Dairy products and proper nutrition: to eat or not to eat?

Milk and its types

When it comes to milk, most people immediately think of a cow [1]. Although there are many other types of this drink that people also eat. Before we tell you what other types of this product exist, we note that the composition of milk is:

• casein (from cow, goat, sheep);
• albumin (from mares, deer, donkeys).

In addition to the drink produced by the mammary glands of animals, some products of plant origin are also called milk [2].

Benefits of different types of milk [3]:

• cow's milk is an excellent source of calcium and other nutritional components;
• sheep - fattier than cow, ideal raw material for pickled cheeses;
• goat - similar in composition to cow's, but is easier to digest due to the lower lactose content;
• mare's milk - the composition resembles human milk, used for making kumiss;
• eland antelope milk – contains 3 times more fat and protein than cow milk, known for its bactericidal properties;
• camel - contains a lot of vitamin C, does not clot;
• soy - a drink made from soy, looks and tastes like cow's milk, serves as a raw material for tofu cheese, as well as kefir, yoghurt, fermented baked milk, yogurt;
• coconut - made from coconut pulp and water, used in oriental cuisine, looks like cream;
• cow's milk - made in South America from the sap of galactodendron and other milk trees, used to treat asthma;
• rice - a source of fiber, calcium, vitamins, produced during the process of cooking rice;
• cedar - a source of phosphorus, manganese, many microelements, contains more proteins than cow's milk;
• poppy seed – was popular in Rus', contains a lot of calcium and fats;
• pumpkin - a drink with a delicate spicy taste, contains iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, proteins;
• oatmeal is a source of all essential amino acids;
• almond – contains magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, folic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, zinc, goes well with coffee.

Content:

• Milk and its types
• Nutritional Components
• Milk: harm and benefit
• Precautionary measures
• What about lactose intolerance?
• Interesting facts about milk

Dairy desserts

It is quite difficult to assess the potential harm of sweet fruit yoghurts, curd mass, processed and glazed cheese curds, ready-made milkshakes and cream in a container. They can only nominally be classified as dairy products, but in fact they consist of starch, gelatin, hydrogenated vegetable oil, dyes and flavoring additives. The main problem with such desserts is added sugar. The high GI of sucrose combined with the high AI of milk proteins turns the treat into a test for your metabolism. A happy exception may be ice cream made from natural cream. Even with a large amount of sugar, due to its fatty structure and low temperature, it is absorbed like slow carbohydrates - there is no sharp peak in the concentration of glucose in the blood. But pay attention to the portions - 100 grams contains more calories than meat.

Nutritional Components

And although the chemical composition of all cow's milk is the same, the calorie content and percentage composition in some cases may differ. These indicators depend on the fat content of the drink, as well as the foods the cow ate. An average glass of whole milk has 145 calories, 8 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of protein. A similar serving of a low-fat product contains only 86 kilocalories, there is no fat at all, and there are approximately the same amount of carbohydrates and proteins as in a whole product.

Calcium

Dairy products are one of the richest sources of calcium. Many functions in the body depend on this element. But perhaps its most famous task is to maintain the strength of bones and teeth. Meanwhile, this element is necessary for blood clotting and rapid healing of wounds, maintaining normal blood pressure, and healthy muscle contraction, including the heart. Nutritionists say that it is important to combine foods rich in calcium with sources of magnesium and vitamin D. This should be done, if only because vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium in the walls of the small intestine, and magnesium helps the body “deliver” calcium to the bones. It is important that all these elements are contained in milk. As for calcium, a cup of drink contains more than 300 mg of this substance.

Kholin

The human body obtains choline from milk. This nutrient is essential for healthy sleep, muscle activity, strengthens memory and facilitates learning. Choline is important for maintaining the structure of cell membranes, helps transmit nerve impulses and absorb fats, and is useful in preventing chronic inflammation.

Potassium

Optimal potassium intake helps prevent stroke, heart disease, hypertension, protects against muscle loss, maintains a healthy mineral balance in bone tissue, and also prevents the formation of kidney stones. Researchers suggest that potassium can reduce mortality from heart disease by almost 5 times. Nutritionists recommend consuming about 4.5 g of potassium daily. A glass of milk contains about 365 mg of this substance.

Vitamin D

Today, dairy producers are increasingly fortifying milk with additional nutrients. Vitamin D is also on this list. This substance plays an extremely important role in bone health and promotes the growth and repair of bone tissue. Vitamin deficiency is fraught with the development of osteoporosis, depression, chronic fatigue, hypertension, PMS, colon and breast cancer, as well as muscle pain.

In addition to the listed substances, milk contains [4]:

• vitamin A;
• vitamin B2;
• vitamin B6;
• vitamin B12;
• magnesium;
• zinc;
• selenium;
• phosphorus.

It is important to know that some of the beneficial substances contained in milk do not accept sunlight and are destroyed under its rays. For this reason, the product should not be stored in clear bottles or containers.

Details

Man belongs to the class of mammals. So milk is the same natural food for us as it is for cows. However, cow's milk has a mixed reputation. On the one hand, it is included in WHO recommendations for healthy eating. On the other hand, the Canadian Dietary Guidelines, for example, recently removed dairy products from the list of mandatory ones. And some popular keto-type diets even require a complete abstinence from milk. What is the reason for this discrepancy? It is impossible to give a simple answer to this question. Products that are collectively called “dairy” differ greatly from each other in their nutrient composition and effects on the body. To understand how fair the restrictive recommendations are, you need to consider the main types of products separately.

Milk: harm and benefit

Milk is one of the products that have a positive effect on many systems and organs of the human body [5][6].

For bone health

Perhaps everyone knows that milk is good for bones. This is because cow's milk is a source of calcium and vitamin D. In addition, the product contains vitamin K, ascorbic acid and magnesium. They are also essential for musculoskeletal health [7]. Intake of calcium and vitamin D alone is not enough to prevent osteoporosis. However, with regular physical activity, strength training, and a balanced diet low in sodium and high in potassium, the benefits for bones will be immediately noticeable.

Benefits for teeth

The combination of phosphorus and calcium found in milk is important for maintaining dental health.

The most common protein in dairy products is casein. It creates a thin film on the surface of tooth enamel, which prevents the loss of calcium and phosphorus under the influence of an acidic environment. Research has shown a link between regular milk consumption and a reduction in tooth decay.

Cancer Prevention

The risk of death from colorectal cancer is highest in geographic areas where residents receive the least amount of sunlight. As some researchers explain, the reason for this is a deficiency of vitamin D in the body. This useful substance, as has been scientifically proven, can protect against the occurrence of malignant tumors and slow down the growth of tumors. Other studies have shown that increased intake of lactose and calcium from dairy products may prevent ovarian cancer.

Anti-Depression Remedy

A sufficient level of vitamin D promotes the production of serotonin, the so-called happiness hormone - a substance responsible for improving mood, appetite and healthy sleep. Vitamin deficiency is associated with a tendency to depression, chronic fatigue, and PMS in women. Thus, milk as a source of vitamin D can relieve bad mood.

For heart health

Along with milk, the body receives potassium, which helps dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Thus, increased milk consumption may serve as a remedy against hypertension.

It should also be noted that cow's milk contains high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. Because of this, some researchers, on the contrary, associate an increased risk of cardiac disorders with milk.

For strong muscles...

Children especially need dairy food during their growth period. However, not only babies need the proteins contained in milk. It is also important for adults, especially those who want to build muscle mass, to include this product in their diet. Milk is an excellent source of high-quality protein containing all the essential amino acids. In addition, whole milk can provide energy in the form of saturated fat.

Dairy proteins are excellent for promoting muscle growth and recovery. This effect has been proven in 20 different clinical studies involving people from different age groups.

...and a thin waist

Contrary to the common misconception that milk leads to excess weight, this drink, on the contrary, promotes weight loss. At least some studies have shown that consuming dairy products helps burn belly fat. This effect is achieved only if the daily calorie intake has not been exceeded. While it is difficult for scientists to explain the mechanism of this process, they suggest that all this is due to the calcium contained in milk.

Alternative to drinking water

The human body, two-thirds consisting of water, cannot live without liquid. Nutritionists say that the average adult should consume about 2 liters of clean water daily. However, if there is no water, you can quench your thirst with milk, which contains a large number of H2O molecules.

Skin care

Undoubtedly, you have heard about the Egyptian queen Cleopatra and her milk baths. According to legend, this woman, considered one of the most beautiful in the world, loved to take baths with milk and honey. This cosmetic procedure allows you to maintain softness, freshness and smoothness of the skin for a long time. Dairy products are still actively used to create skin care products. Milk is especially beneficial for dry skin.

This drink nourishes and smoothes the skin. Lactic acid helps remove dead cells and activates rejuvenation of the epidermis. Drinking milk internally saturates the body with vitamin A, an antioxidant that slows down age-related changes (prevents the appearance of wrinkles and age spots).

Other benefits of milk:

• helps reduce stomach acidity;
• has a beneficial effect on vision;
• promotes the production of red blood cells;
• relieves stress.

We put the baby to the breast

Not all mothers know that to establish breastfeeding, experts advise putting the baby to the breast as early as possible, ideally immediately after birth. Breastfeeding babies for the first time is a very healthy and important step. It is believed that the baby should be in skin-to-skin contact with the mother for at least two hours after birth. Starting breastfeeding will help your baby adapt to the new environment, obtain the correct flora of the skin and mucous membranes, and maintain the necessary temperature balance. The beating of his mother’s heart, her warmth and affection will give him a feeling of calm. And the mother’s body receives a signal to increase the production of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin, which are responsible for a strong emotional connection with the newborn and milk production, respectively.

As a rule, the baby can latch onto the breast on its own within half an hour after birth. But don’t worry if the breastfeeding process cannot be established right away - in the first days after birth, both you and the baby have a lot to learn. Now both your bodies are adjusting to extremely important work, and this will take some time.

• If for some reason you cannot put your baby to your breast, use a breast pump: this will relieve tension from your swollen breasts and stimulate milk production;
• The baby must be in the correct position: among other things, this will help avoid cracks and abrasions on the nipples. You need to feed your baby in a comfortable position, in which you can comfortably sit for a long time. Some experts recommend feeding in a lying position so that the baby can “help” the mother. But there are nursing mothers who recommend other positions when breastfeeding. Try them all and choose the one that suits you;
• Gently hold your baby by turning him towards you. The entire nipple areola should be in the baby's mouth, the lower lip should be turned out, and the baby's chin and tip of the nose should rest against the mother's breast. This process may require time and patience;
• Offer your baby one breast first, and only if he is not full, the second. This will allow the baby to receive hind milk, which is rich in fat. In this case, it’s worth waiting until the child lets go - he will intuitively know when it’s time to finish. Let your son or daughter regulate the duration of feeding themselves, without limiting the time they spend at the breast. Over time, you will get used to it and will clearly know when to offer your newborn a second breast.

Precautionary measures

Today, few people would be surprised to hear a diagnosis of “milk allergy.” No, this is not an invention of children who do not want to drink a white drink, but a completely serious medical problem. An allergy to cow's milk can manifest itself with one or several symptoms at once. Typically this is:

• 
  wheezing;

• diarrhea;
• flatulence;
• vomit;
• attacks of suffocation;
• rash;
• rhinitis;
• gastrointestinal disorders;
• bleeding;
• anaphylactic shock.

Consuming too much potassium or phosphorus (both of which are found in high concentrations in milk) can be harmful for people with kidney dysfunction. If the organ is unable to remove excess potassium and phosphorus from the body, such oversaturation can be fatal.

Consumption of calcium in excessive doses is also dangerous [8][9]. Of course, it is difficult to achieve an overabundance with milk alone, but still. Hypercalcemia can cause constipation, kidney stones, and kidney failure. In addition, excess calcium can “settle” on the walls of blood vessels, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (especially against the background of a lack of magnesium) [10].

The maximum dose of calcium for adults is 2.5 g per day.

Some researchers do not recommend giving cow's milk to children under one year of age. They believe that consumption of this product in infancy can cause insulin-dependent diabetes in adulthood. In addition, cow's milk may contain residues of hormones or antibiotics, as well as other substances that negatively affect the reproductive and immune systems of the body (especially for children) [11].

What about lactose intolerance?

Most people associate cow's milk with proper nutrition. However, there are many people in the world whose bodies are unable to digest lactose, a carbohydrate found in milk. Researchers believe that primitive man could have consumed milk exclusively in infancy. About 7,500 years ago, the population of Central Europe experienced some “restructurings” in the body. This happened after humanity domesticated cows and other livestock, and a new product – milk – entered their diet [12].

According to researchers, today approximately 15% of Europeans, 80% of Africans and Latin Americans, like primitive people, suffer from lactose intolerance [13]. Their bodies do not produce lactase, an enzyme necessary to break down dairy foods. In such cases, even small portions of dairy products cause abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea.

Modern medicine is looking for ways, if not to completely cure lactose intolerance, then at least to reduce its manifestations. This is how a lactose-free alternative appeared: soy, almond, coconut, hemp and other types of milk, including cow’s milk, but without the “problematic” carbohydrate.

Is your baby getting enough milk?

Don't worry, it's not that difficult to figure out. Usually, a baby who is full will let go of the breast on his own. At this moment, do not rush to immediately move on to other things - stay together for a while. Carry your baby in a column, sing him a song, read a nursery rhyme, do finger exercises. If the baby does not demand the continuation of the banquet, then he is full and satisfied and the meal is over.

If your baby's weight gain is a concern, weigh your baby before and after feedings on a baby scale and record how much his weight has increased.

In the first time after birth, the baby should receive the breast about 10 times a day, stay with it as long as he needs, and also suck milk effectively. Then the baby should not have problems with weight gain. Of course, we are talking about “ideal” conditions when the child lives in comfort, surrounded by love and care: he takes walks in the fresh air with his mother, gets enough sunlight, takes baths with the help of caring parents, and sleeps well.

If nothing causes concern, then it is hardly worth weighing the child every day - once a week is enough, and then only if the mother is worried about what she thinks is insufficient weight gain. The most revealing results will be monthly measurements. It is better to weigh your baby at the same time and in the same clothes.

Your pediatrician will tell you how much breast milk a baby should drink at a certain age, but we will just say a few words about general approaches to the topic of weight gain in the first year of life.

If such an indicator as height is primarily influenced by heredity, then weight is the main indicator of the normal development of a child, and first of all, it allows you to judge whether the baby is eating properly and sufficiently. Of course, all babies are different from each other: some were born a hero, while others were born just a baby. But there are generally accepted norms for a child’s weight gain, which loving parents should be guided by.

Norm as a reference point

During the 1st month of a baby’s life, normal weight gain is considered to be 90–150 g per week, from the 2nd to the end of the 4th month – 140–200 g, and in the 5th–6th month – again 100–160 g During this period, weight gain slows down, since the baby no longer just lies in the crib, but begins to actively move, roll over, and crawl. By the age of one year, the baby should weigh approximately three times more than at birth. After the first year of life, the rate of weight gain, as well as height, decreases significantly.

Individual approach

It must be borne in mind that weight gain directly depends on gender, heredity, and the constitution of the child. Thus, a baby with a height of 46 cm and a weight of 2800 g at birth, upon reaching one year, may differ significantly from a peer who was born at the same moment, but had a height of 55 cm and a weight of 4000 g! Everything is very individual - and for infants it is less predictable than for “artificial” ones, since the feeding process of the latter is more “fixed”.

Boys also tend to have greater weekly [monthly] weight gain than girls. And children who are “taller” than their peers at birth gain more height compared to them. The normal range of weight gain at 5 months for boys is considered to be 400 – 1200 g, and for girls – 300 – 1000 g. By carefully monitoring the development of your baby, you will clearly understand and see whether he is gaining enough weight or whether this process needs to be done somehow. then adjust.

There is no need for extremes!

Modern pediatricians strongly recommend that parents not overfeed their babies: if the baby “fits” into the norm, but at the same time looks “plump” enough to relatives, this is not a reason to give him more food. The desire to feed a child beyond measure often haunts mothers of bottle-fed babies. But this desire must be fought. Excess weight in babies makes them less mobile: such children begin to roll over and crawl, walk later, may get sick more often, and also have a tendency to allergies. But weight gain that is too slow compared to the norm can be a sign of developmental problems.

Important nuance: weight immediately after birth

Young mothers should keep in mind that when children are discharged from the hospital, they weigh less than at birth. This occurs due to the so-called physiological weight loss, which occurs when the umbilical cord dries out, loss of water through the lungs and skin, establishment of feeding, etc. As a rule, maximum weight loss in newborns is observed on the 3rd - 5th day of life and in The norm is no more than 6 - 10% of the original weight. Already on the 7th – 10th day, a healthy baby should gain its birth weight. But if this does not happen or the child has lost more than 10% of his original weight, consultation with a perinatologist is necessary.

Milk crises

A nursing mother often worries whether the baby has enough milk, but she is no less worried about lactation crises, which can manifest themselves in the period from the 3rd to the 6th week of the baby’s life, as well as in the 3rd, 7th and around the 12th month of breastfeeding. They are expressed in the fact that the baby does not have enough milk, he asks for the breast more often, sucks on it for a long time and still remains dissatisfied and capricious. If it is important for a mother to maintain breastfeeding and not switch to artificial feeding, she needs to know how to act.

We must remember that a lactation crisis is a normal physiological state that can be quickly normalized with the correct attitude and competent actions of the nursing mother. The cause of lactation crises is the increased energy needs of the baby, who now needs large volumes of mother's milk, which he begins to clearly signal by constantly demanding the breast.

How to increase your breast milk supply:

• Frequent (every 1 - 1.5 hours) and long attachments to the breast (preferably both in one feeding), especially at night, when more of the hormone prolactin, responsible for milk production, is released;
• Shared night sleep;
• Lack of stress, chronic fatigue and lack of sleep;
• Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day;
• Lactogonic teas and food products.

Usually, lactation can be established within one week. If the process is delayed and you are nervous, there is always the opportunity to seek help from lactation consultants, as well as for support from family members, agreeing that they will take on part of your responsibilities around the house so that you can fully devote yourself to the baby and his increased needs. The main thing is to try not to be nervous and tune in to the speedy normalization of the situation.