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Some people like it ice-cold; others drink it warm at bedtime. Children often stir in chocolate or strawberry powder, then sip it through a straw. It comes in nonfat, low-fat and whole varieties, as well as evaporated, condensed and powder form, and is a vital part of countless recipes. From your morning cereal to your midnight snack, what would you do without milk?
Sure, the white stuff tastes good, but better yet, it’s good for you. Just one of milk’s many benefits is that it contains essential lactase and Vitamin D, which enhance calcium absorption to help you build and maintain strong bones. It’s also an excellent source of potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamins B2, B12 and A, and calcium itself.
Not only is milk a source of complete protein (it contains all eight essential amino acids), making it a staple of many athletes’ menus, but it may also help prevent colon and breast cancer. And contrary to some popular belief, it doesn’t exacerbate asthma, aggravate arthritis or cause calcium deposits.
Milking your diet
If you work up a sweat on a regular basis, be aware that you’re saying goodbye to some of your calcium; it’s lost in perspiration, along with sodium and potassium. Instead of simply rehydrating with water after you train, drink a glass of low-fat milk to restore all three minerals simultaneously. “Milk is a good source of protein, and provides more vitamins and minerals than the leading sports drink,” states Gregory Miller, PhD, vice president of nutrition research at the National Dairy Council (Chicago).
Just one glass of milk contains about 300 mg of the 1,000–1,500 mg of calcium recommended daily for the average person (see “Daily Intake Recommendations”). If you’re lactose-intolerant or you just don’t like the taste of milk and other dairy products, you can get your calcium from greens, beans, fish with bones and calcium-fortified foods. Nondairy foods, however, usually don’t have as much calcium per serving and have a lower absorption rate. For example, it takes 7 cups of raw chopped broccoli to equal the calcium you get from 1 cup of milk, says Steve Hertzler, RD, assistant professor at the school of Allied Medical Professions at Ohio State University (Columbus). To compensate, plan on taking in about 35% more, or about 1,350–2,000 mg per day.
Some foods will rob you of your calcium, so watch out for excessive intakes of soda, coffee, acidic amino acids (methionine and cysteine found in animal protein) and sodium.
Milk safety & organics
As meat and produce are increasingly tinkered with at the farm to enhance their taste or freshness, some consumers fear this use of growth hormones and antibiotics is unhealthy. In terms of dairy milk production, however, U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists have concluded that recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH), specifically bovine somatotropin (bST), doesn’t pose a health risk to humans.
Miller says other groups back up the FDA’s claims of milk safety. “FDA officials, scientists and nutritionists agree that milk from cows supplemented with bST poses absolutely no risk to consumers and is the same as from cows not treated with bST,” he explains. “Milk and dairy products are among the most highly regulated and monitored food products in America . . . and are subject to up to 17 safety quality and sanitation inspections before ever reaching a grocery store.
Still wary of drinking something you envision being cooked up at the lab? Try organic milk. The Federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 requires that dairy livestock producing organic milk not be exposed to hormones and antibiotics (which may contribute to antibiotic resistance). Organic milk is currently regulated by state and private agencies, and certifying agencies will soon be accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Purchasing organic milk also supports small dairies committed to protecting the environment.
Healthy bones, healthy body
Osteoporosis. Commonly touted as the best way to prevent the bone-thinning disease, the push for adequate calcium intake is being questioned by members of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (Washington, D.C.). They claim the popular “Got Milk” ads are misleading, but most health organizations disagree. “Dairy’s role in preventing osteoporosis and in strengthening bones has been demonstrated in numerous scientific studies, and has long been established and lauded by the nutrition and science community,” notes Miller.
The consensus is that calcium, regardless of the source, helps build bones in a two-step process. The first is building bones while you’re young; the second is preventing bone loss as an adult. At any age, nutrition plays a central role in keeping bones strong: Besides calcium, try to get the recommended dietary intake of vitamins D and K, magnesium, potassium, and trace elements zinc, copper and manganese. Avoid excessive alcohol and sodium. A diet based on animal products may draw calcium out of bones; on the other hand, vegans who avoid all animal-based foods such as dairy must diligently include other calcium-rich foods in their diet.
As a fitness enthusiast, you have an added advantage when it comes to keeping your bones strong: Weight training enhances bone mineralization. If you train so intensely that you experience loss of menstrual cycle, however, you’re at increased risk for stress fractures and osteoporosis, and should increase your calcium intake to 1,500 mg daily.
Cancer. Does milk promote or prevent cancer? Some studies show the former, some the latter. PCRM spokesperson Simon Chaitowitz states: “Recent research on diet and cancer is focusing on a protein in the bloodstream called insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) . . . People increasing the amount of dairy products in their diets are typically found to have higher levels of IGF-1.” While Chaitowitz notes that these higher levels have been linked to breast cancer, other studies link higher calcium intake from dairy foods to a lower incidence of breast cancer.
Researchers have also shown that the conjugated linoleic acid found in milk may help to prevent colon cancer. Either way, the link between milk and cancer currently isn’t strong enough to make definitive suggestions.
Blood Pressure. DASH, an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was a clinical study that turned into a healthy eating plan to help lower blood pressure. Dietary recommendations include 2–3 servings of low-fat dairy products for calcium, as well as whole grains for magnesium and 8–10 servings of produce daily for potassium. Yet the potassium, not calcium, was credited with lowering blood pressure.
The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends an increase in magnesium and calcium intake for general health considerations, not for regulation of high blood pressure. It should be noted that although calcium won’t lower blood pressure, deficiencies are linked to higher blood pressure.
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