What is useful in milk. Milk - the benefits and harm to the health of the body. The benefits of goat's milk, its advantages in comparison with cow's milk, how to choose whether to boil before drinking - video

Regular consumption of milk can save you from many diseases, improve your health, restore memory, increase your life expectancy. Milk is a valuable product of animal origin, it is considered not a drink, but a food with nutritional and medicinal properties.

The most popular type of milk that is used for nutrition is cow's milk, although goat's milk also has its advantages and disadvantages.

Milk is one of the first products that people began to eat immediately after the domestication of animals. It is worth noting that cows and goats are not the only animals that provide this product. The milk of donkeys, camels, zebras, sheep, etc. is eaten all over the world.

Various products are made from milk, which contain many useful substances for the body. There is also a special milk diet, which pursues the main task - to promote the improvement of the human body and its weight loss.

Milk: useful properties

Why is milk useful? Such a question will disappear by itself after you find out how many useful substances are contained in this product.

The composition of milk may differ depending on the breed of the animal, diet and some other factors. The product consists of almost 90% water, as well as dry matter, which contains vitamins B, A and D. Milk is also not devoid of macro- and microelements: fluorine, iron, phosphorus, iodine, calcium, etc.

Thanks to milk proteins, the product is able to enrich the human body with essential amino acids, and the immune bodies and hormones contained here can significantly increase the body's resistance to various diseases.

The health benefits of milk can be listed as follows:

• milk has a beneficial effect on almost all human systems and organs;
• improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• helps fight against heartburn and is an indispensable remedy for gastritis and ulcers;
• is an excellent prophylactic for colds;
• can be an indispensable product in your diet if you decide to lose a few pounds, as it significantly reduces the amount of fat in the body;
• has a calming effect on the human nervous system.

Now the question of whether milk is healthy can be considered inappropriate, because it is a really important and valuable product for daily proper nutrition.

Milk: contraindications

Despite the benefits of the product, milk contraindications are also possible. First of all, it is contraindicated in people with lactase deficiency, as it can cause gastrointestinal upset.

In addition, when drinking milk in large quantities, allergic reactions are possible. That is why during pregnancy it is worth limiting the consumption of this product.

Harm from milk may also be due to the fact that at present, during the industrial production of this product, all kinds of additives are added to it, which are not beneficial for the human body. To avoid negative consequences, it is necessary to buy high-quality milk, which is an environmentally friendly and absolutely harmless product.

Milk and weight loss

All kinds of diets and fasting can deplete the female body, resulting in weight gain instead of losing weight. A dairy diet is considered a more gentle option, but the result can be compared with some of the best and most effective diets.

Dairy products and milk for weight loss are important in that they prevent rapid weight gain, but saturate the body with many nutrients.

This product contains substances that can normalize metabolic processes in the body, so that weight loss occurs much faster than during other diets.

You can lose weight with milk by 5-7 kg in just 10 days of following a specific diet. To do this, you need to introduce more dairy and sour-milk products into your diet. The optimal products in this case will be: cottage cheese, low-fat milk, natural yogurt, etc. All foods should be consumed in moderation to prevent overeating.

Methods and volumes of milk use

How to lose weight with milk?

1. A rigid diet using milk will look like this: on the first day, you should drink 1 glass of milk every 2 hours. On the second day, 1 cup of the product every 1.5 hours is sufficient. On the third day, consume 1 glass of milk every hour, and the remaining 4 days are supposed to consume 1 glass of the product every 30 minutes.
2. A more sparing diet looks like this: breakfast consists of tea with the addition of milk. For a second breakfast, take fat-free cottage cheese (150-200 g). For lunch, vegetable soup, salad, 1 glass of milk. For an afternoon snack, 1 glass of kefir or yogurt is enough. Dinner consists of fresh fruit and 1 glass of milk.
3. For a change, fresh berries, fruits, a small amount of honey can be added to milk.

Such diet food will allow you to quickly lose weight without any physical exertion and debilitating diets.

Milk during pregnancy

Can pregnant women have milk? There are no special prohibitions on the use of milk during pregnancy. If you do not have an individual intolerance to the product, drink it in moderation without following a strict diet.

However, you should expect trouble if you have an upset and other undesirable reactions after using it. In this case, it is worth giving up milk, replacing it with fermented milk products, since they are extremely important for the body of the expectant mother.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that the milk is not in a fresh, unprocessed form. Milk during pregnancy can cause dangerous complications, so it is worth consulting with your doctor what type of product should be consumed and in what quantities in your individual case.

Hello, friends!

In our today's topic "Healthy sour-milk products" we will try to find out what are the benefits of sour-milk products and which one is better to drink. At first I wanted to talk about my favorite kefir, but then I thought that there is a wide variety of fermented milk products, I wonder which one is more useful?

The benefits of dairy products

All fermented milk products are derived from milk, obtained by fermenting it by introducing various types of ferment. As a result of practically the same technological processes, with only a few features, the fermentation process occurs: the breakdown of milk proteins or, simply speaking, curdling.

These products differ only in the essence of the leaven.

What foods are sour milk

Sour milk can be divided into two groups, the first includes fermented milk products with a fairly dense structure, such as:

• curdled milk
• yogurt
• ryazhenka (or varenets)
• yogurt
• bifidoc
• sour cream
• cottage cheese.

The second group includes products obtained by mixed fermentation, in which two processes occur simultaneously - fermented milk and alcohol. In structure, they are more liquid and have a harsh taste. These include:

• kefir
• koumiss
• ayran.

What are the benefits of dairy products

All products contain the basic raw material - milk, and therefore, just like the original product, they are rich in protein, without which our life is not possible. Protein is needed for metabolic processes in the body, it is important for the formation and strength of muscles. If there is not enough protein, then we are sick.

Dairy products are a good source of protein - a building material for our muscles and immune system.

The products we are considering have a lot of calcium and phosphorus, as well as vitamin D, which are especially necessary in old age, because such people often experience a deficiency, so they simply need to drink kefir and other drinks of this class every day.

Thanks to beneficial bacteria, they are mediators in the normalization of acid-base balance, stimulate good digestion, reduce the intensity of decay processes in the intestines, normalize the functioning of the lungs, kidneys, bladder, help the intestines work and, which is very important not only for the elderly, but for everyone in general. Therefore, a glass of kefir or a jar of yogurt at night is the key to a normal toilet in the morning.

The constant use of fermented milk products leads to the fact that the acidic environment inhibits the development of putrefactive intestinal microflora, resulting in improved intestinal motility, appetite and metabolism.

It has been scientifically proven that fermented milk products can lower blood pressure, not much, by only 5%, but this is already good. They work like medicines like enalopril or captopril.

Promote weight loss, despite the fats they contain. It's all about choosing a product with the least amount of fat.

Why sour milk is better than milk

If there are as many useful substances in fermented milk products as in milk, why are they still recommended more of them, and there has been controversy around milk for a long time, is it useful or harmful?

I, too, have always been interested in this question, and I finally found the answer for myself from Dr. Komarovsky.

And it's not just bacteria.

Milk contains a special sugar called lactose. And nature came up with the idea that the younger the person, the higher the activity of lactose, and with age it becomes less and we stop absorbing milk. About 70% of people are lactose intolerant. This is the main reason why milk is more beneficial for children at the age of a mammal, as they absorb it better.

When special bacteria are added to milk, the latter break down milk sugar and multiply, feeding on lactose, the content of which, as a result, decreases.

Unlike milk, sour-milk is better absorbed and therefore a huge number of people cannot drink milk, but they can drink sour-milk products.

Although everything is individual, if a person normally tolerates milk, well, let him drink it to health.

The best healthy dairy products

Kefir

Probably the most popular and favorite drink is kefir, which is made from pasteurized cow's milk by fermentation with a special kefir ferment, which includes yeast fungi and thermophilic streptococcus, which does not die during heat treatment.

As a result of their fermentation, alcohol is released. Its share is negligible, so children can also drink kefir. The alcohol content increases only with prolonged storage. But the yeast fungi contained in kefir can cause allergies in some people, so you need to be careful with small doses of such complementary foods for small children.

The acetic acid bacteria contained in kefir add spiciness to it and give it such a peculiar, sour-sharp kefir taste and smell that is only characteristic of this drink.

I don’t know if old technologies are being followed now, judging by the terrifying labels with an incredibly long shelf life, they are forgotten. Real kefir can be stored for no more than 5 days and, depending on the level of acidity, accumulation of alcohol and carbon dioxide, it can be weak (daily), medium (two days) and strong (three days) and, accordingly, it has a different effect. So, daily kefir weakens, and on the contrary, three-day fixes, although it contains more other useful properties.

The fat content of kefir only affects weight and cholesterol levels. But with its low fat content and high protein content, kefir can be very useful in diseases of the liver, pancreas and atherosclerosis.

In addition, kefir is useful:

• for the gastrointestinal tract
• it lowers cholesterol
• improves appetite
• normalizes kidney function
• enhances the secretion of gastric juice
• removes toxins from the body
• calms the nervous system
• improves sleep.

It is better to use it in the evening.

curdled milk

At home, curdled milk is formed by itself when milk is soured in a warm place, which may take two days. To speed up the process, stir a spoonful of sour cream in milk.

In industrial conditions, curdled milk is fermented on lactic acid streptococci with the addition of Bulgarian sticks.

This product contains no yeast, no acetic bacteria, no alcohol. This product is low allergenic, it is able to quench thirst and hunger.

The amount of useful substances is equivalent to kefir and other fermented milk products, because they have the same mother - milk.

It is useful to drink curdled milk during various diseases for a speedy recovery, for pregnant women, the elderly.

Ryazhenka

The drink is prepared from baked milk, a glass of sour cream is added per liter and left to ferment for 3-4 hours, streptococcus bacteria are added under factory conditions.

It has a viscous thick structure with a more delicate taste than kefir.

Ryazhenka perfectly quenches thirst in hot weather, increases appetite, promotes good functioning of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

But it has the highest calorie content among other sour-milk ones, so you won’t be able to lose weight by drinking a glass of fermented baked milk.

Yogurt

The product of the same fermentation of milk with special bacteria - yogurt is also produced with the addition of starches, cream, pectin. Compared to kefir, it has a less acidic environment and is very popular with children, especially yoghurts with fruits and berries.

But the most useful is bio-yogurt, which smells not of fruit, but of milk, in which there is no modified starch.

bifidoc

Fermented milk product bifidok is the same kefir, enriched in addition to fermented milk bifidobacteria, but yeast fungi are not added to it, so bifidok has a milder and less sour taste.

The drink effectively improves the condition of the intestinal microflora and directly affects the condition of the skin. It is a drink of beauty and youth.

Useful for strengthening the immune system, preventing dysbacteriosis, indispensable for children for a growing body, with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is enough to drink a glass of bifidoc 2-3 times a week to feel its effectiveness.

Matsoni

I really respect and love matsoni - a fermented milk product that is sold in our stores. This national drink of Caucasians is sometimes compared to curdled milk, although in fact the manufacturing technology is rather close to yogurt, but it has a sharper taste.

Also, like other useful fermented milk products, matsoni contains a lot of protein, vitamins, it improves blood circulation, intestinal activity, lowers cholesterol, eliminates toxins, strengthens the nervous system, and builds muscle mass.

Kumys

Known since ancient times, the drink of heroes koumiss is made from mare's milk by means of a special ferment.

It is quite liquid, slightly foamy and emits bubbles of carbon dioxide.

Rich in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts, vitamins, antibiotic substances.

Kumis not only satisfies thirst and hunger at the same time, and never overloads the stomach, it is truly an elixir of health and longevity. It gives special vigor, a good complexion, nourishes, strengthens, renews and cures many ailments from tuberculosis and gastrointestinal diseases to diseases of the nervous system, and is a good antidote for poisoning.

I won’t talk about cottage cheese and sour cream yet, it was drinks that worried me today.

Contraindications for use

Sour-milk products are unique and have practically no contraindications; on the contrary, they are useful both for the prevention and treatment of many diseases.

They can only cause individual intolerance to milk sugar - lactose, which can be manifested by bloating and discomfort.

Some people may be allergic to milk protein, and in this case, of course, the use of sour milk can lead to such troubles as skin rashes or bronchospasms.

Due to yeast fungi, kefir provokes thrush, therefore it is not indicated for women suffering from this disease.

The high fat content of some foods, when consumed in excess, can lead to high cholesterol and fullness.

Which fermented milk product is healthier

I think that it is difficult and even impossible to determine the most useful fermented milk product.

The concept of the usefulness of a product is very relative, it is such an individual matter. It is necessary to take into account both taste preferences and tolerance of a particular product. If kefir is poorly digested, then it may be better to drink fermented baked milk, and if it is good, why should you refuse it?

The main thing is that you like useful fermented milk products, then choosing any of them, you will get both benefit and pleasure.

And even a child knows about all its healing properties. Yes, and how not to know, if everyone around only repeats that it is thanks to this drink that you can grow up healthy and beautiful. Caring grandmothers in the village try to give warm whole milk to drink, kindergarten teachers carefully feed semolina, and parents offer a glass of milk at night.

Recently, there have been many conflicting opinions about whether this drink is actually useful. Some people consider it exclusively a food product for animals, others are terribly afraid of getting better from it, and others completely deny everything.

However, modern doctors insist on the need for regular use of this drink, considering it not only useful, but indispensable for humans. So what is the use of milk and what is its magical power? Which is better to drink - cow or goat? Let's answer all these questions and let's know the facts, not guess.

Milk contains calcium, and the human body is able to absorb it by 97%. Such a high percentage of digestibility is not inherent in any other product, which indicates the undeniable benefits of the drink for adults and children. Calcium is needed both for babies for the full formation of the skeleton, and for the elderly in order to prevent osteoporosis.

Cow's milk contains more than 100 components necessary for the body, such as amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, fatty acids, etc. Continuing to talk about the benefits, one cannot fail to mention the proteins that make up it. Only they can provide the human body of any age with amino acids that are not able to be synthesized independently in the body, but come only with food. What is milk good for colds? Here again, we must pay tribute to proteins, because only they form immunoglobulin, which easily copes with viral diseases.

Cardiologists recommend drinking milk for people suffering from heart disease; gastroenterologists advise this product for stomach ulcers; gynecologists talk about the benefits of a healing drink for mastopathy. Yes, and cosmetologists do not lag behind their colleagues, saying that only milk, in particular, the vitamins contained in it, strengthen hair and improve skin condition.

What are the benefits of milk for children? It provides not only the full and correct formation of the skeletal system, but also has a good effect on the development of the brain, contributes to the development of the intellectual abilities of the child. And if we add all of the above to this list, then it is simply impossible to doubt the usefulness of this.

Now let's talk about goat's milk. It can also rightly be attributed to the most valuable products. It contains a lot of sialic acid, which can quickly raise rickety children to their feet. And a huge amount of cobalt - a constituent element of vitamin B12, improves the process of hematopoiesis. easier than cow's, absorbed by the body due to the smaller size of fat globules. Doctors recommend using it for thyroid problems, eczema, tuberculosis, metabolic radiation disorders and many other health problems.

Now you know how useful goat's milk (and cow's) is, what healing effect it has on the human body.

Milk and dairy products have been with man for thousands of years. The Mediterranean diet and Ayurveda include milk and dairy products in the list of essentials for health, but modern dietetics is not so supportive. Whom to believe and how not to harm your body? In order to make the right decision, you need to have sufficient information about the product and know well the individual characteristics of your body.

Useful properties of milk

Man is the only animal that drinks milk after leaving infancy. Many experts believe that this is one of the reasons to abandon this product. But the history of the use of milk has more than one thousand years, it is firmly included in our diet for a reason. Milk contains many trace elements in an easily digestible form. First of all, it is vitamin D, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin A. Milk contributes to the good functioning of the cardiovascular system and the brain. It is a source of protein and fat. Dairy products improve digestion, heal the intestinal microflora.

Allergies and intolerances

Despite its beneficial properties, milk can be contraindicated for many people, because it is one of the most allergenic foods. People with lactose intolerance, allergies or sensitivities to casein, a cow's protein, may have trouble digesting milk.

Lactose intolerance occurs when the body does not produce enough enzymes to digest milk. Most often we are talking about milk in its pure form, many people with lactose intolerance have no problems with the use of fermented milk products. But there are times when even a small amount of milk can cause bloating or diarrhea. For such cases, there are dairy products with the addition of the necessary enzymes.

An allergy to milk manifests itself in a different way. This is a skin reaction, pain in the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting, sometimes diarrhea, asthma and pneumonia. With allergies, you can not eat dairy products of all kinds.

Sensitivity to casein does not have acute symptoms, so many do not even suspect that frequent colds, runny nose, acne, internal inflammation are caused by milk. After dairy products are removed from the diet, the symptoms disappear.

Harm of milk

Some studies collect information about the dangers of dairy products. Perhaps the most famous of these is Colin Campbell's China Study, which over the course of 20 years studied families in the Chinese provinces, their diet, lifestyle and diseases. As a result of the study, the author came to the conclusion that animal products, including milk, lead to the development of cancer. The book became a worldwide bestseller and the "bible" of vegetarians. But many nutritionists have repeatedly criticized this study. Many factors influence health status. Nutrition, food quality, physical activity, ecology, psychological state, environment, etc. Therefore, even with a strong desire, it is impossible to say with 100% accuracy that a specific product is to blame for the development of a disease.

The influence of milk on inflammatory processes in the body is a real fact, but it is most often about sensitivity to casein, and not about the dangers of milk for all people who use it. Sensitivity to bovine protein is much more common than we think.

hazardous production

The real harm of milk for our health, which needs to be talked about, lies not in the milk itself, but in the way it is produced. The production of milk on an industrial scale leads to the fact that cows do not lead their usual way of life. They do not walk on the grass, but spend their lives in cramped stalls and eat compound feed, which affects the composition of milk for the worse. In addition, in such conditions, cows often get sick, so they are treated with antibiotics. And in order to have more milk, hormones are used. During pasteurization, antibiotics and hormones do not disappear, but enter the human body. As a result, the digestive and hormonal systems and immunity suffer. If giving up milk is not an option, you should switch to farm and village products. There is no guarantee that they will not contain hormones and antibiotics, but the concentration will definitely be lower than in store-bought milk, and the nutrition of such cows is much richer, which means that the composition of the milk is better.

Strengthening bones

For many years, milk was considered a good source of calcium because it is present in abundance in the composition. But many studies, including Harvard, have shown that milk not only does not prevent bone fragility, but also contributes to the development of osteoporosis when consumed more than 3 glasses a day. One of the reasons for this is the excess content of vitamin D in milk. This vitamin is necessary for our body and for the absorption of calcium, but too much disrupts this process.

Milk and oncology

The British medical journal Lancet published the results of research by scientists from Harvard led by Daniel Kramer, linking milk consumption and the development of ovarian cancer in women. Milk carbohydrate lactose in our body turns into galactose, which in turn breaks down into enzymes that can affect the state of the ovaries. But it depends on the individual characteristics of health. Milk has a negative effect on those women who do not have enough of their enzymes in the body. Also, milk can affect the development of prostate and breast cancer.

controversial issue

Conflicting information can confuse anyone. If you are serious about your health, it is best to get tested for food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities. Natural dairy, and especially fermented milk products, have many beneficial properties, but you should not consume more than three servings a day. Also, try to choose farm or country dairy products that are free of colorants, flavor enhancers, flavors, stabilizers, and other additives.

It is difficult to find another food product that attracts as many conflicting opinions as milk. Whether it's good for overall health or not, helps you lose weight or not, whether you should buy it raw or pasteurized, low fat or full fat, the list goes on.

Who to believe?

On the one hand, there are groups (PCRM and PETA) who claim that milk is evil.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Dairy Association, which believes that milk is necessary to keep yourself at your best.

And besides disputes about usefulness, there are also political, ethical, environmental factors that must be taken into account. As with most other disputes, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Let's try to find this middle ground!

Milk and health

A study was conducted - 400,000 adults around the world were observed for 28 years. Those who drank the most milk were less likely to have heart disease and heart attacks than those who drank less or no milk (and the study was not sponsored by the dairy industry).

But! There is an increase in cancers provoked by hormones in the world. And cow's milk is a source of estrogen and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which can cause unregulated cell division.

On the other hand… The relationship between breast or prostate cancer and milk tends to be zero, if you exclude the influence of excess consumption of other animal products - and in particular red meat.

More facts:

• Drinking milk increases the risk of uterine cancer, but also reduces the risk of anal cancer, which is much more common.
• Currently, there is no evidence of an association between milk consumption and type 1 diabetes.
• Approximately 70% of the population has some degree of lactose intolerance. For those who drink milk, this can be a problem, but there are always lactose-reduced options. In addition, cheese and yogurt contain much less lactose, so they are usually not a problem.

Milk and bones

Easterners have a much lower incidence of osteoporosis than Westerners, even though they consume less dairy products. The Nurses Health Study found that women who drink more than two glasses of milk a day are more likely to break bones.

But! Asians have vastly different overall diets and lifestyles, and the results from the Nurses Health Study may well just be a reflection of the number of women who are aware of the risk of fracture and are trying to compensate (just too little, too late).

Milk and weight loss

The once-promising study that showed three meals a day of dairy products to reduce weight has not been confirmed. Another independent study showed virtually no effect of daily milk intake on fat loss. In general, and not surprising, given who was initially beneficial result "milk reduces weight."

Pasteurized or natural?

Proponents of pasteurization insist that it is a necessary process to kill harmful bacteria, with little effect on nutritional value and flavor.

Opponents of pasteurization are convinced that the same process that kills bacteria also destroys vitamins, minerals and enzymes that are vital to our health. What's more, they point out that bacterial infections from unprocessed milk are very rare, so they hardly deserve the status of a global problem.