before bed for a better sleep-inducing effect.
2. Helps calcium absorption
Milk is rich in calcium, and drinking it at night allows for better absorption of calcium. Especially when drunk before bed, the calcium in milk is absorbed slowly, replenishing and maintaining the calcium levels in the blood, which can prevent bone loss and osteoporosis.
3. Helps boost immunity
Milk is more easily absorbed by the body when consumed before bed. Persistently drinking it at night can also improve the body's resistance and effectively inhibit the growth of tumor cells.
Is whole milk better than skim milk?
Milk is classified as whole, low-fat, and skim, mainly based on its fat content. For many people on a diet, skim milk is the first choice. But for healthy people, which type of milk is better?
Whole milk is equivalent to pure milk, while skim (or low-fat) milk is processed to filter out the fat. This type of milk doesn't have as rich a flavor as pure milk because the flavor of milk mainly comes from the volatile components in its fat. Normally, it is recommended for the general population to drink whole milk because it has the best taste and the richest flavor, especially for children and pregnant women in special periods. For people with extreme nutritional deficiencies, whole milk is also the best choice. However, for the elderly who are weak and obese, skim milk is more recommended, although the nutrition and taste of skim milk will be slightly inferior.
So, milk won't make you fat. But for someone like me who is prone to gaining weight, even drinking water can lead to weight gain, let alone milk. However, compared to gaining weight, good sleep is more important. Therefore, I have decided to drink a glass of milk every night from now on, but I will definitely choose skim milk.