Milk is a staple diet in many countries as it is packed up with a lot of healthy nutrients. Most people usually consume milk from cows, buffalos, sheep, and goats. People from western countries consume milk more frequently. Apart from wholesome nutrients, milk has many other properties which make it an ideal diet for many.
Thus, many people in India and western countries consume milk more frequently.
So, why are we always told to drink milk every day? Read on to get the answer to this common question and others questions like how many calories in one glass of milk? Besides, we will help you understand the amount of 1 glass milk protein and other benefits of milk based on its nutrients.
Milk : Nutrition Powerhouse
Calories in one glass of milk are 149. (One glass=200ml or 244 gram)
A glass of whole milk contains following
- Sugar: 12.3 g
- Fat: 7.9 gÂ
- Protein: 7.7 g
- Calcium: 276 milligrams (mg)
- Phosphorus: 205 mg
- Potassium: 322 mg
- Vitamin D: 3.2 micrograms (mcg)Â
On the other hand, for skimmed milk, one glass milk calories is about 83. (One glass=244 gram)
A glass of skimmed milk contains following
- Calcium: 299 g
- Sugar: 12 g
- Protein: 8.2 g
- Fat: Â 0.2 g
- Phosphorus: 246 mg
- Potassium: 381 mgÂ
- Vitamin D: Â 2.9 mcgÂ
Besides, milk offers choline, magnesium, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, folate and many more essential nutrients.
Top 7 Milk Benefits
You most likely have heard your parents and other people promoting the habit of drinking milk on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at some of the healthy milk benefits everyday as mentioned below:
1. Reduces Obesity
Is milk good for weight loss? Milk is ideal for those who are planning to lose weight. A cup of milk will give a feeling of fullness and satiety. If you incorporate 2-3 cups of milk into your daily diet, it will not only prevent obesity but also helps you in controlling your weight. To make it tastier, add a handful of dry fruits or chocolate powder into your glass of milk. The best time to drink milk for weight loss is just after workouts.
2. Superfood for Blood Pressure and Heart Patients
To minimize the risks of cardiovascular disease, you need to consume a diet that contains higher potassium intake and lower sodium intake. A study was published in 2014 on more than 90,000 postmenopausal women and it has been revealed that nearly 25% of the women who consumed the most potassium had a 21% lower risk of any type of stroke and a 27% lower risk of ischemic stroke.
But the saturated fat in whole-fat dairy products may uplift the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. For this reason, people should consume skim or low-fat milk, especially those who are on the verge of a stroke or cardiovascular disease or have a strong family history of heart diseases.
3. Good for Brain Health
Several medical studies have proved that older adults who take more dairy products have a higher amount of glutathione. Glutathione is a robust antioxidant present in the brain. People who consume milk and milk products have more antioxidant levels (30% higher) than those who consume less than half a serving per day.
4. Strengthens your Bones
Vitamins in milk are Vitamin D, Vitamin B-6, B-12 and milk also offers calcium. All these ingredients will strengthen your bones and muscles. Children are therefore motivated to drink milk every day to get healthy bones in their growing age.
5. Drink Warm Milk to Fight Soothe Stress
Yes, it’s true that warm milk is a powerful stress-buster remedy. Perhaps this is the reason that our grannies always preferred serving us with a cup of warm milk before bedtime, as it helps fight anxiety. Warm milk helps to boost the production of serotonin through a compound called tryptophan. Moreover, when you drink warm milk at night before sleeping it helps lower the cortisol levels in your brain to calm you down and induce a sound sleep.
6. Fights against various diseases
Milk may keep various diseases like cancer, heart disease, etc. at bay. Milk also improves your vision and also helps you to fight several types of cancers. Milk also reduces the production of bad cholesterol.
7. Makes your Skin Lustrous
Milk makes your skin radiant and glowing. Several homemade masks often use milk as a natural moisturizer to boost the glow and elasticity of the skin. Many health experts also believe that milk has a lightening effect on your skin.
These are some health benefits of milk that you must be aware of.
What is the best time to drink Milk?
According to Ayurveda, the best time to drink milk is just before bedtime. If you consume a glass of milk before bed, then it will improve your sleep quality. Milk comes up with tryptophan and bioactive peptides to induce positive sleep patterns. For people who are having sleeping problems due to stress, healthcare experts recommend consuming a glass of milk before bed. This is one of the prime benefits of drinking milk at night.
Milk alternatives for people with lactose intolerance
Many people are lactose intolerant and cannot digest dairy products properly. When a person has lactose intolerance, their body does not product the essential enzyme required to break down lactose (milk sugar). People who are lactose intolerant cannot drink milk, and if they do, they experience symptoms like abdominal cramps, bloating, flatulence, and/or diarrhoea.
Catering to this clientele, milk production companies have started adding lactase enzymes to the milk and milk products to make it suitable for consumption for the people with lactose intolerance. The addition of lactase enzymes results in the breaking down of lactose into simple sugars. Due to this, the ‘lactose-free milk’ is more sweet and slightly less palatable than regular milk.
However, the consumption of milk is still prevalent even in the people with lactose intolerance in the form of plant-based or vegan milk. Soy milk, almond milk, and cashew milk are some of the examples of vegan milk that do not contain lactose. Additionally, goat’s milk is a good alternative for people who are mildly intolerant to lactose.
It is important to note that many of these alternatives do not have the same nutritional composition as a cow’s milk has, but they are still nutritious and delicious nonetheless.
- Â Dairy Benefits. British Dietetic Association[Internet].
https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/dairy-benefits.html .Accessed April 20, 2023. - The Nutrition Source – Milk. Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health[Internet].
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/milk/ .Accessed April 19, 2023. - 5 Benefits of Drinking Milk. HealthHub[Internet].
https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/dear-dairy .Accessed April 20, 2023. - What to know about milk. Medical News Today[Internet].
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273451 .Accessed May 24, 2023.
Benefits Of Milk - FAQs
Is drinking milk on a daily basis good for you?
Yes. Although there is a lot of debate going on about healthy milk benefits and its harmful impacts on people, milk remains packed with nutrition and is a great addition to your daily diet. Even with a high fat content, milk is considered to be extremely beneficial for you as it is a good source of protein and some other essential nutrients.
What happens when you drink milk everyday?
If you drink milk everyday you get to enjoy the following milk benefits:
• Improved bone health
• Less dryness of the skin
• Healthy weight management
• Reduction in anxiety and stress
• Better sleep quality
• Increased muscle mass
Many people are lactose intolerant and cannot drink milk without any side effects. However, some people are not aware of their condition. Flatulence, diarrhoea, bloating, and abdominal pain are some common symptoms that are experienced by lactose intolerant people after consuming dairy products, so you should watch out for these.
