Many people these days doubt the nutrients they can get from milk, and easily believe that they can substitute milk in their diet with other foods. This is due to the lack of awareness about the number of crucial nutrients milk is loaded with, and how it supplements your body with the exact amount that is easy to digest and assimilate by your system.
Milk is considered an almost ideal food. Its composition has nearly all the vital vitamins, minerals, adequate protein, carbohydrate, and fat, which are the five components deciding the nutrient value of any food we consume. Let’s look at each of the components separately, and also the nutrients that are deficient in milk.
VITAMINS- Vitamins are accessory food factors that are essential for normal growth, maintenance of health, and reproduction of an organism. If the animal from whom the milk is derived is fed with green feed and fodder, then milk is rich in Vitamin A. If the animal is exposed to sunlight for sufficient time, then the milk is rich in Vitamin D. Milk is also a good source of B vitamins, including Thiamine and Riboflavin. All the major fat-soluble vitamins, including A,D, E,K are found in milk fat. Vitamin K, though is present in limited amounts.
However, it is deficient in Vitamin C.
MINERALS- All minerals essential for nutrition are found in milk. It is an excellent source of Calcium, Phosphorous, along Vitamin D, which is essential for bone formation. Milk also contains other minerals found in the human body, including Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Chlorine, Carbonate, Citrate. Certain trace elements such as Boron, Zinc, Copper, and Sulfur are found in milk, however, the minerals that are present in meager quantities are Iron, Copper, and Iodine.
PROTEINS- Milk proteins are regarded as complete proteins, i.e., of high quality. This means the protein contains all the essential amino acids in fairly high quantities. Major milk protein is casein, which is composed of amino acids essential for the growth and development of a nursing young one. The casein found in cow milk is easily digestible as compared to other food proteins, making cow milk an important human food. Another component of milk proteins is whey protein, which includes α-lactalbumin, and β-lactoglobulin. Whey proteins also include a long list of hormones, enzymes, growth factors, disease-resistant factors, etc.
CARBOHYDRATE- The principal carbohydrate found in milk is lactose, whose major function is to supply energy. In the human intestine, lactose facilitates a mildly acidic reaction which stops the growth of proteolytic bacteria and facilitates the process of assimilation in the body. Other carbohydrates found in traces in milk include amino acids, sugar phosphates, neutral and acidic oligosaccharides, and nucleotide sugars.
FAT- Milk lipids are crucial components that have several functions such as providing a rich, pleasant flavor, a soft body, smooth texture, rich taste, and nutritive value. Milk fat is a rich source of energy as it contains substantial quantities of essential fatty acids, i.e., Linoleic and Arachidonic acid.
ENERGY VALUE- The energy value of milk varies according to its composition, but the energy providers in the milk are protein, milk sugar, and milk fat. Milk fat gives an energy of 9.3 Calories/g. Milk sugar provides an energy of 4.1 Calories/g, and the same is provided by milk protein as well. On average, cow milk has an energy value of 75 Calories/g, whereas buffalo milk gives 100 Calories/g.
So, overall, we can conclude that milk is a highly nutritious food, that supplies one with bodybuilding proteins, bone-forming minerals, and health-promoting vitamins, along with energy-giving lactose and fat. All these combined properties make milk an important food for growing children, adolescents, adults, pregnant mothers, convalescents, and similar patients. So, milk is indeed incredibly healthy for consumption.
However, if you are lactose intolerant, and experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, and gastric problems, you need to discontinue the use of milk from animal sources. But, remember you can still consume milk products with low lactose content such as fermented milk products (like buttermilk). Apart from these, you can take plant-based milk such as Rice milk, Oat milk, Soy milk, Almond milk, and others.
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