Milk is beneficial for our health

Don't believe in the lies of internet against milk. Milk is beneficial for our health.

Milk is known for its richness in calcium and thus its importance for your bones, but did you know that milk contains more than 9 other essential nutrients?

It contains protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fat:

• Protein is important to fight diseases, reAnew cells, build muscles and maintain healthy hair and nails. That is why your diet should provide enough proteins. Milk is an important source of protein, since each glass contains almost 8 grams.
• The source of carbohydrates in milk is lactose which gives energy to the body.
• Minerals and vitamins: Milk is rich in many nutrients that are essential for good health, for stronger bones (Calcium, Vitamin D, Phosphorous), for more energy (B vitamins), for a stronger immune system and for healthier skin (Vitamin A).
• Fats in milk constitute essential fatty acids which are important for body cells, as long as they are taken in moderate quantities.

Ask the doctor: Is milk fattening?

Milk is not high in calories when it’s low fat or 0% fat. If you’re on a diet, concentrate on lowering the amount of fat within your diet. So, don’t remove milk totally from your diet, but choose low fat or 0% fat milk since it contains all the nutrients found in full cream milk except for the fat.

It is important to know that not all milks are the same. Fortifying milk with vitamins and minerals is a very delicate process, and the quality and quantity of the added nutrients have a direct effect on health.

 

1. It helps keep your weight in check.

Several observational studies show that people who consume more dairy products weigh less and have less body fat than those who consume less. Milk seems to satisfy our hunger better than other drinks—perhaps due to its protein, suggests a study published in 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In that study, people who drank skim milk felt fuller and ate less at their next meal than people who drank a fruit drink. If you are concerned about weight gain, choose low-fat or nonfat milk instead of whole milk, which can have as much as 8 grams of fat per serving.

2. It builds bone.

Just 1 cup of milk provides 30 percent of the daily value of calcium, a mineral that helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth. To get that amount of calcium from other foods you’d have to eat more than 7 cups of raw broccoli, for example. Calcium is critical to the formation of bones in children and teenagers and becomes equally important to rebuild the bone mass that we lose as we age.

3. It’s the #1 source of vitamin D.

Scientists are discovering that vitamin D is not only important for proper calcium absorption, but also may improve immunity, reduce risks for some cancers, diabetes and multiple sclerosis, and promote better blood pressure. According to new research presented at the annual Experimental Biology meeting in April 2010, milk provides nearly 43 percent of the vitamin D we get through our diets, making it the number one source. Fortification of milk began in the 1930s to prevent rickets, a disease characterized by soft, deformed bones. Today, all commercial milk sold in the United States is fortified with vitamin D. This is not necessarily true for other dairy products.

4. It helps keep muscles strong.

One cup of milk provides 16 percent of the daily value for protein, which builds and repairs muscles. In fact, several small studies (partially funded by the dairy industry) found that chocolate milk might help athletes refuel as well as or better than popular sports drinks. Chocolate milk contains the mix of protein and carbohydrate the body needs to recover its energy supplies after an intense workout.