Milk: Not Just Calcium and Vitamin D
September 21st, 2011
Milk has been a primary source of nutrition in young mammals for as long as can be discerned, providing essential nutrients to young, growing animals. Milk as consumed by adults, though, was long relegated to that produced by goats, and even today, goat milk is consumed across the world in massive quantities. Milk produced by dairy farmers using cows came along much later, and in fact, milk consumption by the early people’s inhabiting the European continent led to explosions in population growth and the rise in ease of farming and increases in leisure time that could be devoted to other pursuits. Milk has an amazing history and place in the world, and is likely to remain just as important as it has ever been.
Most consumers know that milk is an excellent source of calcium and D vitamins, thanks in part to a very effective marketing campaign on the part of the dairy farmers of the United States. The benefits of drinking milk or consuming dairy products do not end with calcium and vitamin D, though. Milk from mothers nurturing their young provides nursing infants with colostrum, a substance which transports the mother’s antibodies to the nursing infant, spurring the creation and build-up of the child’s immune system. Milk literally carries the building blocks for children to be able to fight off infection, resist illness and grow into healthy adults.
Milk also contains high amounts of healthy fats and proteins, essential building blocks for children and important parts of nutrition for any adult. Healthy fats from milk and dairy products can be superior to those found in meats and other sources in that they help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and contribute to healthy weight gain and energy storage. Proteins from milk work to build strong muscles, and consuming milk daily is a healthy and wholesome component of good nutrition.