What’s in Milk?

Since prehistoric times, milk has been nourishing mankind with its high nutritional values till present days. Being one of the most nutritious drink in the world, milk serves its purposes by promoting growth, supplying energy to the body, improving blood pressure, prevent cardiovascular diseases, building strong muscles and the benefits list goes on. There are a variation of milk that is available in the market such as whole fat and low fat cow milk, skim milk, goat milk and sheep milk. So what components do we have in one cup of milk that made the drink so nutritious and high in demand in the market?

Energy

Let’s start off with the most basic need in human nutrition that allows us to carry out our daily activities, energy. The energy provided by a glass of milk depends on its availability of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Different varieties of milk may provide different amount of energy to the body. So make sure to check the labels on each milk products to give yourself a boost of energy everyday.

Carbohydrate

A glass of milk contains 4.9% of carbohydrate, mainly consists of lactose. Carbohydrates acts as a primary source of the body’s energy production. Lack of carbohydrates in one’s body will result in fatigue and will not be able to focus on their daily tasks. However, some individuals may have lactose intolerance towards milk. Lactose intolerance is caused by the low enzymatic activity lactase in the small intestine. People with such intolerance have problems digesting lactose and frequent diarrhea will occur after consuming milk or dairy products.

Fat

3.4% of fat can be found in a glass of milk. Fat helps protect our organs and are the main source of energy when the body is undergoing an intense and prolonged activity. There are more than 400 individual fatty acids that have been identified in milk. Not all fats are harmful to the body. Beneficial fatty acids that are well known for their benefits can be found in milk fat, such as linoleic acid, linolenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid. 20 years ago, conjugated linoleic acid was found to have anti-cancer properties. Recently, more and more scientific studies have proven good fats in milk may be the cure to many chronic diseases.

Protein

Milk consists of 3.3% of protein and all of the essential amino acids can be obtained from one glass of the nutritious drink. Proteins play very important roles in the human biological system and can be an alternate source of energy for our body. Casein (82%) and whey (18%) proteins can be found in milk protein. Whey proteins are important to our body’s immune system and is well known among sportsmen for its muscle recovery and mental fatigue prevention properties.

Vitamins and Minerals

Various types of vitamins can be found in milk. Sufficient doses of vitamins and minerals are essential to our daily health and milk is be able to provide many of them. On the vitamin list, milk has Vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folate and vitamin K. On the other hand, minerals that are found in milk are calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc.

Water

Approximately 87% of milk consists of water and is also known as a good source of water in the human diet. Water is very important to the human body. It regulates our body temperature, eliminate waste, transports nutrients in our body, preventing dehydration and so much more.

Knowing what a glass of milk consists make us realize how much nutrition we can acquire from every sip of it. Two glasses of milk is recommended daily for a stronger and healthier body. Being known as one of the healthiest drink in the world, milk is definitely a must to be included in our everyday diet.

Bored of milk? Head over to our online store to tryout Malaysia’s Best selling Mangosteen Juice – Ostania