Superior Health- Just a Matter of Milk!

There has always been a popular belief that milk is probably the best food around. Babies survive on milk for the first year or so of their lives, and older folks are advised to drink it to keep their bones strong. When it comes to babies it cannot be denied that breast milk is still the most superior as it contains all the essential nutrients. Cow’s milk is the next best option, followed by goat’s milk. According to dieticians, except for infants who are intolerant to milk, most people’s diets would be improved by consuming more, not less milk. This liquid food, known as milk, can be whole, semi-skimmed or completely skimmed, and in liquid or powder form. Milk contains about 85% water. It thus supplies both food and fluid. The number of calories in milk varies quite a lot. Cow's milk provides 67Kcal and buffalo milk provides 117Kcal of energy per 100 ml. The protein content of cows and buffalo milk is about 3.2gm and 4.25gm per 100ml respectively. The milk proteins mainly consist of casein (about 80%) and whey (about 20 %). The proteins of milk are of a high biological value.

Essential Milk Facts

The nine essential nutrients found in milk are critical to good health and the prevention of chronic disease:

Calcium builds and maintains strong bones, prevents osteoporosis, but is also vital for nerve function, muscle contraction and blood clotting.

Protein essential for bodily function, it is also vital to brain development and growth of nerve tissues.

Vitamin A maintains vision and skin and regulates cell growth as well as aiding the immune system.

Vitamin B 12 essential for the growth and health of the nervous system.

Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and influences bone mineralization and the strengthening of bones.

Potassium regulates the body’s fluid balance and blood pressure. Also needed for muscle activity and contractions.

Phosphorus helps generate energy in the body’s cells and influences bone mineralization and the strengthening of bones.

Niacin keeps enzymes functioning normally and helps the body process sugars and fatty acids. Important for the development of the nervous system.

Riboflavin helps produce energy in the body’s cells and plays a vital role in the development of the nervous system.

There have been reports which advise people against consuming milk. The bases of such indications are conditions known as Lactose Intolerance and Allergy to Milk. Lactose intolerance is caused by insufficient amounts if the digestive enzyme, lactase. Statistics show that the incidence of lactose intolerance is about 10 percent for people of Northern European descent and up to 90 percent in African Americans, Asian, Jews, Native Americans and Arabs. However, lactose intolerance does not preclude a person completely from drinking milk as often, small amounts during meals pose no problems. It is also important to differentiate between lactose intolerance and actual allergy to milk.

Guidelines for those who are Lactose Intolerant

Generally, lactose intolerance is treated by reducing or avoiding milk products completely, and replacing milk with dietary supplements or by consuming milk products that have reduced lactose. The following are some things that can be done to manage the problem:

• Limit the consumption of milk products. Most people can tolerate 236.59 ml of milk a day. It does not matter what form of milk is consumed as generally whole, low-fat and skimmed milk have the same amount of lactose.
• Combine milk or milk based products with other types of food, like cereal for example.
• Drink milk sporadically throughout the day as many lactose intolerant people find it helpful to eat small amounts of lactose products throughout the day instead of large amounts in one sitting.
• Eat or drink dairy products that have reduced lactose. Milk, for example, can be purchased with at least 50 percent reduced lactose. However, it is important to note that people who have diabetes may find that lactose reduced products can raise blood sugar levels.
• Opt for other choices with the equivalent nutritional value such as fortified Soya milk and Soya cheese. Non dairy creamers can be used instead of milk products in your coffee although these do not contain calcium and other nutrients found in milk.
• Lactase products such as Lactaid can help digestion and prevent lactose intolerance.
• Opt to eat yoghurt with live cultures (non-pasteurized) as research shows that these bacteria help digest food.
• 8. Eat or cook food with cheese as it contains the least amount of lactose in the family of milk products.

Milk Allergy

Prevalent among children, milk allergy symptoms include bronchitis, eczema, asthma and colic in babies. And it is the protein in cow’s milk, specifically, that causes this problem. The digested fractions of each of the milk proteins may induce the production of certain antibodies, which in turn may trigger complex, variable immune responses.

In spite of the apprehensions related to consumption of milk, following specific health benefits of milk have been noted:

• Intake of fluid milk has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, hypertension, and colon cancer.
• Drinking milk may help to reduce the risk of kidney stones. A recent epidemiological study of more than 81,000 women with no history of kidney stones links intake of nonfat milk with decreased risk of colon cancer.
• Milk intake may help to reduce the risk of tooth decay by acting as a substitute for saliva. In addition to providing moisture which helps clear cavity-promoting substances (e.g., simple sugars such as sucrose) from the oral cavity, milk buffers oral acids, reduces the solubility of tooth enamel, and helps to remineralize tooth enamel.
• Consuming chocolate milk improves children’s nutrient intake. Moreover, there is no scientific evidence that chocolate milk, because of its sugar content, contributes to dental caries. On the contrary, because chocolate milk is liquid and cleared relatively quickly from the mouth, it may contribute less to caries compared to other sugar-containing foods (e.g., raisins, candy) that adhere to tooth surfaces. Also, several components in chocolate milk, such as cocoa, milk fat, calcium, and phosphorus, may protect against dental caries.
• There is no scientific evidence that intake of recommended servings of dairy foods such as milk contributes to overweight. Weight loss is achieved by reducing total caloric intake and/or increasing physical activity.