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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Like sunshine, there was a time when milk was considered a major contribution to health. Today the trend is heading in the ditch dairy direction. Though there are legitimate reasons to avoid milk and dairy foods – allergies, lactose intolerance and lifestyle choices such as vegetarianism – in most cases, especially for kids and young adults, milk’s nutrients are hard to replace. Why milk? Maybe it is time to review the basics to help people decide if milk or a milk substitute is the best choice.
Many milk substitutes don’t have the same nutrients as real milk and most people don’t eat enough kale, spinach and sardines to replace the calcium found in milk. Animal milk and dairy foods have been part of the human diet, from birth through old age, for millennia. Early farmers found they could hold milk longer if it was fermented, and so cheese, yogurt and fermented drinks like kefir were born.
Cow’s milk is a unique and healthy drink. It is 87% water, 3 to 4% protein, about 5% milk sugar, lactose, and a little over 1% minerals. Whole milk has 3.5% fat, low fat milk 1.5 to 1.8% fat and skim milk less than 0.5% fat. The carbohydrate found in milk is almost exclusively lactose (milk sugar) which needs to be divided in digestion into glucose and galactose by the enzyme lactase. For those with lactose intolerance the inability to break apart milk sugar can lead to GI distress. Choosing low lactose dairy foods or hard cheeses and yogurt (without lactose) can minimize this problem. Milk proteins, caseins and whey, are easily digested and have a high biological value. This means they are far more effective than plant proteins to build and repair the proteins needed in your body. Fluid milk also provides a variety of minerals – calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc and selenium – many of which contribute to bone health.
During childhood and adolescence bones are formed. If strong bones are not laid down early in life, the risk for fractures goes up in adulthood. Only 1% of all the calcium in our body is found in body fluids, 99% is stored in our bones providing the structural integrity of your skeleton. But the 1% is vital to life and is important for blood clotting, nerve impulses, muscle contraction including the heart, and cell functioning. The body is very protective of that 1% and when needed removes calcium from bones to keep the level constant. If calcium is not replaced, bones become brittle and are more likely to break. Milk is one of our most concentrated food sources of calcium that is easily absorbed for use by the body. Without this dietary source it is often difficult to meet calcium needs.
Milk should not be removed from a child’s diet unless there is a medical reason to do so. Few children are lactose intolerant. Some do have an allergy to milk. It is estimated that 2 to 3% of babies are allergic to cow’s milk in the first year of life. A reason why it is not recommended to introduce milk until after 12 months of age because milk allergies decrease with age.
Milk is actually one of the best recovery drinks for young athletes. Children like milk and the protein and minerals are helpful for muscle rebound. Lactose is quickly absorbed into the gut as an energy source and the high concentrations of minerals help to replace those lost in sweat. A lowfat milk drink, even chocolate or other flavored milk, might be a better choice than sports drinks.
And, just a word about chocolate milk. Kids like it and many brands are both low in sugar and fat. From a nutrition profile it is far healthier than many fruit drinks that contain too much sugar and too little fruit. Plus, for kids who have lactose intolerance, it is better tolerated than plain milk.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books.
Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.