Milk: benefits and harms to the body

Milk is a product familiar from childhood. On its basis, cream, kefir, butter, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, cottage cheese are produced – our favorite food products. But how useful is milk itself? Its only purpose in nature is to feed young, and only a person continues to drink it, becoming an adult. How does milk affect the body of an adult? What is its use, and who should avoid it? The KP decided to find answers to these questions.

Types of milk

On sale you can find different types. The most common one is cow. It is on the counter of any store. less common goat milk. It is fatter than cow’s, contains more protein, calcium and a lot of carotene, so it has a pale yellow tint. Mare milk, an important source of nutrition for the steppe peoples, has a bluish tint and a slightly tart taste. There are also sheep, deer, elk, donkey и camel milk, but it is practically not found on sale.

Milk is also divided according to the degree of heat treatment into pasteurized, sterilized, ultra-pasteurized и melted. Pasteurized milk is best for frequent consumption. It is heated at a temperature of about 70 ° C. Thus, all useful substances are preserved and harmful bacteria are destroyed. It is stored not very long, like melted. For its manufacture, milk is heated at a temperature of 85–99 ° C for several hours. It turns out more fat, about 6%. UHT and sterilized milk is stored longer – up to six months. For its production, the first one uses a special technology: milk is heated at temperatures up to 150 ° C for just a few seconds. Sterilized milk undergoes high-temperature treatment at more than 100 ° C for 20 minutes, destroys microflora and bacteria. In order to make such milk more useful, it is additionally fortified. But you can store it even without a refrigerator.

The raw milk itself can be whole, normalized, fat free и restored (dry).

Classical animal milk is a substance produced by the mammary glands of female animals. But on the shelves you can see vegetable milk is an extract that resembles milk in color. It appeared as an alternative for vegan cuisine. You can find coconut, soy, almond, rice and oat milk. Compared to regular milk, this alternative has a lower nutritional value, so during the production process it is additionally enriched with vitamins and minerals.

The benefits of milk

Milk is a valuable source of vitamins (A, D, B1 and B12) and minerals (phosphorus, magnesium, iodine). It is especially rich in calcium, which is extremely useful for strengthening bones.

— This product contains immunoglobulins that help the body cope with colds and infectious diseases, — notes gastroenterologist Evgeny Belousov.

The amino acids found in milk have a positive effect on the productive functioning of the nervous system and help fight insomnia. And some components of milk have a positive effect on the increased acidity of gastric juice and can be useful in certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Milk harm

However, milk is not for everyone. First of all, it should be excluded for people with lactose intolerance – milk sugar. With such a diagnosis associated with protein intolerance, even a small portion of milk will lead to stomach problems.

— Milk is not recommended for allergy sufferers: the use of this product in people with allergies can lead to the development of bronchial asthma, — says Evgeny Belousov.

The expert also says that whole cow’s milk, as well as fermented milk products, should not be consumed by people with intestinal lesions, kidney pathologies and urolithiasis, gastritis, and those with metabolic diseases – gout or phosphate neuropathies.

Those who follow the figure should be careful with full-fat milk – it can lead to weight gain. Also for this reason, people with cardiovascular diseases should prefer skim milk: more fatty products can increase cholesterol levels, which can increase the load on the heart and blood vessels.

It should be noted that undesirable impurities can get into the milk. For example, fresh milk may contain estrogens, so you should be careful with it.

The use of milk in cooking

Milk is widely used in cooking. For example, without it, you can’t cook everyone’s favorite pancakes and milkshakes.

American pancakes (Pancake)

Pancakes cook quickly and are easier to fry than classic pancakes.

Mix eggs and milk, add sugar, salt, flour and baking powder. Vanilla sugar or cinnamon can be added if desired. Mix thoroughly and pour in vegetable oil. The dough should be a little thicker than for classic pancakes. Pancakes should be fried in a dry frying pan, it is better if it is non-stick.

Mannik with milk

Milk is useful for another dessert.

Pound sugar with eggs in a bowl, add vegetable oil and mix. Heat the milk in a saucepan, but do not bring to a boil, add the butter, mix. Pour semolina and leave for 20 minutes until the semolina swells. Sift flour into a bowl with egg mixture, add vanilla, baking powder, mix and add to semolina. Grease the form, pour the dough. Bake for about 40 minutes.

How to choose and store milk

It is safest to buy milk in stores. Products manufactured at factories undergo quality control before they go to the counter.

The healthiest of all types is pasteurized milk, as it undergoes less heat treatment. But you need to store it only in the refrigerator.

If you do not have suitable conditions or it is important to store milk for as long as possible, pay attention to ultra-pasteurized – the period of exposure to high temperatures during its production is shorter, and more useful elements are preserved.

It is worth paying attention to the packaging – it should be intact, preferably opaque. Of course, the expiration date must be appropriate.

Study the label. The inscription “GOST 31450” on it indicates an increased level of protein in the product (at least 3%). The phrases “made from cow’s milk”, “made from whole milk” or “whole milk, skimmed milk” in the composition of the product indicate that it does not contain impurities of milk powder.

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