While humans have been drinking cow’s milk for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the early 1900s that modern dairy farming actually began. It was the process to extend shelf life and increase product safety – known as pasteurization – that provided easier access to safe milk and caused demand to skyrocket.
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The nutritional benefits that milk, and dairy in general, has on children are well known. Today, dairy products remain a main source of calcium, which is necessary for healthy bones and teeth.
“As I look back on the dietetic interns with me in the past, they’ve always done research and can go back to 3,000 B.C. to show how humans have utilized milk from animals,” says Vice President of Nutrition Affairs for The American Dairy Association Mideast Karen Bakies. “It all depends on what part of the world you reference as to what kind of animal has been predominantly used in milk production and in North America’s case, it’s been the cow.”
There are nine essential vitamins and minerals that are found in milk – calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, phosphorus, protein, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and vitamin A.
“We call milk nutrient rich because of the number of calories that are in it,” says Bakies. “It’s a very nutrient-rich, nutrient-dense food that has all of those vitamins and minerals in one package naturally.”
Vitamin D doesn’t occur naturally in milk but is added during production. Bakies, who has been in her current role for 30 years and is also a registered dietitian nutritionist and licensed dietitian, indicates that this process began purposefully in the 1930s because of the high rate of rickets cases. Rickets is a skeletal disorder that’s caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium or phosphorous.
“Experts were trying to get a good source of vitamin D in the diet and milk became one of the vehicles to do that,” says Bakies. “So, that’s actually by law – all fluid milk is actually fortified with vitamin D.”
There are issues which can arise from a developing child not getting the essential nutrients that milk provides. One research aspect is the effect particular nutrients have on bone growth, development and health. Phosphorus, calcium and vitamin D all play a critical role in increasing the mass, or bone density, of a growing human.
“It’s interesting because calcium is one of those nutrients that’s really lifecycle dependent,” says Bakies. “So it depends on what age you are. Our calcium requirements continue to go up and really peak during those teenage years when we need about 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day.”
Between the ages of 19-50 the human body requires 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily. After age 50, the daily requirement increases to 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. This is almost the same amount as required during the teenage years.
It is during these teenage years that about 90 percent of bone growth and development occurs, and 10 percent more bone density can occur by age 30. After age 30, bone density begins to decrease.
“It can be hard to talk to a 13-year-old about osteoporosis or having thin bones when they’re 50 years old,” says Bakies. “That seems like a long way off, but that really is one of the critical components that milk plays in the diet, especially for kids.”
Take for example, a school lunch tray. The typical school lunch is required to provide at least one third of the recommended dietary allowance to children. If milk was removed from the tray, three or four more foods would need to be added to make up the nutritional difference, which is why milk provides an ideal delivery package for the essential nutrients.
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Horizontal image of a young boy who is sitting down to eat his cafeteria school lunch. He has chicken, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, brownie and chocolate milk. He is inspecting the milk carton and likes what he sees.
As our bodies age, muscle strength can decrease. Lean muscle mass begins to change and some muscles begin to atrophy. This is a natural part of the aging process that milk can help mitigate since it’s high in protein and protein is essential for muscle growth.
“Now we begin to look at that skeletal, that bone and that muscle, and the interaction those two have in regards to as we age because those two really work hand-in-hand in terms of fragility, fall fractures and a variety of those different components,” says Bakies.
Protein plays an intricate role throughout our life, especially through growth and development.
Every five years, the United States Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture develop an edition of dietary guidelines. Each edition is informed by a scientific report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Numerous scientists within the departments review the guidelines throughout production.
“One of the things that came out in 2015 is that the consumption of dairy foods actually have healthy benefits, including lowering the risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and obesity,” says Bakies.
As the data and evidence grows, experts are realizing the potential of milk to prevent chronic disease.
“There is a strong linkage there, and having dairy continue to be part of the diet…helps in regards to those chronic diseases that may develop,” says Bakies.
So, is skim more or less nourishing than whole milk? Both are essentially the same when it comes to the nine essential nutrients. The only difference is the fat content. As research has shifted toward fat composition, experts have realized that milk has the most complex fatty acid content of any food consumed by humans.
“One of the things about whole milk is when you have fat in a food it adds satiety,” says Bakies. “And so sometimes when people drink a glass of whole milk, they may be more satisfied because it fills them up because of the higher fat content.”
Bakies has been drinking fat-free milk most of her adult life, whereas her husband was raised on whole milk. Whatever your preference, the next time you reach into the refrigerator for something to quench your thirst, consider a tall, cold glass of milk – your bones will thank you.
Got Milk Facts?
- Chocolate milk is the official drink of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
- Milk contains lactic acid, which acts as a skin exfoliator, in addition to enzymes that facilitate smooth skin. Amino acids also help to maintain skin moisture.
- Milk is high in protein, which helps to rebuild muscle.
- Milk contains some of the vitamins and minerals that act as stress relievers and energy boosters.
- Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, helps convert food into energy – a process crucial for exercising muscles.
- Pantothenic Acid, also known as vitamin B5, helps break down fats and carbohydrates for energy, manufacture red blood cells and maintain a healthy digestive tract.
- Niacin, also known as vitamin B3 is important for the normal function of many enzymes in the body and is involved in the metabolism of sugars and fatty acids.
Nathan Collins is managing editor. Feedback welcome at ncollins@cityscenemediagroup.com.
