Does milk cause weight gain or weight loss?

Not Medical Advice:

Different sources have varying takes on whether drinking milk can help you lose or gain extra pounds.

According to research published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition via WebMD, drinking higher amounts of milk or eating other dairy foods may help you win the battle of the bulge. On a side note, the study showed that higher levels of vitamin D in the blood were also linked with successful weight loss.

While this Washington Post article: Study: More Milk Means More Weight Gain undercuts the idea that milk promotes weight loss.

According to a large study that undermines a heavily advertised dairy industry claim that milk helps people lose weight, children who drink more than three servings of milk each day are prone to becoming overweight.

Another study that somewhat supported the above findings was posted on the Daily Mail. The headline reads:

• Experts say that eating low calorie foods does not necessarily mean lower calorie intake - in some cases it can make you eat or drink more
• Study found that children who drank skimmed milk in childhood grew up to be larger than those brought up on whole milk
• Reduced-fat milk products are often pumped with sugar to make them taste better - 1 glass of low-fat chocolate milk contains 158 calories
• Full-fat milk only contains three to four per cent fat

And, if you're not really concerned on gaining or losing weight by means of drinking milk (as you are on your ideal weight), this Fitday post would be a good news for you.

The article says that for as long as you stay in your calorie range intake, drinking milk won't cause weight change.

You might as well evaluate on where you would probably fall on the above mentioned studies in determining if drinking milk would cause you to become thinner or bigger.

Get tips to help maintain your new weight from ClevelandClinic.org.