Key takeaways
- For people with diabetes, the most suitable milk choice depends on personal taste, dietary habits, and daily carbohydrate consumption, with options like almond and flax milk containing minimal carbohydrates.
- Cow’s milk provides essential nutrients, such as calcium, but people with diabetes must take into account its natural carbohydrate content when managing their blood sugar levels.
- Research suggests that consuming low fat dairy products, like yogurt, may be associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly in postmenopausal women, though further studies are needed to confirm the direct impact of dairy consumption.
Carbohydrates take the form of lactose in milk. Lactose is a natural sugar that provides energy to the body. An 8-ounce (oz) serving of milk contains approximately
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends
Start with
While cow’s milk adds calcium to the diet, its impact on blood sugar should cause a person with diabetes to consider alternatives.
Read on to learn more about “milk” options and which might have the least impact on blood sugar regulation for individuals with diabetes.
The “best” milk for a person with diabetes depends on the flavors they prefer, the rest of their daily diet, and their overall daily carbohydrate intake.
For example, if a person wants to reduce their carbohydrate intake as much as possible, almond and flax milk contain nearly zero carbohydrates.
All cow’s milk contains carbohydrates, and it is important for people with diabetes to factor this into their carbohydrate counts. However, skim milk can be a lower-fat, lower-calorie option for people who are not lactose intolerant and prefer cow’s milk.
Lower-fat foods and beverages like skimmed milk might result in a higher blood sugar level due to faster absorption. Glucose monitoring might, therefore, be helpful in determining whether and what kind of cow’s milk is best for an individual with diabetes.
Grocery stores often offer many types of milk, including cow’s milk with varying fat percentages, soy, flax, rice, and almond milk.
Below is nutritional information for some common milk options. All serving sizes are for 1 cup, or 8 ounces, of milk:
| Calories | 149 | 84 | 39 | 93 | 46 | 113 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fat | 8 g | 0.20 g | 5 g | 5 g | 3 g | 2.33 g |
| Carbohydrate | 12 g | 12 g | 4 g | 3 g | 6 g | 22 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | 0 g | 0.5–1 g (depends on brand) | 0 g | 0 g (depends on brand) | 0.72 g |
| Protein | 8 g | 9 g | 1.05 g | 9 g | 2 g | 0.67 g |
| Calcium | 276 mg | 325 mg | 482 mg | 246 mg | 29 mg | 283 mg |
Milk can be an important source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein while contributing to the daily fluid intake.
The ADA recommends choosing low calorie, low-carbohydrate drinks, including:
- coffee
- low calorie drink mixes
- unsweetened tea
- water
- sparkling water
The ADA suggests choosing a 1% or fat-free milk whenever possible and emphasizes the importance of remembering to incorporate dairy carbohydrates into the daily count. Research is ongoing into the saturated fat content of dairy products, and dairy fats might not need to be as restricted as previously believed.
If a person is avoiding lactose, other milk options are available, including products made from rice, almond, soy, flax, coconut, hemp, and cashew. A diet can be varied and nutritious without the inclusion of milk. People who wish to exclude milk from their diet will need to find alternative sources of calcium.
Most dairy products, including yogurt, cheese, and ice cream, contain carbohydrates. Read nutrition labels carefully for serving sizes and carbohydrate counts.
Several scientific studies have attempted to find a link between milk consumption and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
A 2019 review of 12 meta-analyses in Advances in Nutrition found an association between total dairy product consumption and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The strongest association was between yogurt consumption and low fat dairy.
An older 2011 study in the Journal of Nutrition examined 82,000 women who had already finished menopause and had not received a diagnosis of diabetes at the start of the study. Over the course of 8 years, the researchers measured the participants’ intake of dairy products, including milk and yogurt.
They concluded that a diet high in low fat dairy products is associated with lower diabetes risk in postmenopausal women, particularly those who are obese.
More research is needed to determine whether the resulting lower diabetes risk was due to the dairy itself or the many other lifestyle factors, including consistent dairy intake into adulthood.
Selecting a type of milk might involve different considerations for people who already have type 2 diabetes. They might focus more on controlling carbohydrate and sugar intake than fat intake.
However, these studies raise the point that not all fats, including those found in milk, are harmful to health.
Some people with diabetes may want to drink 1% milk to lower the calories and fat content; however, the difference between 1% and 2% milk is relatively low, and individuals may be able to choose either.
Both whole and skim milk have around 12 grams of sugar per cup, while unsweetened nondairy milks like almond milk (2.12 g per cup), soy milk (1.37 g per cup), and flax milk (0.42 g per cup) have much less sugar.
There is not one correct answer. There are other factors that matter, such as what else an individual eats or drinks along with the milk. Some research suggests a potential benefit from consuming milk in the morning. Doing so may help decrease postprandial blood glucose concentration (blood glucose levels after a meal). In general, at night, when people are inactive and winding down, the body may require some energy, but possibly not from quick energy sources like the sugars that are found in milk.
Regardless of the choice of milk, moderation and blood sugar monitoring are key. It is always important to check food labels for information about serving sizes and the number of carbohydrates.
A variety of foods contain carbohydrates, including:
- bread
- pasta
- starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, peas, and corn
- beans
- milk
- yogurt
- fruits
- sweets
- fruit juices
It is easy to forget to incorporate the carbohydrates from milk into the carbohydrate count, but this can lead to higher-than-expected blood sugar levels. It might help to measure by thinking in terms of “carbohydrate servings.”
One example of a typical dairy carbohydrate serving includes 1 cup of cow’s milk and 6 oz of yogurt. There are about as many carbohydrates in this serving as there are in a small piece of fruit or a slice of bread.
People with diabetes who are interested in drinking more milk or determining which milk might be better for them can speak with a doctor or registered dietitian.