Full-Fat vs Low-Fat Milk for Fatty Liver Disease: The Surprising Truth

Milk is an important part of most people’s diets, but after being diagnosed with a fatty liver, the confusion begins. Are you allowed to drink milk or not? And if you drink it, should it be full-fat or low-fat/skimmed?

While I already touched on this topic when I wrote about eating dairy with NAFLD, I want to focus on milk exclusively since I receive plenty of questions here and on the Facebook Support Group for fatty liver (you can join it for free, by the way) about it.

The confusing part comes from the fact that some nutritionists strongly support giving up dairy completely, while others suggest moderation. And to make matters even more confusing, even those who suggest moderation don’t seem to agree whether full-fat or skimmed milk is healthier for your liver.

As someone who previously struggled with NAFLD/MASLD and successfully reversed it, I’m here to clear up the confusion for you. If you want to read about my experience reversing fatty liver disease and exactly how I do it, I recommend checking out my book, From Fatty Liver to Healthy Liver.

Now, let’s jump into all the details!

Can You Still Drink Milk with Fatty Liver?

Yes, you can drink milk if you have fatty liver disease, but moderation is key. One or two cups per day is the maximum I would recommend, and I would also go for the low fat versions as detailed below.

Milk, whether full-fat or skimmed, is rich in nutrients essential for your overall health, but also for the liver, including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, magnesium, and protein.

There are two main problems when it comes to incorporating it into a fatty liver disease-friendly diet: its fat and sugar content. But let’s break down the numbers below to see if you should really be worried:

• Full-fat milk (whole milk) contains roughly 8 grams of fat (4.6 grams saturated) and about 12 grams of carbohydrates per cup (250 grams).
• Low-fat milk (1%), however, drastically reduces fat content, offering only 2.5 grams of fat per cup (just 1.5 grams saturated), with the carbohydrate content remaining unchanged.

Looking at the numbers, we can easily say that milk – even the full-fat variety – has way fewer fats and carbs than processed snacks or sugary beverages commonly consumed by many people.

Combine that with the fact that it offers all those beneficial minerals and vitamins, and you’ll understand that it’s not the enemy.

In fact, a 2011 study published in the Journal of Nutrition found milk to have liver-protective effects against Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), at least in animal models. Human research also supports the theory, such as this 2024 study finding that higher milk consumption was inversely related to the fatty liver index.

The bottom line here? Milk itself isn’t your liver’s enemy, as long as it’s consumed in moderation, just like all foods that you can still eat after being diagnosed.

Now, let’s get more in-depth and see why the skimmed milk version is better than the full-fat one, as long as you choose the former smartly.

Also read: Is fatty liver disease contagious?

Why Would You Stay Away from Low-Fat Milk?

Despite the reality we talked about above, low-fat milk is frowned upon, mainly because, according to its critics, low-fat milk is unhealthy, overly processed, and even contributes indirectly to weight gain and poor health.

But let’s approach this logically and factually.

First, the argument that skimmed or low-fat milk is overly processed is somewhat misleading, and it is not “more” processed than full-fat milk, as they all go through processing to standardize fat content.

In reality, natural fat levels in milk fluctuate depending on various factors such as the animal’s diet, the season, and even individual animal characteristics. So, even your “full-fat” milk is processed to achieve consistency across supermarket shelves.

However, in both cases, this processing is not harmful to the health benefits of the milk itself, as they only add or remove extra fat from it and use no preservatives or chemicals in the process. You can find out more about the full process here.

There is one valid concern – that some brands add sugar or artificial ingredients to their low-fat milk to improve its taste. If that is the case, you should definitely stay away from that type of milk.

Full-fat milk would be just as unhealthy if sugar were added to it. Water becomes unhealthy if you add sugar to it, but this doesn’t mean that otherwise, it’s bad for you. On the contrary, water is the main thing you should be drinking after being diagnosed – lemon water, too.

Just read the label, and if your milk has just one ingredient – milk itself – you’re fine. If sugar, thickeners, or artificial ingredients appear, put that carton down and pick another brand. That goes for full-fat milk, too!

Finally, there’s a concern that people who drink low-fat milk are less healthy than those who drink full-fat milk.

While that may be the case, it’s also logical: individuals who choose skimmed milk often already struggle with weight or dietary issues, as is the case with diet soda drinkers. It’s a classic misunderstanding of correlation versus causation.

The people choosing the low-fat varieties do so precisely because they’re already dealing with health issues and/or are on various diets. So their poorer overall health is not caused by the milk, but rather, they selected low-fat milk because they were already trying to manage their health.

So, when consumed in moderation and without added sugars or unnecessary additives, low-fat milk is undeniably healthy and nutritious.

Also read: Taking Tylenol/Paracetamol with Fatty Liver Disease.

What About Those with Lactose Intolerance?

If you are lactose intolerant and you usually avoid milk, you shouldn’t switch to consuming it. Milk is not one of those foods that we consume to boost our liver’s health – there are other superfoods for that.

But if you truly want to enjoy a cup of milk, you have lactose-free versions that provide all the nutritional benefits of regular milk without digestive discomfort. It’s widely available, making it an easy alternative. Just read the list of ingredients to make sure there are no added sugars, fats or other preservatives/chemicals.

If you prefer plant-based milk alternatives, these could work too, but keep in mind that these products often undergo more processing, and some contain thickeners or additives that you should stay away from.

Here’s a quick overview of your options:

• Almond milk usually has lower calories and minimal fats but lacks protein.
• Soy milk has more protein, beneficial fats, and nutrients closer to regular milk.
• Oat milk often has higher carbs but is well-tolerated and nutritionally balanced.
• Coconut milk can have higher saturated fats and calories, so it’s less suitable.

Always choose unsweetened versions of these alternatives to avoid unwanted sugars and read the label.

How Milk Fits into Your Overall Diet

Remember, drinking milk alone won’t fix or destroy your fatty liver, no matter if it’s low-fat or full-fat. It’s your overall dietary pattern that counts, and you can check out my recommended fatty liver disease diet here.

However, moderate milk consumption goes well with the liver-friendly diet: pair it with plenty of vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats from olive oil and avocado, whole grains, and legumes. Don’t eat sugar and avoid alcohol altogether. This holistic approach helped me reverse my own fatty liver successfully.

When I was diagnosed, I switched to drinking low-fat milk and carefully balanced my meals. Today, my liver is healthy again. While I wouldn’t say that milk directly healed my liver, it certainly didn’t harm it either.

In my opinion, things are clear: low-fat milk has fewer calories and less fat while preserving almost the same nutritional values as full-fat milk. So there is no reason to go for the latter!

But even if you decide to choose full fat instead, drinking a cup per day shouldn’t be a big problem. Just keep an eye on those calories, fats, and carbs and make sure you don’t overeat at the end of the day! Moderation is key.

If you want to continue learning new things about fatty liver disease, you can check out my review of the Reverse Your Fatty Liver book or read more about Fatty Liver Itching and Relief.