Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (2024)

Summary

After serving size correction,fresh milk isricher in vitamins B2, B12, D, and A. In addition, it is richer in calcium and phosphorus. In comparison, powdered milk ishigher in calories, fats, and sodium but richer in magnesium. Powdered milk has a longer shelf life.

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
    1. General Differences
      1. Nutritonal Content Comparison
        1. Macronutrients and Calories
          1. Calories
          2. Protein
          3. Fats
          4. Carbohydrates
        2. Vitamins
          1. Minerals
          2. Health Impact
            1. Cardiovascular Health
              1. Bone Health
              2. References

                Introduction

                In this article, we will be comparing regular milk with powdered milk. Milk in this article isfresh liquid milk, and powdered milk is powdered milkwithout adding water.

                Please note that the nutritional comparison and infographics in this article will falsely tend more towards powdered milk since it contains more nutrients in dehydrated form, while most of the weight of fresh milk comes from water.

                However,we will compare them based on the logic of consumptionregarding their nutritional content and health impacts to understand if they are different.

                General Differences

                Shelf life is one of the most relevant differences in these milks.

                Fresh milk has a shorter shelf life than powdered milk.

                Another difference is taste; powdered milk has a creamier and stronger taste than fresh milk.

                Nutritonal Content Comparison

                Approximately32g of powdered milkis equivalent to 1 cup offresh milk, which is around 240 ml. This is a generalized estimate.

                In this article, we are comparingwhole-fat powdered milk without added vitamin D to 1% fresh milk with added vitamins A and D. This also means that the macronutrient composition and the vitamin content will differ given that we are comparing fortified milk to a non-fortified one.

                Macronutrients and Calories

                Calories

                Powdered milk contains more calories than fresh milk.

                If we compare 32g of powdered milk to 240 ml of fresh milk, we still come to the point where powdered milk is higher in calories. This is due mainly to it being whole milk, which contains a higher amount of fat.

                Protein

                When comparing 32g of powdered milk to 240 ml of fresh milk,we can conclude that they have similar amounts of proteins.

                Fats

                Whole powdered milk contains more fats than 1% fresh milk when we correct for equivalency.

                Carbohydrates

                When corrected for equivalency, we conclude that both powdered milk and regular milk have similar amounts of carbs.

                Vitamins

                This article considers fortified milk with vitamins A and D for fresh milk, while it considers unfortified milk for powdered milk. This is why the fresh milk discussed in this article is richer in vitamins B2, B12, D, and A.

                Below this article, you can find the visualization of the vitamin content. However, the content is given according to an equal amount of serving in grams without correcting for serving size; hence the infographics are misleading.

                Minerals

                More often, we find powdered milk that hasadded iron in them. It is essential to check those labels.

                One of the main differences in minerals is sodium. Powdered milk contains more sodium than fresh milk, even after serving size adjustment.

                For the rest of the minerals, after adjustment for serving size,fresh milk is richer in phosphorus and calcium. In contrast, powdered milk is richer in magnesium.

                Below this article, you can find the visualization of the mineral content. However, again, the content is given according to an equal amount of serving in grams without correcting for serving size; hence the infographics are misleading.

                Health Impact

                Check this article to learn aboutpowdered milk and its health impacts.

                During milk processing, heat dehydrates the milk for it to become powder. Considering this, we lose some nutrients during the dehydration process. An example of that is vitamin B12.

                Based on this, fresh milk can have a higher nutrient content than powdered milk. However,most powdered milk is fortified with vitamins and minerals to compensate for that loss and add extra nutrients.

                Cardiovascular Health

                Powdered milk fortified withpotassium and phytosterolsis acost-effective source of nutrients that positively affects cardiovascular health. Reassuring that people are getting an adequate amount of these nutrients in their diet.

                Similarly, this study was made on another sample who had hypertension (1, 2).

                Powdered milk fortified with potassium and phytosterolshas an advantage over fresh milk regarding this. However, simply choosing fortified fresh milk will have the same effect.

                Bone Health

                Both powdered milk and fresh milk positively affect bone health in children; however, we also need to considervitamin D and magnesium in association with calcium intake for proper bone mineralization.

                The difference comes from the accessibility of milk, as in some countries, powdered milk is cheaper and more accessible with added vitamins and minerals (3, 4).

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (1)

                Author name: Jack Yacoubian

                Education: Haigazian Medical University

                Last updated: July 27, 2023

                Medically reviewed by Astghik Baghinyan

                Infographic

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (2)

                Infographic link

                Mineral Comparison

                Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

                Contains lessSodiumSodium -88.1%
                ContainsmoreMagnesiumMagnesium +672.7%
                ContainsmoreCalciumCalcium +629.6%
                ContainsmorePotassiumPotassium +786.7%
                ContainsmoreIronIron +1466.7%
                ContainsmoreCopperCopper +700%
                ContainsmoreZincZinc +695.2%
                ContainsmorePhosphorusPhosphorus +716.8%
                ContainsmoreManganeseManganese +1233.3%
                ContainsmoreSeleniumSelenium +393.9%

                Vitamin Comparison

                Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (5)

                Milk

                1

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (6)

                Powdered milk

                12

                Contains moreVitamin DVitamin D +140%
                ContainsmoreVitamin CVitamin C +∞%
                ContainsmoreVitamin AVitamin A +376.5%
                ContainsmoreVitamin EVitamin E +5700%
                ContainsmoreVitamin B1Vitamin B1 +1315%
                ContainsmoreVitamin B2Vitamin B2 +551.4%
                ContainsmoreVitamin B3Vitamin B3 +594.6%
                ContainsmoreVitamin B5Vitamin B5 +529.1%
                ContainsmoreVitamin B6Vitamin B6 +716.2%
                ContainsmoreVitamin B12Vitamin B12 +591.5%
                ContainsmoreVitamin KVitamin K +2100%
                ContainsmoreFolateFolate +640%
                ContainsmoreCholineCholine +563.3%

                Macronutrient Comparison

                Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (7)

                Milk

                1

                Protein:3.37 g

                Fats:0.97 g

                Carbs:4.99 g

                Water:89.92 g

                Other:0.75 g

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (8)

                Powdered milk

                4

                Protein:26.32 g

                Fats:26.71 g

                Carbs:38.42 g

                Water:2.47 g

                Other:6.08 g

                Contains moreWaterWater +3540.5%
                ContainsmoreProteinProtein +681%
                ContainsmoreFatsFats +2653.6%
                ContainsmoreCarbsCarbs +669.9%
                ContainsmoreOtherOther +710.7%

                Fat Type Comparison

                Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (9)

                Milk

                1

                Saturated Fat:Sat. Fat0.633 g

                Monounsaturated Fat:Mono. Fat0.277 g

                Polyunsaturated fat:Poly. Fat0.035 g

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (10)

                Powdered milk

                2

                Saturated Fat:Sat. Fat16.742 g

                Monounsaturated Fat:Mono. Fat7.924 g

                Polyunsaturated fat:Poly. Fat0.665 g

                Contains lessSat. FatSaturated Fat -96.2%
                ContainsmoreMono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +2760.6%
                ContainsmorePoly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +1800%

                Comparison summary table

                Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (11)Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (12)
                Rich in mineralsMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (13)
                Rich in vitaminsMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (14)
                Lower in CholesterolMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (15)
                Lower in SugarMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (16)
                Lower in SodiumMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (17)
                Lower in Saturated FatMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (18)
                Lower in Glycemic IndexMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (19)
                Lower in priceMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (20)

                All nutrients comparison - raw data values

                NutrientMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (21)Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (22)Opinion
                Calories42kcal496kcalMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (23)
                Protein3.37g26.32gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (24)
                Fats0.97g26.71gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (25)
                Vitamin C0mg8.6mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (26)
                Net carbs4.99g38.42gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (27)
                Carbs4.99g38.42gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (28)
                Cholesterol5mg97mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (29)
                Vitamin D48IU20IUMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (30)
                Magnesium11mg85mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (31)
                Calcium125mg912mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (32)
                Potassium150mg1330mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (33)
                Iron0.03mg0.47mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (34)
                Sugar5.2g38.42gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (35)
                Copper0.01mg0.08mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (36)
                Zinc0.42mg3.34mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (37)
                Phosphorus95mg776mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (38)
                Sodium44mg371mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (39)
                Vitamin A196IU934IUMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (40)
                Vitamin A58µg258µgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (41)
                Vitamin E0.01mg0.58mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (42)
                Vitamin D1.2µg0.5µgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (43)
                Manganese0.003mg0.04mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (44)
                Selenium3.3µg16.3µgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (45)
                Vitamin B10.02mg0.283mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (46)
                Vitamin B20.185mg1.205mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (47)
                Vitamin B30.093mg0.646mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (48)
                Vitamin B50.361mg2.271mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (49)
                Vitamin B60.037mg0.302mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (50)
                Vitamin B120.47µg3.25µgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (51)
                Vitamin K0.1µg2.2µgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (52)
                Folate5µg37µgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (53)
                Choline17.7mg117.4mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (54)
                Saturated Fat0.633g16.742gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (55)
                Monounsaturated Fat0.277g7.924gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (56)
                Polyunsaturated fat0.035g0.665gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (57)
                Tryptophan0.043mg0.371mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (58)
                Threonine0.143mg1.188mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (59)
                Isoleucine0.174mg1.592mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (60)
                Leucine0.319mg2.578mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (61)
                Lysine0.282mg2.087mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (62)
                Methionine0.088mg0.66mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (63)
                Phenylalanine0.174mg1.271mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (64)
                Valine0.22mg1.762mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (65)
                Histidine0.101mg0.714mgMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (66)
                Omega-3 - ALA0.004gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (67)
                Omega-6 - Linoleic acid0.027gMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (68)

                Which food is preferable for your diet?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (69)

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (70)

                is better in case of low diet

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (71)Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (72)
                Low Calories dietMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (73)
                Low Fats dietMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (74)
                Low Carbs dietMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (75)
                Low Glycemic Index dietMilk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (76)

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                Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

                The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).

                Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score

                15%

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (89)

                91%

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (90)

                Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

                14%

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (91)

                106%

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (92)

                Comparison summary

                Which food is richer in minerals?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (93)

                Powdered milk is relatively richer in minerals

                Which food is richer in vitamins?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (94)

                Powdered milk is relatively richer in vitamins

                Which food is lower in Cholesterol?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (95)

                Milk is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 92mg)

                Which food is lower in Sugar?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (96)

                Milk is lower in Sugar (difference - 33.22g)

                Which food contains less Sodium?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (97)

                Milk contains less Sodium (difference - 327mg)

                Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (98)

                Milk is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 16.109g)

                Which food is lower in glycemic index?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (99)

                Milk is lower in glycemic index (difference - 1)

                Which food is cheaper?

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (100)

                Milk is cheaper (difference - $1.6)

                Milk vs. Powdered Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison (2024)

                References

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