The Milk Debate: Is Milk good for you or No ?

Dairy, lately are increasingly in the pillory of many debates and discussions Some argue that they are harmful and cause great harm to health. Others insist on its benefits as a source of calcium and vitamins. Therefore, you probably have serious doubts about whether milk is good or bad for your health.

We will also delve into the different types of milk that can be found in the market and the difference that actually exists between them.

Firstly, Let's know the Benefits of Milk

If we asked you what are the main benefits of milk, surely you would answer us immediately: "It is an excellent source of calcium". The mineral is extremely important because it strengthens teeth and bones. It is also thought to help prevent osteoporosis as we get older. Another known argument is that milk is essential for the growth of children and young people.

In fact, when there are families, we tend to be scandalized saying that "children do not even have milk to drink". With this, we want to emphasize that it is a fundamental food for its development.

Milk detractors also wield their arguments. On the one hand, they assure that galactose, a simple sugar that contains this, promotes inflammatory processes in our body. As is known, inflammation along with "oxidative stress" is presumed to be the origin of many serious diseases of our time.

IS MILK GOOD OR BAD FOR FOR HEALTH?

Looking at both argument it is not surprising that you are in a mess and do not know if milk is really good or bad for your health.

Nor does it help that there seem to be scientific studies to support both arguments.

However, if we want to answer the question correctly, perhaps we should say that it depends on what type of milk, who takes it and in what quantities.

Let's analyze this a little more thoroughly.

Here very different milk types are commercialized:

UTH: The Ultra High: It is is the typical milk found in tetra pack or plastic bottles, It does not need cold and has a long expiration date. The UTH is a sterilization process by which the milk is heated for a few seconds at temperatures of around 150 degrees, while at the same time steam is injected. This it cools again. This eliminates pathogenic bacteria, but also all others that are beneficial to our body.

PASTEURIZED: In this case, the milk is heated to 72 degrees for about 15 or 20 seconds and then cooled. This kills most of the harmful microorganisms, but also a good part of the beneficial ones. However, certain natural enzymatic and bacteriological processes do not stop completely. For this reason, pasteurized milk has more flavor, but has a shorter shelf life. usually not more than three days.

RAW OR UNPASTEURIZED: Still very difficult to find, it is being put back in value in recent dates. Its duration is slightly less than pasteurized milk... However, due to the risk of contamination by pathogens, it is necessary to subject it is very controls. This implies conducting continuous analysis and guaranteeing a very demanding cold chain to avoid any health risk having not heated in any way, this milk is the most natural, since it has not lost any of its properties.

seeing the differences, the question of whether milk is good or bad for health no longer makes as much sense as, depending on the variant you buy, you will take home a very different product.

WHOLE MILK, SKIMMED OR FERMENTED

The second important issue that you should keep in mind is the level of fat contained in the milk you buy. Most of the Vitamin present in milk are group B and therefore fat-soluble (dissolved in fat)

Therefore, if you consume skimmed milk to which the fat has been extracted, you will not be able to benefit from them. On the other hand, fermented milk products such as yogurt or Kefir also contain live strains of lactic acid bacteria that are beneficial for the intestinal flora. They are also found in cheese made from raw milk.

ORGANIC MILK IS NOT EQUAL TO GRASS MILK

Now it is common to find organic milk in supermarkets. This offers a number of advantages, such as coming from animals that are fed with transgenics or that their fattening with antibiotics is prohibited. However, It's nutritional quality will depend on its form of presentation and will be similar to the types already described (UTH, PASTEURIZED OR RAW)

Less milk, but of quality

what conclusions can we then draw from all of the above?

secondly, the quality of the milk itself and the type of treatment to which it has been subjected will also be an important factor.

If you are not lactose intolerant, unless there is an ethical or personal reason, there is nothing to prevent you from consuming milk in moderate amounts.

It may also be a good idea to alternate with vegetable drinks.

Ideally, it should be ecological and, if it is possible to get, grass.

This is best to worst your options would be :

Raw

Pasteurized

UHT The least recommended.