Drink Milk for Better Health

Milk is very important for a healthy lifestyle, as studies show that people who drink milk avoid significant fat gain. In milk there is calcium for healthy bones, phosphorous, magnesium, protein, vitamin B12, vitamin A, zinc, riboflavin, folate, vitamin C, and most importantly, vitamin D.

The USDA has shown drinking milk to prevent osteoporosis, because of its nutrients: calcium and vitamin D. Other evidence shows the intake of milk and milk products is linked to improved bone health and the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Read on to learn how to drink milk for better health.

Steps

1. Buy organic milk. Studies have shown that organic milk is much healthier than regular milk. Some benefits of organic milk is the fact that organic milk is from cows that haven't been given growth hormones, it is wholesome, produced without harmful pesticides, etc.
   • Organic milk isn't produced with antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics is a serious health problem. Today, of all the main places that antibiotics is overused is in agriculture. Organic milk comes from cows that were not given antibiotics, so it doesn't contribute to the growing problem of bacterial resistance.
   • Organic milk is very high in conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). CLAs are important healthy fats that has been proven to have been linked to reduced heart disease and diabetes. As a matter of fact, in the May 9th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health reported that dairy products that are low in fat, including milk, is shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes (in men).
   • Another big advantage of organic milk over regular milk is its ability to go for a long time without turning sour: organic milk is heated to around {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, so it would take up to two months for it to turn sour. Because of the fact that regular, pasteurized milk is heated to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, it doesn't have the same life. So if you are worried about milk turning sour fairly quickly, then organic milk may actually allow you to save money.
   • Understand that it's the right thing to do. Organic cows must be able to access open air, unlike factory cows. Cows that produce organic milk, or organic cows from many dairy farms are allowed to graze freely in organic pasture. This type of farming is considerate to animals, and isn't cruel, is very supportive of wildlife, good for many rural communities, respectful of air, water and soil, and is healthy for people.
2. Be aware that if you are trying to drink more milk by putting milk inside your tea, the benefits of the tea will be cancelled entirely. Rather than putting milk in your tea, try putting in honey instead. Also, try to put milk inside coffee rather than tea, as milk doesn't affect coffee.
3. Be aware of all the vitamins and minerals found in milk:
   • Calcium: Keeps bones and teeth healthy; helps your body maintain bone mass.
   • Protein: A good source of energy: builds and repairs your muscle tissue; good after work-outs.
   • Potassium: Helps you keep a good blood pressure.
   • Phosphorus: Helps strengthen your bones and gives you energy.
   • Vitamin D: Helps your body maintain your bones.
   • Vitamin B12: Helps maintain healthy red blood cells and helps maintain nerve tissue.
   • Vitamin A: Helps maintain the immune system; helps maintain normal vision and good skin.
   • Niacin: Improves your metabolism; have a glass before doing aerobics.
4. Drink milk to avoid illnesses. The USDA has shown drinking milk to prevent osteoporosis, because of its nutrients: calcium and vitamin D. Other evidence shows the intake of milk and milk products is linked to improved bone health and the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
5. Be aware as to whether or not milk or milk products are made out of pasteurized milk or not. Pasteurization kills bacteria and other harmful microorganisms that are found in raw milk, and it is dangerous to drink raw milk.
   • Be sure to Perform a Dramatic Reading the label. Safe milk, meaning pasteurized milk, will have the word "pasteurized" on the label. If the word "pasteurized" is not found on the label of a product, it may contain raw milk.
   • Do not be afraid to ask your grocer or store clerk whether milk or dairy products have been pasteurized, especially milk or milk products sold in refrigerated cases. Do not buy milk or milk products at farm stands or farmers' markets unless you can confirm that it has been pasteurized.
6. Drink milk to help reduce acidity. Heartburn is caused a lot of the time by acidity, so logically milk naturally relieves heartburn.
7. Drink milk to have clear skin. For thousands of years, milk has been known to keep skin clear. The lactic acid found in milk aids in removing dead skin cells, and therefore keeps your skin clear and rejuvenated.
8. Drink milk for healthy teeth. Milk has been shown to protect the enamel against acidic foods. Also, the calcium and vitamin D found in milk keeps bones strong, although teeth are not considered bones.
9. Drink milk to lose weight. Many dieters do not consume dairy, because they think that milk will not help them lose weight. Recent studies performed by the Ben-Gurion University has shown that including more calcium in your diet may lead to continuous weight-loss. Drinking 12 ounces (580 g) of milk every day assists the loss of more than 12 lbs on average, while people who only consume a cup of milk a day lose on average 7 lbs.

Tips

• Pregnant women especially need to drink milk, because the baby needs the calcium that is found inside the milk.
• Have some ice cream with milk inside, if you have a craving for something fattening, but slightly healthy, because if you are going to eat something unhealthy you might as well add milk to it. Be sure that you only do this in moderation, though. Ice cream, a good source of calcium, is okay if you consume it in moderation. Be sure not to substitute ice cream for milk, though. It seems as though it is common sense, but substituting ice cream for milk will make you fat very quickly, because of the fact that ice cream is only more calorie-dense, has more fat, sugar, and some, but not all, of the nutrients in milk.
• If for any reason you can't drink milk or eat dairy products, try eating many calcium-rich foods such as: broccoli, beans, okra, spinach, cabbage, rice, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. Also try eating many vitamin-D foods such as": beef liver, salmon, egg (vitamin D is found in yolk), sardines, tuna fish, and cod liver oil.
• Eating healthy by drinking more milk will give you many health benefits, but you won't achieve the full benefits possible unless you exercise. Exercising doesn't have to be hard, and you don't even have to break a sweat. Just going for a short 30 minute walk seven (7) days per week will greatly improve your health. Start out slowly, if you must.
• If you need to lose weight, substitute milk for one of the dairy foods you eat, and drink 1% or skim milk.
• Milk is not intended to replace food in your diet, as you need the nutrients from solid foods to survive. It would be rather pointless to drink more than an adequate amount to replace even a salad, or watermelon. Just because infants drink only milk from when they are newly-born to 6 months doesn't mean that you can, too.
• Try to drink milk early at night. It helps you to get smooth and soft skin. Almond milk is better for smooth hair.

Warnings

• Be aware that if you decide to drink raw, unpasteurized milk, you run the risk of becoming ill. Raw milk is milk from animals, that has not been pasteurized. There are many reasons one might consider adding raw milk to their diet, ranging from nutritional, to ethical, to environmental. Although milk and milk products provide many health benefits nutritionally, raw milk contains microorganisms that can have serious health risks to people. Raw unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which are known to cause illnesses. These dangerous microorganisms can seriously affect the health of anyone who consumes raw milk, or eats foods made from raw milk, especially among pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems.
• Be sure not to drink too much milk, as you may develop a kidney stone. This is unlikely unless you are prone to getting kidney stones, but another problem with drinking this much milk, is that 8 cups of liquid is about the amount you need in a day, and you are most likely drinking other liquids besides milk, so you will end up drinking too much liquid.

Related Articles

• Drink More Milk Every Day
• Get Good Looking Hair (Milk Conditioning)
• Make "Plastic" out of Milk
• Milk a Goat by Hand
• Clean Silverware (Vinegar and Milk Method)
• Make a Milkshake
• Make Chocolate Milk

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Flavored Milk
• Make a Blender Surprise
• Make a Vanilla Bean Milkshake
• Heat Milk
• Make a Cotton Candy Milkshake
• Make a Vanilla Milkshake
• Make a Peanut Butter Milkshake
• Make Horchata
• Make a New York Egg Cream
• Make Chocolate Milk

Read more ...