More than 30 countries will celebrate World Milk Day today, highlighting the fact that milk is a near perfect food source loaded with essential nutrients. GN Focus looks beyond the cream.
Thirteenth year
The first World Milk Day was held in 2001 and more than 30 countries participate now. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) proposed the day to celebrate all aspects of milk and June 1 was chosen because a number of countries were already celebrating a national milk day on or around this time.
The right choice
At a time when many developed countries are facing rising obesity rates, milk is seen as a more nutrient-rich choice. The US government issues dietary guidelines every five years, and these are a standard reference for many countries.
Bone health
One in three women in the UAE over the age of 50 is prone to fractures incurred through osteoporosis, says Dr John Bera, Specialist and Head of Department, Orthopaedic Surgery, RAK Hospital. “The only cure for osteoporosis is prevention,” he says, prescribing exercise, a healthy lifestyle and a balance diet with calcium and vitamin D as precaution. Low-fat dairy is a good calcium source.
Hydration
For active children, milk is a more effective way of avoiding dehydration than a sports drink or water, says a 2011 study of eight- to ten-year-olds by researchers at McMaster University in Canada.
“Milk is better... because it is a source of high-quality protein, carbohydrates, calcium and electrolytes,” said Brian Timmons, the study’s principal investigator. The study was funded by Dairy Farmers of Canada.
Workout buddy
At the Beijing Olympics, six-time gold medallist Michael Phelps regularly downed a flavoured milk drink in between races. Besides carbohydrates, electrolytes, calcium and vitamin D, milk contains two proteins best for rebuilding muscles after a good (and damaging) workout: casein and whey.
A 2010 study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism found people who drank milk after training were able to exercise longer in their next session than people who had sports drinks or water. Emma Cockburn of the UK’s Northumbria University, led the study, which was partially paid for by the dairy industry.
Others disagree. Professor Jonathan Brostoff of King’s College, London, a leading authority on allergies and food intolerances, holds the increasingly popular view that humans do not need cow’s milk once they have left childhood.
Natural beauty
Milk as a beauty aid has been well known for millennia. Cleopatra bathed in asses’ milk to keep her skin soft and glowing. It has several nutrients that help the skin look its best: lactic acid can act as an exfoliant and enzymes smoothen the skin; amino acids help keep it moisturised; and antioxidants can help prevent damage from environmental toxins.
