Greek yogurt or whole milk: more protein in the cup, more calcium in the glass

In a 4-week crossover trial in 30 healthy adults, apolipoprotein B rose by 10.06 (95% CI 4.64 to 15.47, units not given in the abstract) when saturated fat came from low-fat yogurt plus butter. With the same fat from full-fat yogurt it changed by minus 4.27 (95% CI minus 11.78 to 3.23), and the gap between the two was significant (p = 0.004). That yogurt was ordinary 4 percent yogurt, and we found no trial putting Greek yogurt directly against milk. So the comparison rests mostly on the label. Per 100 g, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt has 8.78 g protein against 3.27 g in whole milk, which gives 13.2 g in a 150 g cup and 8.0 g in a 244 g glass. Calcium runs the other way per serving, about 167 mg in the cup and 300 mg in the glass, mostly because the glass is bigger (111 against 123 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)). These are US survey figures, and brands differ widely, from 4.21 to 9.89 g protein per 3.5 oz (100 g) of Greek yogurt in USDA records. British tables list Greek style yogurt at 5.7 g protein and 10.2 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), because a UK product called Greek style is not necessarily strained.

How much is actually in it

• Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt has 8.78 g protein and 94 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) versus 3.27 g and 61 calories in whole milk, so a 150 g cup gives 13.2 g protein and a 244 g glass of milk gives 8.0 g. — US survey food codes Evidence E source
  Protein 8.78 vs 3.27 g/100 g; energy 94 vs 61 calories/100 g; fat 4.39 vs 3.2 g/100 g; per serving 13.2 g protein, 141 calories (150 g) vs 8.0 g, 149 calories (244 g cup)
• Per 100 g, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt has 111 mg calcium versus 123 mg in whole milk, so a 244 g glass of milk gives about 300 mg and a 150 g cup of Greek yogurt about 167 mg. — US survey food codes Evidence E source
  Calcium 111 vs 123 mg/100 g; carbohydrate 4.75 vs 4.63 g/100 g; 166.5 mg per 150 g vs 300.1 mg per 244 g

What a real portion looks like

• In 47 adolescent athletes, two 6.2 oz (175 g) servings of Greek yogurt a day (17 g protein each) for 16 weeks moved bone and inflammation markers only modestly, much like whey protein. — 47 adolescent athletes aged about 16, 16-week intervention (n = 47) Evidence B source
  P1NP, IGF-1, RANKL stable; CTX rose transiently and returned to baseline by week 24 in Greek yogurt; IL-6 fell at week 16 in Greek yogurt

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized trial giving 270 mg calcium as milk or plain yogurt, lactase-deficient adults and controls absorbed calcium equally well from both. — lactase-deficient adults and controls, single test doses Evidence B source
  No difference in 45Ca absorption between 250 g milk and 147 g yogurt over 24 h

What cooking and storage change

• In a crossover trial in 24 men, 500 g a day of fresh yogurt for 15 days lowered breath hydrogen in lactose malabsorbers versus the same yogurt heated to kill its cultures. — 24 healthy men, 12 with and 12 without lactose malabsorption, 15-day periods (n = 24) Evidence B source
  Breath hydrogen lower after fresh than heated yogurt in malabsorbers (P < 0.01)

What it does to your health

• In a 3-week crossover trial in 18 healthy adults, 17 fl oz (0.5 L) a day of whole milk raised HDL cholesterol versus skim milk and did not change LDL, triglycerides, glucose or insulin. — 18 healthy adults, 0.5 L/d, 3 weeks per period (n = 18) Evidence B source
  HDL higher with whole milk (P < 0.05); no difference in total or LDL cholesterol, triacylglycerol, insulin, glucose
• In a 4-week crossover trial in 30 adults, getting saturated fat from full-fat yogurt left apolipoprotein B lower than the same fat from low-fat yogurt plus butter. — 30 healthy men and women, 4 weeks per period (n = 30) Evidence B source
  ApoB change +10.06 (95% CI 4.64 to 15.47) with low-fat yogurt and butter vs -4.27 (95% CI -11.78 to 3.23) with full-fat yogurt, p = 0.004
• Observational data from 29 cohorts link 200 g a day of yogurt with 11% lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and 7.1 oz (200 g) of milk with lower cardiovascular mortality. — adults in 29 prospective cohorts (n = 1,680,651) Evidence C source
  Yogurt HR 0.89 (95% CI 0.83, 0.96) all-cause, 0.89 (0.83, 0.95) CVD; milk HR 0.86 (0.75, 0.98) CVD
• Observational data from 73,860 Norwegian adults followed 33 years link high whole milk intake with 15% higher all-cause mortality than none. — 73,860 Norwegian adults, median follow-up 33 y (n = 73,860) Evidence C source
  Whole milk high vs none: all-cause HR 1.15 (95% CI 1.10, 1.21), IHD HR 1.13 (1.01, 1.27)

Safety, limits and interactions

• One case report linked a Lactobacillus bloodstream infection in a toddler with intestinal failure and a central line to the live-culture Greek yogurt he ate daily. — one toddler with intestinal failure and a central venous catheter (n = 1) Evidence D source
  About 99% genetic similarity between blood isolate and yogurt Lactobacillus
• The FDA-approved ciprofloxacin label lists dairy products among items that lower the drug's absorption and advises taking ciprofloxacin at least two hours before or six hours after them. — People taking oral ciprofloxacin, FDA label drug interactions table Evidence E source
  Decreased ciprofloxacin absorption, dose spacing 2 h before or 6 h after
• CDC advises that whole cow's milk can be introduced at 12 months old but not before, and says that before 12 months it may put a baby at risk for intestinal bleeding. — infants younger than 12 months Evidence E source
  No whole cow's milk before 12 months, risk of intestinal bleeding before that age

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU authorizes the claim that live cultures in yogurt or fermented milk improve lactose digestion in people who digest lactose poorly. No such claim exists for milk. — EU regulatory register Evidence E source
  Authorized claim, no effect size
• Observational data from 14 studies of 20,897 children link drinking whole rather than reduced-fat milk with lower odds of overweight or obesity. — children aged 1-18 y, 14 observational studies (n = 20,897) Evidence C source
  OR 0.61 (95% CI 0.52, 0.72), I2 = 73.8%

What is still unknown

• In UK food tables, Greek style plain yogurt has 5.7 g protein, 10.2 g fat and 133 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) versus 3.4 g, 3.6 g and 63 calories in whole milk. — UK food composition Evidence E source
  Greek style plain: protein 5.7 g, fat 10.2 g, sat fat 6.75 g, 133 calories; whole milk: protein 3.4 g, fat 3.6 g, sat fat 2.29 g, 63 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• A 2024 USDA systematic review found no trials testing milk fat content on body weight in adults, and 14 cohort studies pointed in all directions. — adults, 14 prospective cohort studies (n = 14 studies) Evidence C source
  About half of associations null, the rest split between beneficial and detrimental

The bottom line

Calcium from yogurt is absorbed as well as calcium from milk. In a 1985 trial, lactase-deficient adults and controls given 270 mg calcium as 250 g milk or 147 g plain yogurt absorbed it equally from both. The yogurt was ordinary, and the abstract does not give the number of people. Live cultures help people who digest lactose poorly. In 24 men, 18 oz (500 g) of fresh yogurt a day for 15 days produced less breath hydrogen in the 12 lactose malabsorbers than the same yogurt heated to kill its cultures. The EU authorizes a claim to that effect for live yogurt and fermented milk and has none for milk. On fat, the trials are small and short. In 18 healthy adults, half a liter of whole milk a day for 3 weeks raised HDL cholesterol against skim milk and left LDL, triglycerides, glucose and insulin unchanged. The long-term observational data disagree with each other. Pooled cohorts of 1,680,651 adults link 7.1 oz (200 g) of yogurt a day with 11 percent lower all-cause mortality (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.96), and 7.1 oz (200 g) of milk of any fat level with lower cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.98). A Norwegian cohort of 73,860 adults followed for 33 years links high whole milk intake with 15 percent higher all-cause mortality than none (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.21), with intake measured between 1974 and 1988. These are associations and cannot show cause. For body weight in adults, a 2024 USDA review found no trials on milk fat at all, and 14 cohort studies pointing in every direction. In children, 14 mostly cross-sectional studies of 20,897 link whole rather than reduced-fat milk with lower odds of overweight (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.72). Heterogeneity was high, and parents may give reduced-fat milk to heavier children. In 47 adolescent athletes, two 6.2 oz (175 g) servings of Greek yogurt a day for 16 weeks moved bone and inflammation markers only modestly, much like whey protein, and fractures were not measured. Who should take care. The one safety record is a single case report. A toddler with intestinal failure and a central venous line developed a Lactobacillus bloodstream infection matched at about 99 percent to the Greek yogurt he ate daily. It applies to people with a central line and intestinal failure. This page has no evidence card on pregnancy or allergy for either food, and none on how the calcium in milk or yogurt interacts with medicines, so it cannot tell you whether that matters for a drug you take.

Sources

1. gwm-daily-r7-01 · food composition dataset
   Yogurt, Greek, whole milk, plain | Protein 8.78 G per 100 g | Energy 94 KCAL | Total lipid (fat) 4.39 G | 1 5.3 oz container 150 g 13.2 G protein || Milk, whole | Protein 3.27 G per 100 g | Energy 61 KCAL | Total lipid (fat) 3.2 G | 1 cup 244 g 8.0 G protein
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, Yogurt, Greek, whole milk, plain (fdc_id 2705422) and Milk, whole (fdc_id 2705385) · checked 2026-09-29
2. gwm-daily-r7-02 · food composition dataset
   Yogurt, Greek, whole milk, plain | Calcium, Ca 111 MG per 100 g | Carbohydrate, by difference 4.75 G | 1 5.3 oz container 150 g 166.5 MG || Milk, whole | Calcium, Ca 123 MG per 100 g | Carbohydrate, by difference 4.63 G | 1 cup 244 g 300.1 MG
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, Yogurt, Greek, whole milk, plain (fdc_id 2705422) and Milk, whole (fdc_id 2705385) · checked 2026-09-29
3. gwm-daily-r7-09 · randomized controlled trial
   GY consumed 2 servings per day of 175 g GY (17 g protein); WP received an isonitrogenous WP supplement. ... C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen increased transiently from week 8 to week 16 and returned to baseline by week 24 only in GY. ... At week 16, interleukin (IL)-1β increased in WP, and IL-6 decreased in GY.
   J Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
4. gwm-daily-r7-04 · randomized trial
   Subjects ingested 270 mg of Ca plus 45Ca in 250 g of milk or 147 g of commercial, unflavored yogurt, and blood radioactivity was assessed at intervals over 24 h. Based on the areas under the blood radioactivity curves, lactase-deficient subjects and controls absorbed calcium equally well from yogurt and milk.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1985 · checked 2026-09-29
5. gwm-daily-r7-05 · randomized crossover trial
   Two groups of 12 healthy men with or without lactose malabsorption were selected with use of a breath-hydrogen test after a 30-g lactose load. Subjects were randomly assigned in a crossover design to 500 g/d of either fresh or heated yogurt for 2 periods of 15 d each, separated by a 15-d washout interval. ... In the same group, the production of breath hydrogen was lower after fresh yogurt consumption than after heated yogurt consumption (P: < 0.01).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2000 · checked 2026-09-29
6. gwm-daily-r7-07 · randomized crossover trial
   A randomized, controlled 2 × 3-week crossover dietary intervention in 18 healthy adults randomly assigned to a sequence of treatments consisting of 0.5 L/d of whole milk and skimmed milk as part of their habitual diet. ... Whole milk increased HDL cholesterol concentrations significantly compared to skimmed milk (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between whole milk and skimmed milk in effects on total and LDL cholesterol, triacylglycerol, insulin, and glucose concentrations.
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
7. gwm-daily-r7-08 · randomized crossover trial
   Participants consumed a diet with 1.5-2 servings of full-fat (4%) yogurt or low-fat (< 1.5) yogurt and 10-15 g of butter per day for 4 weeks, with 4 weeks wash-out when they consumed 1.5-2 servings of low-fat milk. ... Apolipoprotein B was higher for the low-fat yogurt and butter [changes from baseline, + 10.06 (95%CI 4.64 to 15.47)] compared with the full-fat yogurt [-4.27 (95%CI, -11.78 to 3.23)] and the difference between two treatment periods was statistically significant (p = 0.004).
   Eur J Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
8. gwm-daily-r7-11 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
   From 4,797 retrieved articles, 29 prospective cohort studies involving 1,680,651 participants were included. Results and conclusions: Our findings indicate that yogurt consumption (200 g/day) was associated with a reduced risk of both all-cause (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.96) and cardiovascular mortality (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.95). ... Milk consumption (200 g/day) was associated with reduced CVD mortality in the non-sex-stratified group (the 7 studies) (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.75, 0.98).
   Front Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
9. gwm-daily-r7-12 · prospective cohort
   Among 73,860 participants included in this study (mean age: 41.2 years at baseline; 49% females), 26,393 deaths occurred (8590 from CVD, 4372 from IHD, and 3047 from AMI) during a median follow-up of 33 y. ... For whole milk, high compared with no intake was positively associated with CVD (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.16), IHD (HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.27), and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.21).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
10. gwm-daily-r7-13 · case report
    We report an unusual, previously undescribed, clinical presentation of a Lactobacillus-species CLABSI linked to yogurt consumption in a toddler with IF secondary to Megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome. ... Comparative genetic analysis predicted ~99% similarity between the CLABSI isolate and Lactobacillus isolates from the Greek yogurt the patient regularly consumed.
    Nutr Clin Pract, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
11. sf-cadrug-2 · FDA drug label section
    or products containing calcium, iron, or zinc and dairy products) Ciprofloxacin should be taken at least two hours before or six hours after Multivalent cation-containing products administration
    Ciprofloxacin, FDA-approved label (DailyMed, set 2fc39084-df93-4b13-e063-6394a90a38a8), drug interactions table, effective 2025-03-06 · checked 2026-10-08
12. sf-infmilk-r4-1 · agency advice
    You can introduce your child to whole cow's milk at 12 months old (but not before). ... May put them at risk for intestinal bleeding.
    CDC, Infant and Toddler Nutrition: Cow's Milk and Milk Alternatives · checked 2026-10-08
13. gwm-daily-r7-06 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-6400 Live yoghurt cultures Live cultures in yoghurt or fermented milk improve lactose digestion of the product in individuals who have difficulty digesting lactose Authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6400, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
14. gwm-daily-r7-10 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    Meta-analysis included 14 of the 28 studies (n = 20,897) that measured the proportion of children who consumed whole milk compared with reduced-fat milk and direct measures of overweight or obesity. Among children who consumed whole (3.25% fat) compared with reduced-fat (0.1-2%) milk, the OR of overweight or obesity was 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52, 0.72; P < 0.0001), but heterogeneity between studies was high (I2 = 73.8%).
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
15. gwm-daily-r7-03 · food composition dataset
    Yogurt, Greek style, plain | Protein (g) 5.7 | Fat (g) 10.2 | Satd FA /100g fd (g) 6.75 | Energy (kcal) 133 || Milk, whole, pasteurised, average | Protein (g) 3.4 | Fat (g) 3.6 | Satd FA /100g fd (g) 2.29 | Energy (kcal) 63
    CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0), codes 12-555 Yogurt, Greek style, plain and 12-596 Milk, whole, pasteurised, average · checked 2026-09-29
16. gwm-daily-r7-14 · systematic review
    There were no trials directly assessing the effect of different fat content in milk on the outcomes of body composition and risk of obesity in adults. Associations examined in the 14 PCS were highly variable in significance and direction.
    USDA NESR 2024, Dairy Milk and Milk Alternatives and Growth, Body Composition, and Risk of Obesity: A Systematic Review · checked 2026-09-29