A super food at any age
- Milk (whole milk) is the only food that has the unique combination of carbohydrate, fat and protein.
- Milk is a great nutrient package of nine essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, protein, potassium, riboflavin, niacin (includes niacin equivalent) and phosphorus. The vitamin A found in milk maintains the outer layer of skin to help keep you looking young, something you’ll appreciate once you get older! As mentioned before, for vegetarians milk constitutes the only source of vitamin B12, which is also known as the ‘brain food’
- Despite the fact that milk is submitted to pasteurization, sterilization and other thermal treatments to make its life longer, its fats, lipo-soluble vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals are not affected.
- Milk contains compounds that are proven to be anti-carcinogens such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and butyric acid.
- Milk strengthens bones and promotes healthy weight. Milk not only helps build bone mass and maintains bone density, but recent studies have also shown that teenagers who drink milk tend to be leaner than those who don’t. Milk is a healthier alternative to soda and juices any day.
- Milk helps keep diseases at bay. Milk is an extremely rich source of calcium and can be easily absorbed by the bones. Research suggests that calcium helps protect against colon cancer, high blood pressure, recurring premenstrual syndrome, and possibly cardiovascular disease and kidney stones.
- Milk helps in maintaining lean body mass. The protein in milk contains all the essential amino acids for building and maintaining lean body mass. Three glasses of milk provides about one third of protein you need every day.
- Milk is the ultimate sports recovery drink. When it comes to refueling after exercise, new research suggests chocolate milk can be just as effective, if not more, than traditional sports drinks. Researchers have found that milk helps athletes recover from an intense workout and is an effective exercise recovery drink to refuel exhausted muscles, allowing for future enhanced performance.
- Milk is a good source of essential electrolytes. Potassium is crucial to regulate the balance of fluids in the body and is also needed for muscle activity and contractions.
- Milk contains B-vitamins such as B-12, niacin and riboflavin, which are necessary to convert food to energy for exercising muscles. One glass of milk also provides 20 percent of the phosphorus you need each day, which helps strengthen bones and generates energy in your body’s cells.
- As milk is 90 percent water, it can help provide fluid to keep you hydrated.
- Dairy foods have a high pH (low acidity), and in these conditions most bacteria in the mouth cannot convert the sugar into enamel attacking acid. Dentists say milk is one of the few drinks safe for teeth between meals. Cheese can protect teeth as it helps in the production of saliva, the mouth’s defense against tooth decay. An additional benefit is that the protein in cheese forms a protective layer over the teeth.
| Values per | PROTEIN | FAT | CARBOHYDRATE | CALORIES | CALCIUM |
| 100 ml | gm | gm | gm | Kcal | mg |
| Buffalo milk | 4.3 | 6.5 | 5 | 117 | 210 |
| Cow milk | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 67 | 120 |
| Skimmed milk | 3.1 | 0.1 | 4.4 | 33 | 120 |
Recently I conducted a talk on the importance of milk in our diet. During the talk, I found that people who consumed 200 ml or less of milk or milk products suffered from back pain, hair fall, low energy levels, muscular weakness, aching joints, osteoporosis and stiffness of legs among other issues. All these problems result from a low consumption of milk or milk products.
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