Is Milk Only Diet Good for Weight Loss?

By Dr Jorge Metri (PhD) | Reviewed by Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)
Page last updated: 06/06/2023 | Next review date: 06/06/2025
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The contents of this article are fact-based except otherwise stated within the article.

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Author bio

Dr Jorge Metri PhD is a Nutritionist with vast experience in food design with natural ingredients. He also researches sensory sciences and food quality with cutting-edge technologies like Machine Learning. He writes and reviews content on these topics.

Dr Jorge Metri’s highlights:

  • Invited Reviewer of two international scientific Journals
  • PhD in Food Science with emphasis on reduced-fat salad dressings with non-animal derived proteins at Universidad De Las Américas Puebla
  • Diploma in Artificial Intelligence at Universidad Anáhuac, México
  • Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition at the Universidad Latino

“Science shows its true impact when we make it understandable for everyone” – Dr Jorge Metri PhD.

Professional experience:

Prior to doing his PhD, Jorge Metri worked as an independent nutritionist for almost two years, focusing on sports nutrition to enhance the performance of swimmers and triathletes.

Jorge Metri has worked on several multidisciplinary research projects, including fruit processing, the production of protein-based products, spices, seasonings, jams, and artificial intelligence applied to agriculture production and food quality.

In the food technology area, Jorge Metri has contributed to improving sales and profits of two entrepreneurs of artisanal food products by reformulating their products and standardizing their processes.

Due to the high volume of food production and innovation, the food industry will need new technologies for food characterization in the next years; Jorge Metri is looking for studying such technologies, in 2022, he was selected as a finalist in the IFT FIRST 2022 Food Science event for the Sensory & Consumer Sciences Division Graduate Student Pangborn Oral Competition with the work titled: Machine Learning Models for Mayonnaise Acceptability Prediction.

Education:

  • 2018 – 2023: PhD in Food Science at Universidad De Las Américas Puebla of Puebla, México
  • 2022: Diploma in Artificial Intelligence at Universidad Anáhuac, México
  • 2011 – 2016: Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition at the Universidad Latino of Mérida Yucatán, México.

Main publications of Jorge Metri:

Conference papers:

You can view some of Dr Metri’s work below and links to his professional profiles:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorge-metri-ojeda/ 

Research Gate:  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jorge-Carlos-Metri-Ojeda-2 

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SBi5hE8AAAAJ&hl=es 

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7333-3688 


Dr Jorge Metri (PhD)
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Reviewer bio

Dr Anny Manrich PhD is a food Engineer with expertise in Food Technology, Natural Polymers, Edible Films, Enzymes, and Nanotechnology. She writes and reviews content on these topics.

Dr Anny Manrich’s Highlights: 

  • Research and Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
  • PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biochemistry at the Federal University of Sao Carlos/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
  • Bachelor of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany

 

“To solve a problem, global vision and multifactorial understanding are necessary. Therefore, in addition to expertise, one should seek multidisciplinary thinking connected with science and reality” – Dr Anny Manrich, PhD.

Professional Experience: 

Dr Anny Manrich’s Experience Joining the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, as soon as she completed her doctorate, 

 

Dr Anny Manrich has worked on several projects, including the more than three-year partnership project with BRF, a major food producer in Brazil. As a postdoctoral fellow. 

 

Dr Anny Manrich has also contributed to several business consultancies and research projects of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory System in areas such as food technology, fibres, films and coatings and Nanotechnology; in a very determined way, having a great team relationship, being creative and committed. 

Growing concerns about the safe introduction of nanomaterials into today’s life emphasises the need to create regulatory documentation in front of characterising, using and testing them. Dr Anny Manrich worked for two years on a characterization project for nanoscale materials, with the aim of exploring their possible health effects.

 

Despite not having specific academic training in packaging or polymeric films, Dr Anny Manrich works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in areas of edible and biodegradable films produced from agricultural waste and in the development of films with greater resistance to water, having articles published in renowned scientific journals, which demonstrates her multidisciplinary understanding and creativity. 

 

In addition, she worked for four years as a consultant to a food company to develop a line of snacks that are healthy and that add functional ingredients, physiologically active compounds that bring health benefits, made from fruits and vegetables, enabling diet improvement, disease prevention and reduction of nutritional deficiencies. 

Dr Anny Manrich participated as a member of the examination board for two Master’s exams and one PhD exam at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos.

Education:

  • 2001 Bachelor in Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
  • 1999 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
  • 2004 Master in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
  • 2012 PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
  • 2010 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich

The main publications of Dr. Anny Manrich are:

Articles

Manrich, A., Moreira, F. K., Otoni, C. G., Lorevice, M. V., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. (2017). Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 164, 83-91.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H. A., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Correlating emulsion characteristics with the properties of active starch films loaded with lemongrass essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 100, 105428.

Norcino, L. B., Mendes, J. F., Natarelli, C. V. L., Manrich, A., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Pectin films loaded with copaiba oil nanoemulsions for potential use as bio-based active packaging. Food Hydrocolloids, 106, 105862.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization of trypsin on chitosan gels: Use of different activation protocols and comparison with other supports. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 43.1 (2008): 54-61.

Manrich, Anny; Komesu, Andrea ; Adriano, Wellington Sabino; Tardioli, Paulo Waldir ; Giordano, Raquel Lima Camargo . Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by Multipoint Covalent Attachment on Agarose and on Chitosan Supports. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, v. 161, p. 455-467, 2010.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Neto, A. S., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Mattoso, L. H. C., & Martins, M. A. (2019). Development and physical-chemical properties of pectin film reinforced with spent coffee grounds by continuous casting. Carbohydrate polymers, 210, 92-99..

Milessi, T. S., Kopp, W., Rojas, M. J., Manrich, A., Baptista-Neto, A., Tardioli, P. W., … & Giordano, R. L. (2016). Immobilization and stabilization of an endoxylanase from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) for xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production. Catalysis Today, 259, 130-139.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Manrich, A., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Development, physical‐chemical properties, and photodegradation of pectin film reinforced with malt bagasse fibers by continuous casting. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 137(39), 49178.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Luchesi, B. R., Dantas, A. P. S., Vanderlei, R. M., … & Martins, M. A. (2021). Thermo-physical and mechanical characteristics of composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) e spent coffee grounds (SCG). Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 29, 2888-2900..

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers. Journal of Food Science, 86(5), 1979-1996.

Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Manufacture and performance of peanut skin cellulose nanocrystals. Scientia Agricola, 79.

Nascimento, V. M., Manrich, A., Tardioli, P. W., de Campos Giordano, R., de Moraes Rocha, G. J., & Giordano, R. D. L. C. (2016). Alkaline pretreatment for practicable production of ethanol and xylooligosaccharides. Bioethanol, 2(1)..

Manrich, Anny, de Oliveira, J. E., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of the Spirulina platensis. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. B, v. 10, p. 298-307, 2020.

 

Book Chapter

Terra, I. A. A., Aoki, P. H., Delezuk, J. A. D. M., Martins, M. A., Manrich, A., Silva, M. J., … & Miranda, P. B. (2022). Técnicas de Caracterização de Polímeros. Nanotecnologia Aplicada a Polímeros, 614.

 

Conference Papers

Ferreira, L. F., Luvizaro, L. B., Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., Júnior, M. G., & Dias, M. V. (2017). Comparação da estabilidade de suspensões poliméricas de amido/tocoferol e quitosana/tocoferol. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE POLÍMEROS, 14., 2017, Águas de Lindóia, SP.

Manrich, A., Hubinger, S. Z., & Paris, E. C. (2017). Citotoxicidade causada por nanomateriais: avaliação do micronúcleo. In: WORKSHOP DA REDE DE NANOTECNOLOGIA APLICADA AO AGRONEGÓCIO, 9., 2017, São Carlos. Anais… São Carlos: Embrapa Instrumentação, 2017. p. 655-658. 

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by multipoint covalent attachment on Glyoxyl Agarose Support. The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2009.

 

Manrich, Anny, et al. Application of immobilized xylanase on hydrolysis of soluble wood hemicelluloses after using microwave and organosolv pre-treatments. The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2010.

 

You can view some of Dr Anny’s work below and links to her professional profile. 

 

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anny-Manrich-2  

 

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23103497100  

 

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ea9qpr0AAAAJ  

 

Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/anny-manrich-20693129

 


Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)
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Popular diets have been used (and used right now) to achieve a fast weight loss. Most of the popular diets get “viral” in social media; but most of them lack scientific validity and are not safe for your health (1).

Milk Only Diet is a diet based food restriction. The Milk Only Diet is popular in blogs, and it assumes that you can lose weight in 4 weeks by consuming only skim milk during that month.

However, any food restriction could lead to deficiencies and health risks (2).

Keep reading to know more about it, because in this article, we will address the query “Is Milk Only Diet Good for Weight Loss?”. Additionally, this article also presents what are the drawbacks of a Milk Only Diet, what other diets you can try, and how to incorporate milk in a healthy lifestyle.

Is Milk Only Diet Good for Weight Loss?

No, doing a Milk Only Diet is not good for weight loss; it is probable that you actually lose weight, but it will not be healthy. Consuming only milk will not provide you with essential nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and minerals like iron (3).

What are the Health Drawbacks of a Milk Only Diet?

Doing a Milk Only Diet will have some drawbacks on your health. Milk does not have fiber, vitamin C, and the iron content (0.05 mg/100 g Milk) does not fulfill your requirements (3).

Not consuming fiber has negative effects on your gastrointestinal health; in the short-term, the lack of fiber can produce constipation and intestinal inflammation. In the long-term, a low consumption of fiber could increase the risk of diverticulosis and even colon cancer (4).

On the other hand, vitamin C is one of the most known vitamins for its role in our immune system and is associated with preventing scurvy. However, vitamin C has potent antioxidant properties good for preventing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer (5).

Iron deficiency is the main cause of anemia, especially in children. Anemia has severe consequences, for example, it could increase the risk of gastrointestinal infections, produce weight loss, fatigue, and weakness in the muscles (6).

What Other Diets Can You Try for Weight Loss?

You can try a lot of diets with scientific evidence. You can check a brief overview of the Mediterranean Diet, the Keto Diet, and low-fat diet in the next paragraphs (2).

The Mediterranean Diet is a well established plan based on whole-grain products (for example: breads and oatmeal), nuts and almonds, healthy fats (for example: olive oil and olives), lean meats, and dairy products (2).

The Mediterranean Diet provides a lot of antioxidants and fiber from whole grains, nuts, and olives. Plus, the healthy fats like Omega-3 in olives are known to be cardio protective and neuroprotective (2).

The Keto Diet is quite restrictive, this diet focuses on a very low carbohydrate consumption (< 50 g a day). However, if you do a Keto Diet under professional monitoring, you can achieve good results in weight loss and consuming all the nutrients you need (7).

The low-fat diets reduce the fat intake to 20 g a day. Low-fat diets can be very effective for weight loss, but as well as the Keto Diet, it should be done under professional supervision to prevent deficiencies in liposoluble vitamins like vitamin D, E, and A (7).

What is the Nutritional Value of Milk?

Milk is very nutritive food. Milk contains high quality proteins (it provides you with all the essential amino acids), vitamin D and vitamin A, some B vitamins, and minerals like calcium (3).

The high quality proteins are needed for a strong immune system and a proper growth and development in children. Moreover, essential amino acids are also needed to produce some hormones and neurotransmitters (8).

Vitamin D and calcium are essential for good bone health and prevent osteoporosis. Specifically, vitamin D is also crucial to improve your immune system, and protect you against diseases (9).

B vitamins are known for being important in children’s cognitive development; but B vitamins are also a key part of our metabolism, without them, you can not absorb all the nutrients in your foods (10).

Are Vegetable Milks a Good Substitute for Milk?

Vegetable milks are only a good substitute for milk if you have an allergy to milk’s protein. Vegetable milks like coconut, almond, and rice have very low content of protein (< 1%) (11). 

Soy milk, instead, has a good content of protein (approximately 3.5 %), but it lacks essential amino acids like Methionine and Cysteine. You can complement the soy milk’s amino acids with cereals like oatmeal, because oatmeals contains Methionine and Cysteine (11).

Can Milk be Part of a Healthy Diet?

Of course! Milk is part of a healthy diet. You can incorporate Milk in your day with delicious smoothies. Smoothies are a good way to combine fruits and milk, this will add antioxidants to your diet. Check out this website for smoothies recipes. 

Conclusion

This article addressed the query “Is Milk Only Diet Good for Weight Loss?”. Additionally, this article also presented what are the drawbacks of a Milk Only Diet, what other diets you can try, and how to incorporate milk in a healthy lifestyle.

References

  1. Freire R. Scientific evidence of diets for weight loss: Different macronutrient composition, intermittent fasting, and popular diets. Nutrition, 2020;69(110549):110549.
  1. Cena H, Calder PC. Defining a healthy diet: Evidence for the role of contemporary dietary patterns in health and disease. Nutrients, 2020;12(2):334.
  1. Scholz-Ahrens KE, Ahrens F, Barth CA. Nutritional and health attributes of milk and milk imitations. Eur J Nutr, 2020;59(1):19–34.
  1. Snauwaert E, Paglialonga F, Vande Walle J, Wan M, Desloovere A, Polderman N, et al. The benefits of dietary fiber: the gastrointestinal tract and beyond. Pediatr Nephrol, 2022.
  1. Rowe S, Carr AC. Global vitamin C status and prevalence of deficiency: A cause for concern? Nutrients, 2020;12(7):2008.
  1. Shubham K, Anukiruthika T, Dutta S, Kashyap AV, Moses JA, Anandharamakrishnan C. Iron deficiency anemia: A comprehensive review on iron absorption, bioavailability and emerging food fortification approaches. Trends Food Sci Technol, 2020;99:58–75.
  1. Aronica L, Rigdon J, Offringa LC, Stefanick ML, Gardner CD. Examining differences between overweight women and men in 12-month weight loss study comparing healthy low-carbohydrate vs. low-fat diets. Int J Obes, 2021;45(1):225–34.
  1. Olson B, Marks DL, Grossberg AJ. Diverging metabolic programmes and behaviours during states of starvation, protein malnutrition, and cachexia. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, 2020;11(6):1429–46.
  1. Bae M, Kim H. Mini-review on the roles of vitamin C, vitamin D, and selenium in the immune system against COVID-19. Molecules, 2020;25(22):5346.
  1. Kennedy DO. B vitamins and the brain: Mechanisms, dose and efficacy–A review. Nutrients, 2016 [citado el 28 de abril de 2023];8(2):68.
  1. Walther B, Guggisberg D, Badertscher R, Egger L, Portmann R, Dubois S, et al. Comparison of nutritional composition between plant-based drinks and cow’s milk. Front Nutr, 2022;9:988707.

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