Best and Worst Milks to Drink for Your Cholesterol Levels
Cardiovascular DiseasesHigh Cholesterol
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How Do Different Milks Affect Your Cholesterol Levels?

If you have high cholesterol, it's important to consider the fats and sugars in various milks – whether plant-based or from animals.
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Updated on February 12, 2025
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rice milk, almond milk, soy milk and oat milk in a simple background colors

The milk aisle is changing, now offering a growing number of options for what to pour on your cereal or drink down as a late-night snack. But what do plant milks mean for your heart health if you have high cholesterol?

Conventionally produced and organic cow’s milk, for example, is loaded with calcium and vitamins A and D, which are all good for your heart and overall health. But too much of the saturated fat and cholesterol in whole milk — and even in 2 percent milk — may counteract those health benefits.

When you're trying to get to healthy cholesterol levels, you'll want to limit the amount of saturated fat in your diet, along with your sugar intake.

Alternative milks can provide similar nutritional benefits if you're watching your cholesterol, are lactose intolerant, vegan, or allergic to certain proteins in cow’s milk; or if you simply prefer something other than cow's milk.

“People choose a milk based on tolerability and taste — in addition to health beliefs,” says Deborah Krivitsky, RD, a dietitian based in Boston. “Each milk will provide different pluses and minuses.”

Soy Milk: Beneficial or Harmful?

Can this popular source of protein be dangerous to infants and vegetarians?
Soy Milk: Beneficial or Harmful?

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Organic Cow’s Milk: Good for Protein, Bad for Cholesterol

glass of organic cows milk
Whole cow’s milk contains around 161 calories, 5 grams (g) of saturated fat, and 29 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol in a 1 cup — or 8 ounce (oz) — serving.

“It’s a tremendous source of protein and nutrients, contains essential vitamins and minerals," Krivitsky says. It provides 20 percent of a person’s daily recommended intake of calcium.

Cow’s milk also contains potassium, which may help prevent high blood pressure (hypertension). What's more, a study found that grass-fed dairy cows produce milk with the highest levels of omega-3 compared with other cows, which is important because omega-3s promote heart health.

But when it comes to your cholesterol levels, “high-fat dairy could get you into trouble,” says John Day, MD, a cardiologist in Salt Lake City.

Saturated fat in your diet raises LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association.

If you drink cow's milk, most doctors recommend low-fat or nonfat versions. A 1 cup serving of organic skim milk has around 92 calories, no saturated fat, and only 4.8 mg of cholesterol.

Raw Cow’s Milk: A Full Dairy Alternative, but at Great Risk

glass of raw cows milk
Are you thinking about switching to raw cow’s milk, also known as unpasteurized milk? It has about the same amount of calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol as regular dairy milk. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends choosing pasteurized dairy products. Since raw milk doesn't go through the process of pasteurization that kills potentially harmful bacteria — like salmonella, listeria, and E. coli — it has the potential to sicken anyone, but it’s especially risky for children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems.

Soy Milk: No Cholesterol, but Could Be Missing Calcium

glass of soy milk

With 100 calories and 4.9 g of fat per 1 cup serving, plain, unsweetened soy milk is a great alternative for people who are watching their cholesterol or cannot tolerate the lactose found in dairy milk. Because the source of soy milk is a plant, it has no cholesterol and only negligible amounts of saturated fat. Soy milk also contains 7 g of protein per serving, which is great for a heart-healthy diet.

Research has shown that eating 25 g of soy protein per day, over a six-week period lowered LDL levels by about 3 to 4 percent.

 And 25 g per day of soy protein, like that found in soy milk and tofu, may also reduce your risk of heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. This may be due not just to the protein, but to soy's high levels of polyunsaturated fats, minerals, vitamins, and fiber, as well as to its low levels of saturated fat.

Still, Krivitsky says, it’s important to read the label to know what you're getting: “Make sure there’s no added sugar and that it’s fortified with calcium.”

Almond Milk: No Cholesterol, but Low in Protein

glass of almond milk

“Almonds are heart-healthy,” says Dr. Day, who recommends almond milk to his heart patients.

Unsweetened almond milk contains between 30 and 40 calories per 1 cup serving and has no saturated fat. And because it's a plant-based milk, it also contains no cholesterol.

Fortified versions contain more vitamin D than skim cow’s milk. Almond milk also contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, which may lower LDL cholesterol and help maintain your body’s cells, according to the American Heart Association.

Unfortunately, almond milk is also low in protein compared with cow's milk and other milk alternatives, making it a less ideal choice.

To maintain a healthy heart, Day says, be sure to drink unsweetened almond milk. “The biggest issue with alternative milks is that most of them are sweetened,” he says. “Added sugar in any form can be dangerous to your heart.”

Oat Milk: Gluten Free, but Carbohydrate Heavy

glass of oat milk
Oat milk is one of the newer options on the market. It’s made by combining oats with water and milling the mixture down into a fine consistency and straining it. One cup of oat milk contains about 80 calories, and like other plant-based milks, it has no saturated fats or cholesterol. Oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fiber; consumption of beta-glucan has been shown to lower total, as well as LDL, cholesterol levels.

While this does make for better cholesterol levels and heart health, oat milk provides more carbohydrate per serving than other milk alternatives, with almost half those carbohydrates coming from sugar.

 This is important to know if you count carbohydrates for diabetes control or follow a low-carb diet.

Hemp Milk: No Cholesterol and Good for Magnesium

glass of hemp milk

Hemp milk comes from the seeds of the hemp plant (cannabis), but it doesn't contain THC — the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, which is a different variety of cannabis.

With a flavor and consistency similar to almond milk, hemp milk is a good choice if you’re watching your cholesterol levels, are lactose intolerant, or if you have milk or soy allergies.

A 1 cup serving of unsweetened hemp milk contains 60 calories, ½ g of saturated fat, and no cholesterol.

 Hemp milk is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially heart-healthy alpha-linolenic acid.

It also provides calcium and magnesium, both of which are essential for heart health. Getting enough magnesium helps your heart keep a normal rhythm, and having too little can lead to arrhythmias — irregular heart rhythms — like atrial fibrillation.

Coconut Milk Beverage: Too Much Saturated Fat?

glass of coconut milk
This option adds natural sweetness to your coffee, oatmeal, or cereal, and has only 40 calories per cup — and no cholesterol.

 But remember that coconut milk beverages have a different nutritional profile than canned coconut milk used in cooking. One cup of unsweetened coconut milk beverage contains 4 g of saturated fat.
“Some populations eat a lot of coconut and don’t get heart disease,” Day says. But is coconut milk a heart-healthy choice when you have high cholesterol? The evidence is conflicting. A study that examined the lipid profile of various plant-based milks and cow’s milk, found that coconut milk had the highest saturated fat content, more than cow’s milk — and that in coconut milk, the fatty acids that raise cholesterol were higher than those that lower cholesterol.

 Still, another study found that coconut milk supplementation led to beneficial changes in study subjects, lowering levels of LDL and non-HDL cholesterol while HDL levels increased — and that “a subgroup whose baseline LDL level was elevated appeared to benefit most from coconut milk supplementation.”

“The final verdict is still out,” says Lavinia Butuza, RD, a nutritionist in Sacramento, California. “Heart patients need to be careful with anything coconut, and treat all saturated fats as the same, for now.”

Rice Milk: High in Sugar, Low in Protein

glass of rice milk
Cup for cup, rice milk is a plant-based milk that contains as much calcium as cow's milk, when fortified with the mineral. A 1 cup serving of rice milk has 113 calories (about 30 more than in a cup of skim cow's milk). Rice milk has no saturated fat, and no cholesterol — but even unsweetened versions have nearly 22 g of carbohydrates and 12.7 g of sugar per cup, which is even higher than what’s contained in oat milk.

 A systematic review of research and controlled trials found that higher intakes of sugars, compared with lower intakes of sugars, are associated with increased concentrations of triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol.

Rice milk is also very low in protein, so if you do drink rice milk, be sure that you're getting enough protein from other sources in your diet.

“Protein is related to a heart-healthy diet,” Butuza says. “If you don’t get enough protein, you may be taking in too many carbs, and too much of that can turn into higher bad cholesterol levels.”

Goat's Milk: Less Potent Than Cow’s Milk

glass of goats milk
Goat's milk can be a good option if you want a beverage with a similar nutritional profile to whole cow’s milk but you have trouble digesting lactose. A 1 cup serving of goat's milk has about 150 calories and 5 g of saturated fat, and it also contains 24 mg of cholesterol.

Butuza notes that it's difficult to find a low-fat version of goat's milk, and that it has fewer essential vitamins and minerals than cow's milk. “There’s a lot less folate and vitamin B12 in goat's milk,” Butuza says. And if it’s raw, she says, "There’s a risk of foodborne illness — unless you have a goat in your backyard.”

Camel's Milk: Hard to Find but Rich in Vitamins

glass of camels milk
The latest craze to make its stamp on the milk market is camel's milk. One 8 oz glass contains 110 calories, 3 g of saturated fat, and 15 g of cholesterol.

 And this milk option is packed with vitamins and minerals: According to research, camel's milk has three to five times more vitamin C than cow's milk and has anti-diabetic properties due to the high presence of insulin and insulin-like protein in the milk. It's also a natural probiotic that can contribute to gut health.

This milk option is still hard to come by in the United States — and it's expensive. “It’s certainly something to look out for, and it needs to be pasteurized,” says Krivitsky. As a note of caution: Camel's milk may be one of the animal sources of the MERS coronavirus in the Middle East.

The Takeaway

  • Plant-based milks and different types of milk from animals have varied levels of fats and sugars that are important to consider if you have high cholesterol.
  • Whole cow's milk is nutritious, but its high saturated fat can negatively impact cholesterol levels; opting for low-fat or skim milk can reduce these risks.
  • Plant-based milks, like almond or soy milk, that have no cholesterol and are low in saturated fats, can be heart-healthy options.
  • Read nutritional info carefully when choosing which milks to add to your diet.

Additional reporting by Zachary Smith.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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  15. Antunes I et al. Lipid Profile of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives (PBMAs) and Cow’s Milk: A Comparison. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. August 14, 2024.
  16. Ekanayaka RA et al. Effect of Different Forms of Coconut on the Lipid Profile in Normal Free-living Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Phase II). Global Epidemiology. February 2, 2024.
  17. Unsweetened Rice Milk. MyFoodData.com.
  18. Te Morenga LA et al. Dietary Sugars and Cardiometabolic Risk: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials of the Effects on Blood Pressure and Lipids. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. July 2014.
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  22. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Key Facts. World Health Organization. August 5, 2022.
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Chung Yoon, MD

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Chung Yoon, MD, is a noninvasive cardiologist with a passion for diagnosis, prevention, intervention, and treatment of a wide range of heart and cardiovascular disorders. He enjoys clinical decision-making and providing patient care in both hospital and outpatient settings. He excels at analytical and decision-making skills and building connection and trust with patients and their families.
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