All About Milk And Milk Products

Milk and milk products are inevitably a part of all our meals in some way or another. Whether it is curd or cheese, or pure old-fashioned warm milk with cookies, we all have had a special place for milk and milk products in our cultures and diet. In fact, even when we are born, we are introduced to milk as our first food.

Though for a long period of time milk has been praised for its nutritional value, nutritionists today are reconsidering the health value of milk. According to many ancient medicinal sciences, besides being nutrient rich, milk also contains many other medicinal properties.

Ayurveda, for instance, considers milk to be a cure for most of the milder forms of infections.

Health Benefits Of Milk

Milk, when consumed with ingredients like turmeric or saffron, can help treat many ailments ranging from congestions to muscle spasms. Milk, when boiled with a few strands of saffron and a spoonful of sugar, can increase sexual libido and be used as an aphrodisiac.

Raw milk has been used as a douche for maintaining vaginal health for a long time. Yogurt is also often used to treat yeast infections in the vaginal region. For infants and children, milk remains the primary food. When they grow older, almost all mothers make sure that their children drink at least one glass of milk everyday.

Milk is used to prepare sauces, desserts, breads, and many other dishes. Milk remains one of the most affordable sources of nutrition all over the world. Unlike many of the other food items like fruits and vegetables, milk’s nutritional value remains unchanged, even after long periods of refrigeration.

However, the recent debate over the nutritional value of milk began because of the fact that the milk producing cattle are often fed on produce that is contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals. When cattle consume these chemicals, the chemicals enter their systems and can be secreted out in the milk as well. A lot of the preservation techniques used for preserving milk also make it more susceptible to spoilage.
In essence, both milk and milk products are nutritious. Milk contains about 4% proteins; however, it is rich in all vitamins except vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits. Milk is extremely popular as the richest source of calcium and phosphorus, both of which are essential for bone and teeth development. Though milk has all these nutrients, the added chemicals can depreciate the nutrition value of milk, causing it to become harmful instead.

Submitted on April 7, 2010