Fear not Fat: Why You Need to Rethink your Fat-Free Diet

Skim milk. Fat-Free Yogurt. Zero Calorie Margarine. These are the typical foods of the health concious dieter. But a recent study of 1800 men in Sweden suggests that whole fat dairy products may be better at keeping off the pounds in the long run.

The research found that in men who consumed low-fat dairy products, 15% developed central obesity while those on a whole milk regime did not. A lot of the reasoning behind this is associated with appetite control -- when we eat more high fat dairy products, we feel fuller and therefore eat less.

But ever since health professionals and doctors began crucifying dairy fats like lard, butter and whole milk at the alter of processed vegetable oils, obesity and heart disease began to skyrocket. While low in saturated fat, vegetable oils are highly processed and contain excess amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids which can lead to inflammation, obesity and heart disease.

Dairy fats, especially those from grass-fed, organic cows, contain Omega-3 fatty acids in a higher ratio. Higer even, than skim and reduced fat milk products because when we zap the fat out of our milk, it tends to be the good fats (Omega-3s) altering to ratio towards the evil Omega-6s.

But also, diary fats are and incredibly rich and complex substance full of bioactive substances our bodies are designed to need. In recent years, milk consumption has been declining in lieu of alternative milk substitutes. But the milk of today is not the milk of our forefathers. While whole milk products do have a high concentration of saturated fats and people fighitng cholesterol issues should steer clear of them, Milk fat in whole milk but absent from skim milk, naturally contains trace amounts of vitamin D depending on the producing animal's food intake and sun exposure.

That's important to note. As agriculture began to industrialize, we had to find ways to keep the milk safe and abundant. Pastuerization was the answer -- a process that kills all of the bad (and beneficial) bacteria present in milk. Then producers began to fortify milk by adding a synthetic blend of vitamins A and D to liquid milk prior to homogenizing, essentially removing a trace mineral then replacing it with a processed one.

But with the rise of organic milk, and awareness of milkfats, consumers can once again revel in whole milk goodness.