MILK – ESSENTIAL FOR NOURISHMENT BY Manjushree,priya

MILK – ESSENTIAL FOR NOURISHMENT

 

Milk a Without Question an Important Part of a Healthy Diet  

What is Milk?

Milk may be defined as the whole, fresh, clean, lacteal secretion obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy milch animals, excluding that obtained within 15 days before or 5 days after calving or such periods as may be necessary to render the milk practically colostrums-free and containing the minimum prescribed percentages of milk fat and milk-solids-not-fat. In India, the term 'milk', when unqualified, refers to cow or buffalo milk, or a combination of the two. Milk naturally provides 15 essential nutrients for normal growth and for the maintenance of good health. In addition to its unique nutritional value, milk is fortified with vitamin D. This vitamin plays an essential role in bone health as well as many others. Milk is considered an ideal food. It contains almost all those essential nutritions which are required for the growth of the human body.

The Importance of Milk in the Diet:

• Although milk from the cow is processed, it is not an engineered or fabricated food.
• It is about 87 percent water and 13 percent solids. The fat portion of the milk contains fat soluble vitamins. The solids other than fat include proteins, carbohydrates, water soluble vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients in milk help make it nature's most nearly perfect food.
• Milk products contain high quality proteins. The whey proteins constitute about 18 percent of the protein content of milk. Casein, a protein found only in milk, contains all of the essential amino acids. It accounts for 82 percent of the total proteins in milk and is used as a standard for evaluating protein of other foods. Protein is needed to build and repair body tissues and to form antibodies which circulate in the blood and help fight infection.
• Milk contains the following nutrients: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.
• The calcium found in milk is readily absorbed by the body. Phosphorus plays a role in calcium absorption and utilization. Phosphorus is needed in the proper ratio to calcium to form bone. Milk provides these two minerals in approximately the same ratio as found in bone. Milk is also a significant source of riboflavin (vitamin B2) which helps promote healthy skin and eyes, as well as vitamins A and D.
• In adults, a calcium deficiency, along with other factors, may result in bone deterioration called osteoporosis. The recommendations for calcium is 1,000 milligrams for adults, 1,300 milligrams per day for adolescents, 500-800 milligrams per day for young children and 1,200 milligrams per day for adults over 51 years of age. It is difficult to obtain adequate calcium without milk and milk products in the diet.
• About 73 percent of the calcium available in the food supply is provided by milk and milk products.

Food and Nutritive Value of Milk:
Milk is an almost ideal food. It has high nutritive value. It supplies body-building proteins, bone-forming minerals and health-giving vitamins and furnishes energy-giving lactose and milk fat. Besides supplying certain essential fatty acids, it contains the above nutrients in an easily digestible and assimilable form. All these properties make milk an important food for pregnant mothers, growing children, adolescents, adults, invalids, convalescents and patients alike.

Proteins
Milk proteins are complete proteins of high quality, i.e. they contain all the essential amino-acids in fairly large quantities.

Minerals
Practically all the mineral elements found in milk are essential for nutrition. Milk is an excellent source of calcium and phosphorus, both of which, together with vitamin D, are essential for bone formation.

Vitamins
These are accessory food factors which are essential for normal growth, health and the reproduction of living organisms. Milk is a good source of Vitamin A (provided the cow is fed sufficient green feed and fodder), Vitamin D (provided the cow is exposed to enough sunlight), thiamine, riboflavin, etc.

Fat (Ghee)
Milk Fat (lipid) plays a significant role in the nutritive value, flavour and physical properties of milk and milk products. Besides serving as a rich source of energy, fat contains significant amounts of so-called essential fatty acids (linoleic and arachidonic). The most distinctive role which milk fat plays in dairy products concerns flavour. The rich pleasing flavour of milk lipids is not duplicated by any other type of fat. Milk fat imparts a soft body, smooth texture and rich taste to dairy products. Lastly, milk lipids undoubtedly enhance the consumer acceptability of foods; they also serve the best interests of human nutrition through the incentive of eating what tastes good.

Lactose
The principal function of lactose (carbohydrate) is to supply energy. However, lactose also helps to establish a mildly acidic reaction in the intestine (which checks the growth of proteolytic bacteria) and facilitates assimilation.

Energy value
The energy-giving milk constituents and their individual contributions are as follows:
Milk fat
9.3 C/g
Milk protein
4.1 C/g
Milk sugar
4.1 C/g
Where 1 C (Food Calorie) = 1000 c (small calorie).

Note: The energy value of milk will vary with its composition. On an average, cow milk furnishes 75 C/100 g and buffalo milk 100 C/100g.
Effect of processing
Pasteurization carried out with reasonable care has no effect on vitamin A, carotene, riboflavin and a number of remaining vitamins 'B' and 'D'.

The following daily consumption of milk group foods is suggested:

• Children                                 - 3 cups          
• Teenagers                              - 4 cups
• Adults                                    -3 cups
• Adults over 50                      - 4 cups

Chemical Composition of Milk (%):
Species
Cow 
Buffaloe
Water
86.6
84.2
Fat  
 4.6
6.6
Protein
3.4
 3.9
Lactose
4.9
5.2
Ash
0.7
0.8

A balanced diet is essential for proper health and growth. The role of milk and milk products in providing the nutrients required for a balanced diet is indicated below:

Nutrients
 Purpose
 Major Sources
 Proteins
Essential for muscle building and Repair; give the body energy and heat.
Meat, poultry, fish, milk, Cheese, beans, peas, nuts.
Carbohydrates
Body energy and heat
Bread, cereals, pastry, Sugar, vegetables, fruit
Fats
Body energy and heat
Butter, Ghee, Oils
Minerals
Bone, teeth, body cells
Dairy products, fruit, vegetables
Vitamin A
Growth, health of the eyes, structure and function of the skin and mucous membrane.
Fat-rich dairy products, eggs, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, Fish liver oils.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Growth, aids appetite, prevents beriberi, function of the nervous system.
Whole grains, eggs, green vegetables, yeast, liver, kidney.
Vitamin B2(Riboflavin)
Growth, health of skin and mouth, functioning of the eyes.
Milk, cabbage, carrots, spinach, liver, eggs, yeast, lean meat, prunes.
Niacin
Functioning of the stomach, intestines and nervous system.
Meat, heart, kidney, liver, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, yeast
Vitamin C
Aids bones and teeth, prevents scurvy.
Citrus fruit, maize, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage.
Vitamin D
Aids in calcium-absorption which strengthens bones, prevents rickets.
Eggs, milk, fish liver oils.


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