Milk (the term refers to cow’s milk) is the best source of calcium and phosphorus that exists in nature.
That is why it is recommended in the diet as people grow (children and adolescents), and those where there is a need for faster reconstruction of tissue (post-operative and post-traumatic flows). Recommendation for all people is to drink half a liter to a liter of skim milk per day.
In 100 ml of milk has between 100 and 150 mg of calcium. The daily needs are between 700 and even 1,200 mg, depending on age, gender and health status. If we don’t consume milk and cheese, it would be difficult for the body to get enough calcium, because all the other foods with calcium are significantly poorer.
Utilization of calcium from milk is extremely good, which does not apply to foods of plant origin, because the calcium in them is in form of salts which are very difficult to take advantage of them. Milk has a relatively high protein content (3-4 g per 100 ml). These proteins are highly valuable. Their utilization in the body is very large, almost 90 percent can be used. They contain important amino acids, necessary for normal tissue repair, growth and development, maintaining the immune system, making shaped blood elements (erythrocytes, leukocytes). The latest recommendation is that people who suffer from high blood pressure to drink at least 750 ml of milk, because of high calcium content, which helps lowering pressure.
Milk is a food about which there are often some controversy. In the eighties of the 20th century there was a campaign against milk, until was comprehend what is it good and what is bad. In fact, what is wrong in the milk is milk fat, which is highly atherogenic. That is why all the recommendations says that should consume skimmed milk which has a low fat content.
There are people who have intolerance to lactose (milk sugar). The world produces milk which removes lactose.There are also people who have digestive problems, whether it is on acute inflammation, gastritis or ulcers, which are recommended acidofil drinks (yoghurt) and kefir before milk, these drinks are recommended for people who have high cholesterol, because these bacteria use cholesterol.
Who should enter an increased amount of milk?
A special category that would need to consume more milk than the general recommendations are athletes.
Boys and girls, because of the risk of osteoporosis, should also get enough milk, because calcium is needed so the bones can make sufficient density, which gradually decreases with age.
Why give preference to cow’s milk?
There for two important reasons:
The first protein from plant sources are incomplete, do not have all the essential amino acids, and 2nd is calcium in soy milk is five to six times lower than in cow milk.
The milk of various animals by their contents vary from cow milk. Goat and sheep milk is richer in fat, but in other elements, for which the milk is essential, such as protein content, calcium and vitamin A, there are differences. What is milk lower in fat (skim) the lower the content of vitamin A, and such a milk is enriched in factory , is added vitamins A and D, as recommended in the diet of children, which are essential. Vitamin A, otherwise, impact on improving immunity and defense against infection.
