For decades they told us the same thing: fatty milk is the enemy, buy skimmed. Whole generations in Macedonia grew up with the feeling that full-fat milk is a sin, and skimmed the healthy choice. Now science is quietly flipping the record, and the question is why they sold us the opposite for so long.

Nutritionists explain that the evidence has not been on the side of fat-phobia for a long time. According to a systematic review from Laval University, people who consume full-fat dairy have no more obesity, diabetes or heart disease than those who drink skimmed. The fats in milk, they say, are nowhere near as harmful as we were led to believe.

The difference between the three versions - full-fat, semi-skimmed and skimmed - is smaller than you think. All three contain almost the same amount of protein, calcium and micronutrients. The only real difference is in the fat: full-fat has around 3.5 percent, semi-skimmed 1.5 to 2, and skimmed almost zero. That is all - the rest was marketing.

There is a detail that is rarely mentioned: milk fat contains a complex blend of over 400 different fatty acids. Butyric acid has anti-inflammatory properties and benefits for gut health. Conjugated linoleic acid, in experimental studies, has shown effects on body composition. And odd-chain fatty acids are linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. When you skim milk, you are not just throwing out calories - you are also throwing out the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K).

Does that mean everyone should switch to full-fat right away? Not quite. If your goal is fewer calories, skimmed still makes sense. But if you have no reason to count calories, there is no reason to deprive yourself of the taste and nutrition of full-fat milk. A glass of full-fat fills you up more than a glass of watery skimmed - and the body absorbs the vitamins more easily.

The lesson is not „drink fat" nor „drink lean". The lesson is that a piece of dietary advice served to us for decades as absolute truth turned out to be far too simplistic. Next time someone tells you something is „unhealthy", it is worth asking - according to which study, and from when?