Milk straight from the cow contains fat, which manufacturers call butterfat. Milk fat and butterfat are two names for the same thing. The butterfat content in milk can vary with a number of different factors, including the age of the producer, diet and presence of toxins, contributing to a higher or lower percentage of butterfat in milk. The designation of milk as whole, reduced-fat or skim depends on its butterfat content.
Categories
Manufacturers sell milk in categories based on its butterfat content. Whole milk contains at least 3.25 percent butterfat, while reduced-fat milk contains 1 to 2 percent and skim milk contains less than 0.5 percent, Utah State University Extension explains.
Components
Butterfat contains a number of different fats, with around 65 percent of milk fats designated as saturated, 30 percent monounsaturated and 5 percent polyunsaturated fats. Fats found in butterfat include myristic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids. Palmitic acid makes up around 30 percent of milk fat, with myristic and stearic acids making up around 11 and 12 percent, respectively. Oleic acid makes up most of the monounsaturated fat content; linoleic acid accounts for most of the polyunsaturated fat. Milk fat also contains around 2.7 percent trans fats, particularly vaccenic acid.
Butterfat in Other Dairy Products
You can find butterfat in dairy products besides milk. Butter consists of a minimum of 80 percent butterfat. Cream contains between 10 and 40 percent butterfat, while ice cream contains at least 10 percent butterfat. Premium ice creams generally contain higher amounts. Cheeses contain between 10 percent for low-fat cottage cheese to 50 percent for fatty cheeses like cheddar.
Health Concerns
The American Heart Association recommends serving fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products for children and adults to reduce saturated fat intake. Numerous studies question the wisdom of this recommendation, however, including a Harvard School of Public Health study reported in the May 2007 issue of "Human Reproduction." Researchers reported that consuming low-fat dairy products may increase the risk of infertility from ovulatory disorders by 85 percent in women, while drinking high-fat milk may decrease the risk of ovulatory disorders. A Swedish study presented at Sahlgrenska Academy in 2009 found that children who drank full-fat milk had a lower body-mass index than those who drank low-fat milk.
References
- Utah State University; Butterfat Content Impacts Milk Prices
- "Food and Nutrition Research"; Fatty Acids in Bovine Milk Fat; Helena Mansson; June 2008
- "Human Reproduction"; A Prospective Study of Dairy Foods Intake and Anovulatory Infertility; J. Chavarro, et al.; May 2007
- ScienceDaily; Children Who Often Drink Full-Fat Milk Weigh Less, Swedish Research Finds; November 2009
- American Heart Association; Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children; January 2011
- Cornell University: Milk Fat
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