Milk. Quality, composition, properties. Problems and solutions (O. V. Sycheva)

Chemical composition and calorie content of cow's milk

The benefits and harms to the body of cow's milk are explained by its rich composition. The natural product contains a lot of valuable substances, namely:

• more than 50 chemical elements, including iron and potassium, sulfur and phosphorus, copper and chlorine, magnesium;
• calcium, cow’s milk contains a lot of it, and its digestibility is above 90%;
• vitamins A, E, H and C;
• vitamins B1, B6 and B2;
• vitamins PP and D;
• important amino acids are tryptophan, lysine and methionine.

The calorie content of a healthy product depends on the degree of fat content. If we consider 2.5% milk, which is in greatest demand, then it contains 52 kcal per 100 ml.

Dairy products

The benefits of products such as yogurt, kefir or yogurt are difficult to overestimate. They strengthen our immunity, contain bifidobacteria that heal the intestinal microflora, relieve irritation in the stomach, improve metabolism and give vigor.

Due to fermentation, fermented milk products contain less lactose, which means they can be more often used in the menu of those who are allergic to it.

I will list the main ones.

• Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese contains a lot of proteins, has a good effect on the gastrointestinal tract and is recommended for those who suffer from digestive problems. Its peculiarity is that it is digested by our body much faster and easier than many dairy products - it can even be eaten at night.

• Kefir

Kefir is one of the products that help maintain good physical shape. It is light but nutritious. They just “kill the worm” and improve metabolism. In addition, it relieves discomfort from bloating, strengthens bone tissue and speeds up metabolism.

• Sour cream

Sour cream is a universal and very healthy product. It can be used to season salads, soups and main courses, prepare sweets with it, and also be included in home cosmetics. All this is combined with vitamins and various microelements that normalize hormonal levels, strengthen bone tissue and protect against depression.

• Ryazhenka

Ryazhenka is made from baked cow's milk and sourdough. It has a creamy hue and a taste reminiscent of kefir, but with caramel notes.

This fermented milk product contains probiotics, which improve not only digestion, but also brain activity, as well as the condition of the central nervous system. It is recommended for older people because it reduces the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

• Curdled milk

The main benefit of curdled milk is improving digestion due to the content of probiotics and microelements.

They do not allow harmful flora to actively spread and reduce the risk of infections and inflammation in the intestines. Curdled milk is often used in dietary menus and is highly valued by athletes.

• Varenets

Varenets is an ancient Russian drink. To make it, milk was first simmered in an oven, then a leaven of cream was added to it. This took about a day, and then the Varenets was served with tea.

Like many dishes made from sour milk, it boasts a rich vitamin composition, so it has a place in the modern menu.

• Acidophilus

This dairy product is similar to kefir, but surpasses it in its beneficial characteristics. It contains several types of fungi and rods, which allows you to more successfully resist harmful bacteria.

Strains of acidophilus are digested more slowly and stimulate the stomach for longer.

• Yogurt

This is one of the most popular and widespread fermented milk products. It improves immunity and normalizes intestinal microflora. Regular consumption of yogurt reduces cholesterol, improves brain activity, increases concentration and visual perception.

You can easily make healthy yogurt yourself - don't forget to read our recipe.

• Kumis

This is a traditional drink of nomadic tribes. It is obtained from fermented mare or camel milk and is used to treat serious diseases such as gastritis or tuberculosis.

An authentic Mongolian dish contains a small amount of alcohol, which is created by the reaction of bacteria and sugar. The strength of the drink depends on its aging and does not exceed 4-5 degrees.

• Kurunga

The probiotic kurunga is not familiar to everyone. This is a traditional Buryat drink made from buffalo milk. It contains many vitamins and active microelements that are perfectly absorbed by the body.

Kurunga is also interesting because now it can be bought not only in liquid form, but also in tablet form.

• Ayran

The famous Caucasian drink is made from sourdough and sheep or goat milk. For centuries it was considered the secret of longevity of the mountaineers, its recipe was passed down from generation to generation.

Ayran, also known as tan, perfectly quenches thirst, improves stomach function, strengthens blood vessels and improves immunity.

• Katyk

Katyk, or Asian curdled milk, is made from baked sheep or goat milk. It is not brought to a boil, but gradually loses water, acquiring a fattier and richer consistency. An important component of the drink is a starter made from Bulgarian bacillus and streptococcus.

Katyk resembles sour cream and has a pleasant aroma. This product maintains normal blood glucose levels and is recommended for diabetics. It is also low in lactose, making it suitable for those who are allergic to milk sugar.

• Suzma

Suzma is another fermented milk drink, traditional for Central Asia. It is obtained by decanting the whey from katyk and is similar to sour cream, butter and cottage cheese at the same time.

Suzma has a rich history - due to its nutritional value and ability to improve digestion, it has been an indispensable dish for travelers and nomadic tribes for centuries.

• Kurt

Kurt is one of the most unusual Central Asian products. This is cheese rolled into small balls and dried in the sun. To prepare it you will need suzma, salt and spices. The cheese contains many vitamins and nutrients, and children simply adore it because of its special taste.

• Kaymak

Kaymak is widespread both in Central Asia and the Balkans. It is cream skimmed from boiled milk and infused throughout the day. It is used for breakfast, as a spread for bread, and on the Don they make special rolls from it.

• Matsoni

It is impossible to imagine Georgian and Armenian cuisine without matsoni. It is made from cow or goat milk and sourdough and is used as a marinade for traditional Caucasian shish kebab or as an additive to khachapuri dough.

If desired, it can be diluted with water and get a thirst-quenching tan.

• Buttermilk

This product is the skim cream left over after churning butter. They do not lose their beneficial properties and therefore are very popular.

There is also fermented buttermilk, from which cottage cheese, soft cheese and fluffy pancakes are made.

• Creme fraiche

Creme fraiche came to us from French cuisine. In essence, it is an analogue of sour cream, but due to its more delicate taste, it can be used not only for salads, soups or sauces, but also for desserts.

In our article you will find a simple recipe for this delicacy, which will add zest to even the most ordinary dishes.

• Milk serum

If you like to make homemade cottage cheese, take your time to get rid of the whey that remains after it. It not only has a pleasant sweetish taste, but also many beneficial properties. It improves immunity, relieves indigestion, helps with swelling and has a good effect on the nervous system.

• Ricotta

Ricotta is a soft Italian cheese made from cow's milk whey with the addition of heavy cream. Ricotta is based on simple, easily digestible proteins and fats.

The popularity of the product was brought by its delicate sweetish taste and soft consistency. It is usually added to pie dough, pasta sauces, or eaten on its own.

• Parmesan

Parmesan is perhaps the most famous Italian cheese. It is famous for its firm consistency, characteristic salty taste and special production technology, which allows it to be aged from one to three years.

This delicacy can be used as an appetizer with wine or grated and added to pasta. Whatever form you eat Parmesan, I am sure that gastronomic pleasure is guaranteed to you.

You can watch a video about “milk” at the link.

What are the benefits of cow's milk?

The benefits of milk for the adult body are very diverse. When consumed regularly, milk:

• reduces stomach acidity and helps with some types of gastritis and ulcers;
• eliminates heartburn;
• improves sleep quality and improves mood as it promotes the production of serotonin;
• strengthens joints, teeth and nails due to its very high calcium content;
• helps with all types of colds, and also serves as an excellent prevention of viral and infectious diseases;
• has a beneficial effect on the condition of the heart and blood vessels, therefore it is beneficial as a prevention of heart disease;
• It quenches thirst well and helps get rid of swelling; drinking milk is good for kidney health.

It is impossible not to note the cleansing properties of healthy milk; it removes not only toxins from the body, but also heavy metals and pesticides. That is why people employed in hazardous work receive a useful product from their employer for free.

For women

The product is the basis of proper nutrition, as it contains many vitamins and minerals. Therefore, including it in the diet will be useful for all women interested in losing weight and feeling good. The properties of the product can be especially beneficial during the period of pregnancy; milk will strengthen the woman’s skeletal system and have a beneficial effect on the fetus.

The benefits of milk after 40 for women are clearly manifested in the cosmetology field. The beneficial properties of the product are actively used in homemade face and body masks; milk effectively softens and rejuvenates the skin, allowing you to maintain beauty and youth longer.

For men

The benefit of milk for men lies mainly in the high content of amino acids in this product. The drink contains casein protein, which is easily digestible and is responsible for building muscle tissue - consuming the product is useful for athletes interested in muscle growth.

For children

Despite the fact that for the first time after birth, children feed exclusively on milk, only mother’s milk brings benefits to the baby’s body. Cow's milk has a different composition and properties, so infants will do more harm than good.

It is recommended to introduce the product into the children's diet no earlier than 10-12 months, and in small quantities. The properties of the drink can bring the greatest benefit to a child aged 3-4 years - it is during this period that the developing body especially needs calcium and phosphorus.

Attention! Many children do not tolerate cow's milk well, and the healthy product has a number of contraindications. Therefore, before introducing the product into your child’s diet, you should definitely consult with your pediatrician.

For the elderly

Milk is of great benefit in old age; calcium in the product strengthens bones and thereby prevents the development of arthrosis and osteoporosis. True, the benefits of milk after 50 years will be if you give preference to low-fat varieties - an increased amount of fat can lead to the opposite result and make bones more fragile.

Also, the benefit of the product for older people is expressed in the positive effect of the product on the nervous system - the properties of milk help get rid of insomnia.

What is the harm of milk?

To understand the harm of any milk, in particular cow’s milk, let’s look at its main components and how they affect the human body.

So, to put it very simply, milk is casein protein + milk fats + milk sugar (lactose) + calcium + hormones. Let's go in order.

Milk protein casein

It is well known that the main protein in milk is casein. Nobody will deny this. But the most interesting thing is that this same casein has the properties of glue. It is very sticky, so even industrial glue is made from it.

When entering the human body, casein protein is not completely broken down, but is absorbed into the blood. This causes diseases such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, allergies.

Casein is a foreign protein for the human body, which the gastrointestinal tract tries to break down. He does it poorly. To break down, a lot of stomach acid is produced. This is an additional burden on the kidneys, which may even refuse too much milk and other dairy products in the diet.

Milk fats

The fats that milk contains are quite safe if they are not oxidized. Milk is oxidized under the influence of oxygen from the air during milking and subsequent pouring from one container to another several times. As a result, oxidized cholesterol is formed, which is much more harmful than regular cholesterol.

Nature has provided that oxidation does not occur. Therefore, the child drinks milk directly from the mother’s breast, rather than milking it and only then drinking it. Why do you think milk should be drunk this way, straight from the udder? Because it is intended only for children of the same animal, but not for humans.

Milk lactose

There is no enzyme in the human body that digests lactose, so bacteria digest it in the intestines.

You shouldn't be afraid of this, because... Even healthy food (greens, vegetables, fruits) in the intestines is also digested by bacteria completely or partially. But you should understand that for one food these will be the same bacteria, for another completely different. I think this is all clear.

When digesting milk, putrefactive microflora work more; when digesting lactic acid products, bifidobacteria work.

• Putrefactive bacteria are dangerous; their metabolic products contain many toxins and poisons; they do not bring any benefit to the body.
• Bifidobacteria are a little better - in addition to harm, they also bring a little benefit. This is why many people are advised to drink lactic acid products rather than milk.

When digested, lactose is converted into glucose and galactose. Glucose is absorbed almost completely, but galactose in an adult human body is absorbed less well with age, or is not absorbed at all.

The most interesting thing is that undigested galactose is very difficult to remove from the body, depositing on the walls of blood vessels, in the subcutaneous layer, the genitourinary system and even in the lenses of the eyes.

All these deposits of galactose in the body become larger and larger every year of milk consumption, disrupting the normal functioning of proteins and metabolic reactions. It causes degenerative diseases.

Calcium in milk

There is such a very persistent misconception that milk is a source of calcium for building our bones and cartilage. Do you agree with him?

Indeed, there is a lot of calcium in milk. But that doesn't mean anything yet. There is no guarantee that the body will absorb this calcium. It's like calcium in tablets, which is almost not absorbed by the body. Therefore, the tablets contain such horse doses of calcium with the expectation of no more than 10% digestibility.

The situation with milk is that excess calcium, reacting with other elements, is simply deposited on the walls of blood vessels, forming sclerotic plaques and kidney stones. It is a myth? No, this is a reality that millions of doctors around the world are forced to work on.

Of course, the body tries to remove excess calcium immediately and prevent it from being absorbed into the blood. So, while removing excess calcium, the body also produces a lot of acid to break down casein. All this greatly acidifies the blood pH.

The body tries by any means to restore the pH of the blood as quickly as possible, so as not to give the green light to the launch of acid reactions, which lead to very serious illnesses and quick death. The body knows how to alkalize itself, but for this it uses calcium from the bones. A disease such as osteoporosis occurs. This is what the phrase “milk flushes calcium from the body” means.

All this is true for milk of normal quality. But such milk can only be found in the village. In the city they sell supermarket pasteurized milk in bags.

Pasteurization is done by heating milk to a high temperature to kill bacteria in it so that the milk does not spoil for a long time. This may all be good, but the calcium in milk turns into calcium phosphate salt when heated. This salt is deposited in the kidneys and pancreas, eventually forming phosphate stones.

Knowing the basics of pasteurization, it is not difficult to come to the conclusion that lactic acid bacteria die in pasteurized milk, but putrefactive bacteria do not. Therefore, pasteurized milk either rots or ferments, but hardly sours. In the intestines, such milk is processed by putrefactive bacteria in the intestines and we again return to the processes of putrefaction. Where is the benefit of milk?

Growth hormones and antibiotics in milk

According to some studies, milk provokes breast, testicular, and prostate cancer. The reason is called - the hormone contained in milk - estrogen. The effect of this hormone on the human body is not yet completely clear; perhaps it is not the only one that causes these types of cancer. Milk also contains growth hormone intended for calves.

The milk of industrial cows contains a lot of estrogen and growth hormone, because they are almost constantly pregnant. They are artificially inseminated. For what? To increase milk yield and the producer's profit margin.

Milk producers on cattle farms do not particularly care about the living conditions and hygiene of cows. High-quality feed is expensive, and this is ineffective either in terms of money or in terms of the animal’s growth rate. Therefore, concentrated feeds and injections with growth hormones are used. The cow grows much faster and is larger in size, which means it can produce more milk.

If an animal gets sick, it is simply injected with antibiotics in order to cure it quickly and cheaply. Manufacturers have long since hammered home the health of consumers who buy milk. Antibiotics end up in milk and then enter the human body. Do you think this is normal and safe for human health?

It is naive to think that antibiotics are completely destroyed when milk is pasteurized or boiled. Nothing ever disappears without a trace.

The result of consuming such milk is obvious - decreased immunity and immunity to other antibiotics and medications.

Features of drinking cow's milk

The health benefits and harms of milk may vary depending on certain illnesses or special conditions of the body. In order not to accidentally harm yourself, you should study the properties of a useful product more carefully and learn the rules for its use.

During pregnancy

During the period of bearing a child, the benefits of homemade milk for the expectant mother will be especially great. During pregnancy, many women suffer from calcium deficiency, and milk effectively compensates for the deficiency of this particular element. The properties of milk and the fetus will not cause harm; the product will take part in the formation of bone and muscle tissue.

At the same time, it is recommended that pregnant women consume this healthy drink with caution, so as not to cause harm to the intestines and stomach, in small sips and not immediately after eating. You should completely abandon the product if you are intolerant to the drink or have acute intestinal ailments, in which case the properties of milk will only cause harm.

When breastfeeding

During lactation, it is better to refrain from drinking milk. Although the drink remains beneficial for the mother's body, it is highly likely to cause a negative reaction in the baby. Since cow's milk is very different in composition and properties from mother's milk, the product is often harmful to infants and leads to allergic rashes or intestinal disorders.

When losing weight

Milk for breakfast is beneficial for weight loss; first of all, the product is low in calories, but it suppresses the feeling of hunger well. The benefit of milk lies in the fact that the properties of the drink help remove toxins and normalize metabolic processes.

The drink is present in many diets, both complex and based on a single product. You can combine healthy milk with eggs, cereals and curd products, with vegetable and fruit delicacies. Of course, for dietary nutrition it is worth choosing a drink with reduced fat content.

For diabetes

The benefits of milk for the human body are clearly manifested in type 2 diabetes. The drink contains a lot of potassium - an extremely important element for this disease. Milk will be beneficial for the liver; it will help eliminate toxins and prevent the development of related ailments in diabetes.

The benefits of pasteurized milk and fresh product will be in demand, but the drink should be consumed in moderation, no more than a couple of glasses a day.

For pancreatitis

In case of acute inflammation of the pancreas, store-bought milk, like homemade milk, is more likely to cause harm. It will have an irritating effect on the diseased organ and increase the aggravation. But during remission you can drink milk - the properties of the product will compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals in the body.

Advice! Healthy milk is a product that is quite difficult to digest, and with pancreatitis, the digestive abilities of the pancreas are weakened.

Therefore, it is better to choose a low-fat product that has been sterilized - it is less likely to cause harm.

For gastritis

Milk can be beneficial for the stomach, even with chronic gastritis. If the acidity is high, then you need to choose natural whole milk for consumption. But with low acidity, it is better to choose skim milk and not overuse the product. The drink will bring the greatest benefit if you add it to porridge or tea.

Beneficial properties of milk for humans

Milk is a unique product. With its help, you can diversify your diet with at least ten more individual products and an innumerable number of dishes where it is used as the main ingredient.

Now it is difficult to imagine life without milk. And why, in fact, refuse it? After all, it was an important food for humans many thousands of years ago. So can we now challenge such a long experience of our ancestors?

And if you don’t like milk, then you probably simply don’t know about all its beneficial properties, or you haven’t found a suitable tasty dairy product for yourself. These aspects are described below. The article also discusses questions on the topic: “Natural milk benefits and harms for the body.”

What types of dairy products are there?

Just imagine how many useful things can be prepared from milk:

yogurt; oil; sour cream; cottage cheese; cream; cheese; kefir; fermented baked milk; baked milk; serum.

And this list is quite laconic, because there is a huge variety of cheeses alone:

feta cheese; Suluguni; paneer, or as it is also called - Adyghe cheese; Mozzarella; blue cheeses; hard cheeses.

Most of the products listed are easy to prepare from natural milk at home. And this gives even greater confidence in the health benefits of the finished product.

Composition and properties of milk

Milk consists of approximately 200 components. Its chemical composition includes:

water 87.8%; milk sugar/lactose 4.6%; proteins 3.5%; fats 3.4%; calcium 0.12%; phosphorus 0.10%; iron; vitamins A, B, C, D; mineral salts.

Of course, we are talking about whole cow's milk. The composition of goat milk is slightly different, it contains only 81.6% water and, accordingly, even more useful substances.

And although some beneficial properties of the product are lost during heat treatment, its presence in the diet is necessary and beneficial for an adult. For children, milk is an essential part of their diet. But, of course, like any other product, it should not be abused.

It is important to consider that among opponents of milk there is a large percentage of those who refused the product due to a subjective attitude towards its organoleptic properties. Therefore, their opinion should be treated with caution.

The organoleptic method evaluates the appearance, taste, smell and color of milk.

Some people don't like the smell of homemade milk or the thick layer of cream that forms on the surface. That is, all these assessments are very subjective and cannot serve as evidence of benefit or harm.

Today, there is a lively debate surrounding dairy products. Its main participants are scientists and doctors, which arouses even greater interest in the topic. Let's look at the main issues discussed: Milk leaches calcium from the body and causes fractures.

Modern doctors in the USA and some European countries have conducted a number of studies and published the following results. Drinking large amounts of milk flushes calcium from the body and destroys bones.

This happens as follows. Animal protein from milk acidifies the human body. To neutralize the process, calcium is used from the human body’s own reserves.

It is this process that leads to weakening of the bones.

The above-described fact suggests that you should not abuse fresh milk, and it is advisable to reduce its consumption to a minimum level in old age, when the risk of developing bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, is already too great. The daily intake of animal protein should be no more than 10%.

Milk causes diabetes

Another scientific discovery suggests that daily consumption of milk from an early age can cause a person to develop type 1 diabetes.

The fact is that milk contains one special protein, namely casein. It consists of amino acids arranged in a certain sequence. This sequence is very similar to the structure of pancreatic cells.

And they are responsible for the production of insulin, which breaks down sugar. Casein is a protein that our body is unable to break down due to the lack of the necessary enzyme.

Therefore, when it enters the body along with milk, it is perceived by it as a foreign body. And when this gene is destroyed, the body begins to fight its own cells, which are similar in structure to casein.

In simple words, drinking milk causes the body's antibodies to attack its own cells and cause an autoimmune disease - type 1 diabetes.

This is why the abuse of fresh, unpasteurized milk is so dangerous for babies at an early age. And, of course, you should completely exclude fresh milk from your diet if you have diabetes.

Dairy fats cause cancer

This statement was made public by Harvard scientists. They explain this by the following chemical processes. Fats in milk oxidize, forming free radicals. They, in turn, interfere with the structure of proteins, body fats and DNA, causing mutations.

It is these processes that lead to a variety of cancers. Women have a 30% increased risk of breast cancer, and men have a 50% increased risk of prostate cancer. Therefore, preference should be given to low-fat dairy products.

Lactose in milk contributes to the development of cellulite

Milk sugar (lactose) in the human body is broken down into:

glucose; galactose;

Glucose is perfectly absorbed by the body and saturates it with energy.

But with galactose, the situation is much worse. In a child's body, when consuming mother's milk, a special enzyme is produced that helps break down galactose.

But as soon as the baby is weaned, the production of the enzyme also stops. Therefore, in adulthood, when drinking milk, galactose simply accumulates in the body. The body is unable to remove it. Therefore, he is looking for a free place where to put it aside.

Most often, galactose accumulates in the lens of the eye and provokes the development of cataracts. Deposition also occurs in the joints, thereby causing various forms of arthritis. And another great place for galactose accumulation is subcutaneous cells, which doctors call cellulite.

Therefore, doctors and scientists recommend consuming pasteurized milk, in which lactose has already been partially broken down and is more easily absorbed by the human body.

As a conclusion from all of the above, the following main risk factors for the development of diseases discovered by researchers can be identified:

If you strictly follow the recommendations of doctors, then milk will bring you many benefits and you will not have to exclude it from your diet.

The benefits of milk

Drinking milk in small quantities fresh:

• has a mild diuretic effect, and as a result helps reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients; helps reduce acidity;
• due to the content of certain components, it calms the central nervous system and therefore gives a relaxing hypnotic effect;
• has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, thereby reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• saturates the body with proteins, thereby reducing appetite.

Canadian studies showed that those who drank a glass instead of juice in the morning lost weight faster and ate 9% less food at lunch.

The only categorical contraindications for drinking milk concern people with allergies. Milk belongs to the group of allergenic products. Therefore, if you are allergic to lactose, you should exclude whole milk from your diet.

At the same time, you absolutely should not give up fermented milk products. You should contact an allergist and jointly adjust your diet by identifying an acceptable list of dairy products.

After all, in fact, milk is the most valuable and in many ways irreplaceable product. We find reviews about its use as food and its benefits in historical manuscripts and even in the Bible.

Milk also has many interesting properties. For example, its ability to ferment. Most products deteriorate when exposed to the environment, but this one, on the contrary, becomes more useful and radically changes its taste.

Also, many people know about its ability to remove waste and toxins from our body. Milk is recommended for smokers to cleanse the bronchi, and also for those who quit smoking.

Milk and beauty

Don't forget about the benefits of milk in cosmetology. The legendary Cleopatra, who regularly took “milk baths,” knew about the healing properties of this product. Milk softens the skin and increases its elasticity.

Now this procedure is very popular in many elite spa salons.

For sunburn, it is recommended to apply fermented products such as sour cream and kefir to the skin; they help relieve inflammation and promote rapid healing of the skin wound.

Cosmetologists recommend making kefir masks for hair. Also, many manufacturers of hair care products offer shampoos and masks based on goat milk.

From the point of view of scientists, milk should be classified as a medicinal product. And therefore, it should be consumed in doses. After all, any medicine can cause both harm and benefit. So drink milk wisely and stay healthy!

Traditional medicine recipes with milk

The beneficial properties of cow's milk are highly valued in folk health recipes. Basically, colds are treated with a nutritious drink; milk has a strengthening effect and eliminates inflammatory processes.

For a cold

During any colds, the classic recipe is warm milk with honey - add 1-2 small spoons of the treat to a cup of drink. The benefit of milk for colds is that the product softens irritated mucous membranes of the throat, eliminates weakness and intoxication of the body, and restores strength.

Important! When you have a cold, you should drink warm milk—you shouldn’t heat it too much, much less boil it, as this will reduce its beneficial properties.

Against cough

There will be benefits from drinking milk before bed when you have a cold cough - a home remedy will help relieve unpleasant symptoms on the first day. To soften the cough, you need to use a slightly improved classic recipe. Add not only a spoonful of honey to a glass of milk, but a pinch of baking soda and drink the warm drink in small sips.

As a useful additive, you can use not only soda, but a couple of black peppercorns or a teaspoon of cinnamon. All of the listed components will have a good anti-inflammatory effect.

For sore throat

Milk is the most famous folk remedy for sore throat and sore throat. The following recipe brings good results - boil a glass of milk, then cool slightly and stir in a small spoon of butter or natural honey.

There will be benefits from milk on an empty stomach in the morning, in the afternoon before meals and in the evening shortly before bed. If you drink the product three times a day, the sore throat will quickly subside. To avoid harm to a sore throat, you should drink milk in small, careful sips.

For laryngitis

A glass of milk at night will benefit laryngitis. Half a glass of oatmeal should be poured with 500 ml of milk, simmered over low heat for about an hour, and then removed from the stove and added a couple of tablespoons of butter.

Cooled and filtered milk is taken shortly before bedtime, only 100 ml.

For bronchitis

For bronchitis, the beneficial properties of milk and sage have a good effect - add a large spoonful of dry sage leaves to a cup of drink. The product is brought to a boil, cooled to room temperature and drunk in small sips twice a day. If the taste of the drink seems too bitter, you can add a little honey to the milk.

For chronic runny nose

One of the best remedies for a runny nose is milk combined with onions. Add a small spoon of onion, ground into a paste, to half a glass of warm milk and stir thoroughly.

Recommended reading: What are the benefits of onions for the body?

Several times a day, the product should be instilled in a couple of drops into each nostril. Onions will quickly eliminate bacteria and infection, and milk will prevent irritation of the mucous membranes.

Cosmetics with donkey milk: is it possible to make at home?

If you can’t afford this cosmetics, I suggest an equally effective, but definitely cheaper way to experience all the delights of donkey milk - a recipe for a mask with donkey milk and honey. This mask will work perfectly in the cold season and off-season, it helps reduce inflammation and redness, and regenerates the facial skin.

You can pamper yourself with a donkey milk mask at home

To make this mask you will need:

• 1 tbsp. l. donkey milk
• 1 tbsp. l. honey
• 1 tbsp. l. starch
• 0.5 tsp. salt.

Donkey milk production in Georgia:

Can you drink milk if you have a hangover?

Milk will be beneficial for a hangover; its cleansing properties will help relieve symptoms of intoxication. In addition, the drink will reduce the load on the liver and prevent the serious consequences of alcoholic libations. It is better to consume the product warm, and the greatest benefit will come from milk on an empty stomach.

Important! The benefits of milk for a hangover will appear if you do not abuse the drink.

It is recommended to drink just a few sips every hour until the unpleasant symptoms subside. Excess milk after alcohol poisoning can be harmful and cause diarrhea and nausea.

Benefits of breast milk

Breast milk is unique not only in its composition, but also in its properties. For a baby, nutrition from the mother's breast means active mental development, normal digestion, strengthening the immune system, prevention of pneumonia, diabetes, obesity, allergies, atherosclerosis, diarrhea and many other dangerous diseases.

Mother's milk is an excellent antidepressant for the nurse herself. Here we are not talking about a food product, but about the benefits of the processes of its formation and feeding, which develop maternal instinct and tender feelings for the child.

According to Swedish scientists, alpha-lactalbumin in breast milk can successfully fight 40 types of cancer.

Breastfeeding can enhance the immune system's response to vaccinations.

Milk forms the baby’s defenses, protecting against allergies and infections. The presence of stem cells in it provides regeneration and protection, as a source of antibodies, resistant even to diseases that the baby could receive from the mother.

The antibacterial properties of milk can be used to treat a runny nose in a baby, eye drops for conjunctivitis, or healing cracked nipples in a nursing mother.

For a baby, breast milk is not just food, the very ritual of communication with the mother is important for him: the opportunity to calm down, get rid of ailments, fears, and sleep sweetly.

You can also see economic benefits in breastfeeding: mother's milk is always suitable for consumption, it does not need to be prepared, it has no expiration date. Invaluable milk is free, for the family budget of a young family the savings on formula are significant.

NUK nutritionist consultant Petra Fricke: Why is breast milk the best nutrition for my baby in the first months of life?

Perfect color and taste

Many new mothers are concerned about the color and taste of their milk. The color, as already mentioned, depends on the fat content and time of feeding: the front (liquid) is bluish, the back (thick and fatty) is white or yellow.

The taste of the milk will change depending on the mother's diet. It is especially affected by salty, spicy, smoked foods, consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, and medications. A certain taste appears depending on the emotional and physical state of the nursing woman.

According to the observations of scientists, babies who are breastfed from the first days of life grow up strong, sociable, and kind. As they get older, they develop resistance to stress. From the first days, the expectant mother needs to be determined that she must breastfeed her baby. Then the baby will always be fed and healthy, and the mother will be calm and happy.

Links

Block of links on the topic of breastfeeding:

• Fundamental advice for breastfeeding mothers about breastfeeding – ;
• Breastfeeding positions – ;
• Nutrition of a nursing mother during breastfeeding – ;
• All about proper breastfeeding (how to feed / how to attach to the breast) – ;
• Why do my breasts hurt when feeding my baby? Reasons and what to do? – ;
• What a nursing mother should not eat and what she absolutely should not eat – ;
• Why a child does not get enough breast milk (how to understand that he is not getting enough, signs, reasons and what to do) – .

Do you want to be the first to read our materials? Subscribe to our telegram channel, Facebook page, or VKontakte group.

We are at Yandex.Zen - join us!

Is fresh milk healthy?

Milk from the cow, which has not undergone any processing, is of great benefit; it contains the most proteins, fats and other valuable elements. During pasteurization and sterilization, some of them are inevitably lost, causing the properties of the product to become poorer.

Moreover, the benefits and harms of fresh milk are closely related to each other. The raw product is an ideal breeding ground for helminths and other harmful microorganisms. You can drink fresh milk only if the quality of the healthy product is beyond any doubt.

Milk and its products

Home ▸ Articles ▸ Nutrition ▸ Milk and its products

We all know well about the benefits of cow's milk, but how many know that long before our era, Hippocrates knew how to treat diseases with various types of milk. Later, in the Middle Ages, doctors recommended kumiss to preserve health and prolong longevity. The fashion for it spread from Central Asia, and kefir “came” to us from Transcaucasia. The discovery of vitamins is also associated with milk... In terms of chemical and biological value, milk is superior to all other products found in nature. It contains more than 100 (!) different substances, including more than 20 amino acids, 40 fatty acids, 25 minerals, 20 vitamins, dozens of enzymes, several types of milk sugar, etc. Nutritionists believe that dairy products should give 1/3 of the daily calorie intake. Milk is used not only for traditional processing; crystalline amino acids with peptides, proteins, etc. are obtained from it. Various components of milk are included in complex compositions of sports and dietary nutrition, and serve as raw materials for the production of medicines and even high-quality glue.

The nutritional and biological value of milk is that:

1. Its components are well balanced.

2. They are easily digestible.

3. Milk components are used mainly for synthetic and “construction” (plastic) purposes.

The amino acids of milk are so well balanced that its proteins are absorbed by 98%. In this indicator, they are inferior (and only by 2%) to egg whites, the amino acid balance of which is accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the standard (100%). In addition, some substances necessary for the body are found only in milk. Let's just name scarce arachidonic acid and the biologically active protein-lecithin complex. Both of these components prevent the development of atherosclerotic processes in the body.

Milk calcium is the most easily digestible calcium found in nature. It contains an exceptionally favorably balanced complex of vitamins A, B2, D3, carotene, choline, tocopherols, thiamine and ascorbic acid. All this has a normalizing effect on serum cholesterol levels.

Milk stimulates the activity of the digestive glands little, which is associated with its easy digestion and absorption. Being a “gentle” product, it is widely used in many modern medical nutrition diets. It is believed that buffalo and sheep milk have particularly high nutritional and energy properties.

Based on the nature of the proteins, milk can be divided into casein (75% casein or more) and albumin (50% casein or less), the rest of the protein is represented mainly by albumin.

In most countries, cow's milk (casein) is used in the diet. Albumin milk is similar in properties to human milk and is its best substitute. It has a higher biological and nutritional value compared to casein. It is better balanced in amino acid composition, contains a lot of sugar and, when soured, forms sticky tender flakes, which has a beneficial effect on its high digestibility. Albumin milk includes mare's and donkey's milk.

In the human stomach, milk curdles under the influence of hydrochloric acid into some semblance of kefir. Only after this is it digested. There are mainly three types of protein in milk:

1. Casein (caseinogen).

2. Lactoalbumin.

3. Lactoglobulin.

In addition, it contains a small amount of fat globule protein. Casein in milk is 2.7% (81.9% of the total amount of all proteins). Lactoalbumin - 0.4% (12.1%). Lactoglobulin - 0.2% (6%).

Milk proteins are distinguished by the fact that they are associated in a single complex with phosphorus and calcium, as well as by the peculiarities of their colloidal structure.

Casein (caseinogen) is a phosphoprotein in which phosphorus in the form of phosphoric acid is bound to hydroxy amino acids, forming an ester with serine, threonine, etc. In addition, casein is associated with calcium and forms active casein - a calcium phosphate complex. In milk, casein is present in the form of a calcium salt and is called calcium caseinate. When milk sours or curdles, it interacts with lactic acid and breaks down into calcium lactic acid and casein, which precipitates. A significant part of calcium lactic acid remains in the liquid part of the whey.

The combination of calcium and phosphorus in a single protein complex is extremely favorable. Phosphorus is necessary for the absorption of calcium and, conversely, calcium is necessary for the absorption of phosphorus. The optimal ratio of these two most important microelements, when normal construction of bone tissue, teeth, joint-ligamentous apparatus, etc. occurs, is determined by the proportion 1: 1.3 (calcium / phosphorus).

Lactoalbumin contains a significant amount of sulfur in its molecule. It contains more essential amino acids than casein. According to its physicochemical properties, it is close to blood serum albumin. The content of tryptophan, which has an anabolic effect, c. lactoalbumin is 4 times more than in other milk proteins. This protein is also high in lysine and phenylalanine.

Lactoglobulin, according to its biological properties, belongs to substances with antibiotic properties (gamma globulin, etc., types of globulins). It refers to the fraction of whey proteins that contains antibodies. Milk whey protein contains about 10% lactoglobulin. It is 90% in colostrum. That is why feeding newborns with colostrum is necessary for the normal functioning of their immune system.

Milk fat is considered the most valuable for its nutritional and biological properties. In milk it is in an emulsion state with a very high degree of dispersion. The amount of lipids in 100 g of cow's milk is 3.6 g. These are mainly triglycerides (3.5 g). There are also small amounts of phospholipids (0.03 g) and cholesterol (0.01 g). The lecithin-protein complex stabilizes fat emulsions of dairy products. Low-molecular acids of milk fat (which are still found only in palm oils) are characterized by high biological activity. There are 8% of them in milk fat. The largest amount of lecithin (phospholipids) is concentrated in the phospholipid-protein shell of fat globules. Milk contains 0.03% phospholipids. Of the milk sterols, the most important are cholesterol (0.01%) and ergosterol, which, when milk is irradiated with ultraviolet light, can be converted into vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol).

Carbohydrates in milk are represented mainly by lactose, which is not found anywhere else. Unlike children, who digest milk normally, not all adults (about 40%) have enzymes that break down lactose, which causes bloating and a laxative effect. Those who cannot tolerate milk can easily replace it with kefir or other fermented milk products. It has been noted that milk intolerance is usually accompanied by weak or normal secretion of gastric juice. People with increased secretion (high acidity) tolerate milk well.

The mineral composition of milk is dominated by calcium and phosphorus. The first is in the form of inorganic salts (70%) and in combination with casein (22%). Inorganic calcium salts are presented in soluble (33%) and colloidal (45%) forms. About 7% of the total calcium in milk is ionized. About 65% of milk phosphorus is in inorganic salts and 35% in organic compounds of casein and phospholipids. About 20% of phosphorus is ionized.

Milk contains enough calcium and phosphorus, but it does not satisfy all the body’s needs for hematopoietic elements - iron, copper and zinc. This must be taken into account when planning your diet.

Milk has a fairly high content of citric acid (0.166%). It occurs mainly in the form of potassium and calcium salts, and some of it is in a free state.

Milk contains hormones, immune bodies, pigments that color it slightly yellowish, and other substances in very small quantities.

A very special area is the production of fermented milk products. To obtain them, different types of microorganisms are used, each of which is capable of changing milk and giving it new taste, dietary, biological and medicinal properties. And they are absorbed better and faster than the original product. Let's say, if milk is absorbed by 32% an hour after consumption, then kefir and yogurt - by 91%.

When milk is fermented, small, easily digestible flakes are formed. Lactic acid is broken down in the liver, releasing a large amount of energy. But this is not the lactic acid that accumulates in muscle cells during physical activity and contributes to the development of fatigue. The acid from lactic acid products does not penetrate muscle cells. In the intestines, it inhibits the activity of putrefactive and other pathogenic bacteria, including those that can cause intestinal diseases.

Fermented milk products contain a huge number of living bacteria of a homogeneous composition. If in good quality packaged milk the number of microorganisms is in the tens of thousands per ml, then in the same volume of curdled milk there are no less than 100,000,000 of them. In fact, fermented milk products can be considered as a kind of bacterial cultures. Other bacteria in such quantities can only be grown in the laboratory on special nutrient media.

There are special drugs to strengthen human immunity. They are prepared from the dried shells of bacteria that are harmless to the body. When introduced into the body, they do not cause any harm to it, but significantly stimulate the immune system, especially the antimicrobial one. All fermented milk products have a similar effect.

Hundreds of different brands of lactic acid products are produced all over the world. However, all of them can be combined into several large groups with properties unique to this type of product.

Curdled milk is made using pure cultures of lactic acid streptococci. The most common types of yogurt found in stores are fat (3.2% fat), normal fat (2.5%) and low-fat (1%). A special variety is Mechnikov sour milk, which is made using two microorganisms: lactic acid streptococcus and Bulgarian (acidophilus) bacillus. Mechnikovskaya differs from ordinary curdled milk by more pronounced antibacterial properties (thanks to the acidophilus bacillus) and a higher content of vitamins.

Ryazhenka, or “Ukrainian yogurt,” is made from baked milk with cream. Before fermenting milk with lactic acid streptococci, cream is added to it and kept at a temperature of 95 ° C for at least 3 hours. Ryazhenka has a unique, pleasant taste; it is distinguished by an increased amount of fat (4% -6% -8% depending on the type of product).

Another variety of yogurt is Varenets, which is also prepared from baked milk, but without adding cream. Therefore, its average fat content is 2.5%.

There is a whole group of “southern” curdled milk, such as matsoni. They are manufactured mainly in the countries of Transcaucasia. A distinctive feature of southern curdled milk is the fermentation of milk with a combined starter, which contains at least 3 components: lactic acid streptococcus, lactic acid bacillus and yeast culture. This “polyvalence” gives them a unique originality and specificity.

You cannot prepare yogurt at home by “samokvasa”, giving the milk the opportunity to sour from bacteria accidentally introduced into it. “Samokvass” does not have the beneficial properties of factory-made fermented milk products. It often has a slimy consistency and does not have a very pleasant taste or smell. But it is very easy to make a high-quality product at home. It is enough to ferment pasteurized milk with a certain amount of the factory product and place it in a dark place for several hours.

Kefir differs from other types of fermented milk products in that it is prepared by fermenting milk not with bacteria, but with special cultures of fungi. Some types of kefir are produced using combined starters (kefir grains + lactic acid streptococci), but even in this case, kefir grains remain the dominant microorganism.

For this reason, kefir contains much more alcohol than any of the curdled milks. It is distinguished by the degree of fat content (fat - 3.2%, medium - 2.5% and low-fat -1% fat), as well as by ripening period - weak one-day (the least amount of alcohol and lactic acid), medium two-day and strong three-day. Due to the higher alcohol and lactic acid content than in yogurt, kefir also has a stronger effect on the digestive system. In its ability to “kill” putrefactive microorganisms in the intestines, kefir is much superior to yogurt.

The word kefir in French sounds like “yogurt”. It is customary to add sugar, aromatic and flavoring fillers, and pieces of fruit to imported kefir. And so that it does not ferment, it is pasteurized, thereby killing lactic acid bacteria and yeast fungi. Therefore, foreign yoghurts are of little use for dietary nutrition, because they will not be able to heal the intestinal microflora. Only recently have unpasteurized (live) yoghurts begun to appear, which are advertised as a novelty, although in terms of their antibiotic properties they are even inferior to our kefir.

Kumis is different from other fermented milk drinks; high content of alcohol, vitamins and, as a consequence, high antibiotic properties. For many centuries, when there were no serious antibacterial drugs, kumiss was considered the only cure for tuberculosis patients. Until the 50s of the last century, it was produced from mare's milk, however, in the following years; It turned out that kumis made from cow's milk is no worse.

The technology for its production is simple: 20% whey and 3% sugar are added to fresh skim milk. The mixture is pasteurized and fermented with a combined starter (yeast and acidophilus bacillus). Weak koumiss contains 1% alcohol, average 2%. ; strong over 2%. In many Asian countries, kumiss has been considered an alcoholic drink for thousands of years, produced mainly for general public holiday fun.

Acidophilus curdled milk is one of the most powerful antibiotic fermented milk products, since it significantly suppresses putrefactive processes in the intestines. The famous Russian microbiologist I.I. Mechnikov at the beginning of the 20th century proposed acidophilus curdled milk as a means of prolonging life, because, in his opinion, the aging of the body depends mainly on self-poisoning from the intestines with the products of protein putrefaction. Mechnikov’s hypothesis was partially confirmed and acidophilus curdled milk began its victorious march throughout the world. In addition, it turned out that acidophilus bacillus has no equal in the amount of vitamins and biologically active substances produced.

During the Great Patriotic War, acidophilus paste was applied directly to open purulent wounds and they healed quickly.

Despite the high antibiotic properties of acidophilic products, since the beginning of the century, attempts have not stopped to further strengthen them by combining them with other microorganisms. These efforts were successful. It turned out that the combination of acidophilus bacillus with yeast that ferments lactose (namely lactose) gives an even greater antibiotic effect than the use of acidophilus culture alone. A. M. Skoroduma proposed acidophilus-yeast milk as a means of preventing and treating many diseases.

Among all existing fermented milk products, kumys has the strongest antibiotic properties, because acidophilus and yeast cultures are also combined with a fairly large amount of alcohol. After all, strong kumys is close to beer in its alcohol content.

Fermented milk pastes occupy an intermediate position between fermented milk drinks and solid foods. The most common paste is sour cream. It is prepared from pasteurized cream using a special starter made from mixed cultures of lactic acid bacteria. Sour cream contains little protein - a little more than 3%, but it also contains a lot of easily digestible fat. In grade II sour cream there is 25% fat, in grade I it is already 30%, and in premium grade it is 36%. Another, less common, but more valuable paste is acidophilus. It is prepared from acidophilic yogurt by partially removing the whey. The result is a fairly concentrated protein product with a huge number of living bacteria. Depending on the type of product, the percentage of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in acidophilus paste varies widely. It can contain up to 14% proteins, up to 8% fats and up to 23% carbohydrates. This is one of the most nutritious, tasty, and healthy fermented milk products.

No matter how good fermented milk drinks and pastes are, it is almost impossible to introduce a sufficient amount of protein into the body with their help. To do this, one would have to consume an unnatural amount of them. Solid fermented milk products - various types of cottage cheese and cheeses - are a kind of milk protein concentrate.

Cottage cheese is prepared from pasteurized milk by fermentation with pure cultures of lactic acid streptococcus. Then calcium chloride (calcined cottage cheese) is added to the curdled milk for the most complete curdling, and the medium is artificially acidified to speed up the process. Sometimes a solution of rennet enzyme (rennet curd) is added to curdled milk for the most complete concentration of protein. To separate the whey, the cottage cheese is boiled and pressed.

Cottage cheese is an excellent milk concentrate with a large amount of calcium salts. It contains 14 to 18% well-balanced protein. Cottage cheese has neither tissue nor cellular structure. This sets it apart from animal protein sources such as fish, meat and poultry. Curd flakes are easily digestible and almost completely digested.

Cottage cheese can contain up to 20% fat, but dietary low-fat varieties are also available. It is especially rich in methionine, an essential amino acid that has a lipotropic effect. It lowers cholesterol levels in the body and, most importantly, prevents fatty liver, which can occur as a result of exposure of the body to strong toxins or certain medications. When treating hereditary muscular dystrophies, patients are loaded with large doses of anabolic steroids. To prevent the possible toxic effect of steroids on the liver, such patients must receive at least 300 g of cottage cheese per day.

Cheese is an even more valuable dairy product than cottage cheese. There are rennet and lactic acid cheeses. The former are made by curdling milk with rennet or peptin. In both cases, partial breakdown of proteins into peptides and even amino acids occurs. Since cheese, in addition to proteins, contains peptides and free amino acids, it is absorbed better than cottage cheese.

In terms of chemical composition, lactic acid cheeses occupy an intermediate position between rennet cheeses and cottage cheese. Cheeses are distinguished by a very high percentage of protein (20-28%) and a significant fat content (25-30% of the dry residue). The calcium and phosphorus content in it is much higher than in cottage cheese, and they are optimally balanced. Cheese contains 2 times more methionine than meat, and 8 times more tryptophan. Calcium in 100 g of cheese - 1000 mg. This is 8 times more than in cottage cheese. Phosphorus - 500 mg per 100 mg of product.

During the production process, cheeses undergo ripening (cheeses such as Dutch cheeses ripen for 90 days). During this time, the number of peptides increases 13 times, and free amino acids - 4 times.

Cheese is a unique storehouse of vitamins. Suffice it to say that when it matures, the concentration of vitamins B1 increases 150 (!) times. It contains a complete set of both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. The high fat content is its disadvantage. By creating new varieties of cheese, nutritionists strive to reduce the amount of fat and increase the level of protein, which makes the product more valuable.

It is impossible to describe all existing varieties and varieties of cheeses. They can be hard (Dutch, Swiss, Soviet, Kostroma, etc.), soft (brynza), semi-hard (bakstein), etc. Brine cheeses, which are stored in brine, are included in a separate group (suluguni, chanakh, feta cheese). They have little fat (9-13%) and more protein than other cheeses, but excess salt is their disadvantage. Therefore, such cheeses are sometimes soaked before use.

Processed cheeses stand apart. They are made from cheese production waste (trimmings, spoiled cheese, etc.) with the addition of large amounts of fat and salt. Therefore, processed cheeses have little protein (15-18%), a lot of fat (45-50%) and a lot of salt. They are rightfully considered surrogates for cheese production and it is better to refrain from consuming them.

In one of our previously published articles (“Microbes are friends and microbes are enemies”), we already wrote that sometimes (with some diets and diseases) introducing large amounts of protein into the body is not desirable. But in order to use the beneficial properties of lactic acid bacteria, you “need” to separate them from fermented milk products and use them separately from each other. This problem has been solved. Pharmacies began to sell ampoules and vials with dry live acidophilus bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and their combinations.

Their production gradually turned into a real branch of pharmacology. Today, other types of beneficial bacteria are also produced that have nothing in common with fermented milk bacteria. Preparations with dry bifdobacteria, colibacteria and their combinations have appeared. Now in any pharmacy you can find such drugs as “lactobacterin dry”, “baktisubtil”, “bifidumbacterin dry”, “bificol dry”, “colibacterin dry” and many others. The range of drugs is expanding every year and already includes dozens of different names.

With the help of genetic engineering, it was possible to obtain bacteria with even greater beneficial properties, for example, those that synthesize insulin. It is enough to “settle” them in the intestines of a patient with diabetes and no expensive medications will be needed. The intestinal bacteria will constantly produce insulin.

The development of a large number of bacterial drugs has led to another interesting phenomenon. A few decades ago, scientists sought to separate beneficial microorganisms from fermented milk products, but now the opposite trend is observed. Fermented milk products are produced that are specially enriched with bifidobacteria: certain strains of Escherichia coli, which produce antibiotic vitamins, and new strains of lactobacilli. Such fermented milk products immediately contain a whole set of bacteria that settle in the intestines and produce vitamins, enzymes, antibiotics that suppress decay and the development of fungi.

Now in almost every dairy store you can find such fermented milk products as “bifidok”, “bifilakt”, “acidolakt”, “bifidolact”, etc. Dairies have staged a real competition to produce a large assortment of fermented milk products with a high content of not only fermented milk but also other specially bred beneficial bacteria. Such drinks contain at least 106 live microorganisms per 1 ml of product (this is a generally accepted standard). We are already beginning to eat not so much milk itself, but rather live bacterial cultures that protect us from diseases. The production of such products is very promising and will be constantly developed.

The history of sports nutrition began with milk powder. It was the first protein concentrate that began to be produced in the 30s. All the first bodybuilders and powerlifters ate kilograms of powdered milk, which contained at least 27% protein. When fundamental research was carried out in the United States in the 50s on the negative role of cholesterol and saturated fats in the functioning of the human cardiovascular system, milk powder began to be skimmed, producing a powdered protein mixture (PPM), which already contained 58% protein and only 1 .4% fat. Sometimes the isolated blood of slaughtered animals was added to the SBS. The next stage was the production of milk protein concentrates (proteins) with 85% protein and only 1% fat.

For a long time, only casein was isolated from milk, and albumins and globulins were lost along with the whey. The whey was poured out or, at best, went to feed livestock. This continued until the 60s. Now whey is carefully processed to extract proteins, which are absorbed much better than casein, because. have a fine dispersed structure. Many high-quality sports nutrition products contain whey milk protein as it is the most digestible and cheapest to produce, because it is obtained from whey, which was previously simply poured out.

All types of milk proteins are well balanced in amino acid composition, but have some excess of methionine. On the one hand, this is good, because, as we have already said, it has the ability to reduce blood cholesterol levels. On the other hand, excess methionine in the intestine is converted by putrefactive microorganisms into highly toxic butyric propionic acid.

Soy proteins, on the contrary, are poorly balanced in methionine, which they lack somewhat. Therefore, a combination of soy and milk proteins is a very successful find. Of the domestic manufacturers of sports nutrition, this is exactly the path followed by the company, which produces the protein (or rather, several types of protein) Muscle Mass 4000. This product has an optimal balance of soy and whey proteins. The product contains vitamins, amino acid supplements and microelements. The combination of high quality with a low price is exactly what athletes need in the current difficult economic situation.

When the sports nutrition industry became an independent branch of production, many companies began to produce L-forms of crystalline amino acids (only levorotatory isomers are considered biologically active).

And the very first starting material was the milk protein casein, which was hydrolyzed using special enzymes. This is how free amino acids were obtained. Later they began to be produced from other types of protein, but milk protein is still the main raw material for the preparation of free forms of amino acids. Even in intensive care, patients who cannot feed themselves are administered intravenously a liquid mixture of amino acids derived from casein.

Yu. B. Bulanov

Benefits of cow's milk at night

Milk contains a number of amino acids that have a sedative effect on the nervous system. Therefore, in the evening, the properties of the product will be beneficial for those who suffer from insomnia - milk will help you fall asleep quickly and soundly. In addition, drinking milk at night is good for colds.

But the benefits and harms of milk at night accompany each other. Since the product is quite nutritious, it takes a long time to digest - the stomach and intestines continue to work before going to bed. This can be harmful; you should not drink milk before bed on a regular basis.

Harm of cow's milk and contraindications

Despite all its beneficial properties, milk can be very harmful. First of all, in many people it causes an allergic reaction - lactose intolerance manifests itself in the form of nausea and diarrhea after drinking milk. In this case, you should completely abandon the product, it will only cause harm.

Healthy milk has other contraindications, namely:

• obesity;
• phosphate kidney stones;
• tendency to deposit calcium salts in joints;
• acute pancreatitis and gastric ulcer;
• infectious food poisoning.

You should take this healthy drink with increased caution after 50 years. If you drink too much milk, its properties can be harmful and lead to the development of atherosclerosis and osteoporosis.

Rules for choosing cow's milk

Choosing high-quality, healthy milk in a store or market is quite simple - you need to pay attention to a few points.

• Fat content of milk. The higher it is, the higher the calorie content of the product, and nutritional value plays an important role not only in weight loss, but also in some diseases.
• Processing method. In stores, milk is sold mostly pasteurized and sterilized - it is better to give preference to the first option, since it retains more beneficial properties.
• Composition and name. High-quality healthy milk should not contain unnecessary chemical components, flavors and dyes. In addition, the product must be called exactly one word - “milk”. If the price tag says “milk drink”, “milk” or “milk product”, this means that the content of milk itself in the product is insignificant.

Fresh milk can only be purchased from trusted and reliable suppliers who can guarantee the sanitary safety of the healthy product.

How to choose

The color of milk ranges from white, sometimes with a bluish tint, to light yellow. And the brighter the yellowness, the more fat.

There are pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized milk. The first is heated at a temperature of about 70°C, the second - 150°C. The latter technology is preferable for two reasons: the highest quality raw materials are selected for ultra-pasteurization, and the product is stored in closed packaging for up to 6 months. You can also find sterilized milk on the shelves. Of particular value for the human body is pasteurized protein milk, for the preparation of which both whole and dry raw materials are used.

The material from which the container is made is also important. Glass is considered the safest: it does not react chemically with the contents. Among modern materials, Tetra Pak aseptic packaging is preferable.

They buy milk only in whole packages. If the latter is damaged, the shelf life is reduced and the risk of pathogenic organisms getting inside increases, which sometimes leads to poisoning.

Pay attention to the composition stated on the bottle or package. High-quality products do not contain palm oil, preservatives, dyes, or antibiotics.

Unscrupulous sellers do not comply with sanitary rules, and E. coli, yeast, and mold are often found in the product. Therefore, it is not worth shopping at spontaneous markets.

Homemade milk is purchased only from trusted farmers who have official documents on animal health. Pay attention to the following details:

• lack of water - a drop of whole milk on the nail looks homogeneous;
• adding thickness due to starch - checked with a drop of iodine (if there is a thickener, the liquid turns blue);
• prevention of souring by adding soda - if you pour a little vinegar into such a product, foam or bubbles will appear on the surface;
• non-compliance with sanitary rules - if you carefully lift the bottle without turning it over or shaking it, debris and dirt will settle at the bottom;
• poorly washed udder - this is indicated by a characteristic “cow” smell, which is mistakenly taken as a sign of a high-quality rural product.

How and for how long can cow's milk be stored?

The fresh product from the cow has a short shelf life - only up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Store-bought milk that has been pasteurized is stored a little longer - up to 5 days after opening the package.

Sterilized milk can be stored for the longest time, since there are simply no living bacteria in it; it retains its valuable properties for up to 1.5 months. True, the benefits of such milk are significantly reduced.

The healthy product should be stored exclusively in the refrigerator, not on the door, but on one of the shelves, where a stable temperature is maintained.

Composition of breast milk

percentage of the composition of breast milk
Each woman’s milk is unique, like herself, but the set of components of this product is the same for all nursing mothers. Composition of breast milk:

• Biologically active water (88%) is the main component, perfectly absorbed by infants. If the baby is completely breastfed, then there is no need to give him additional water;
• Carbohydrates (7%) are presented in the form of lactose (milk sugar), which accelerates the development of the brain and nervous system, promotes the full absorption of iron and calcium and the bifidum factor with an antifungal and antibacterial effect that normalizes intestinal function;
• Fats (4%) are a source of strength for the baby: thanks to them, the immune system is strengthened and a full-fledged central nervous system is formed. Fats contain cholesterol (for the production of vitamin D), bile and major hormones. The balance of fats and carbohydrates in breast milk is ideal for a growing baby;
• Proteins (1%) are the basis for the growth of infants who quickly gain weight. They contain whey protein, taurine (for the development of the central nervous system and brain), lactoferrin (a source of iron), nucleotides (building material for DNA), lactase (for the breakdown of lactose), lipase (for complete absorption of fats);
• The remaining components (0.2%) are iron, vitamins, minerals, 20 types of hormones (growth factors), antibodies, leukocytes (protection of the immune system).

The quality of breast milk in a nursing mother is not constant; its composition can change under the influence of many factors:

1. The time of day is more dense during the day than at night.
2. Weather - in the heat milk is liquid, in the cold it thickens.
3. Mom’s health – if you have a weakened immune system or are taking medications, the composition of the product is different.
4. The baby's activity - at first the milk is liquid (instead of water), with intense sucking it thickens and becomes fatty.

A mother breastfeeding twins may have a different composition of milk food, because it must be adapted to the needs of each baby. The volume and quality of milk largely depends on the health of the nursing mother, adequate nutrition, sleep and rest patterns, medication intake, and bad habits (nicotine, alcohol).

It is important to know: the more often you put your baby to your breast, the more invaluable product it produces. There will be exactly as much as the baby needs, so you need to feed him on demand! We read about which feeding method to choose - by the hour or on demand.

[sc:rsa]

Types of milk by age

Colostrum, fore and hind milk

• Colostrum is a thick, sticky yellowish liquid produced in small quantities in the first 4 days. Its composition is close to the baby's blood serum - a significant amount of proteins, leukocytes, vitamins, immunoglobulin, and salts. Promotes rapid adaptation of the newborn to a new way of eating. This is why it is so important to put your baby to the breast in the first hours after birth. If the baby was born premature, mother's milk for 2 weeks is close in composition to colostrum, since this is exactly the food the baby needs during this period. On the subject: What is the importance of early attachment of a newborn to the breast;
• Transitional milk is produced in the first 2-3 weeks. In composition, it is more nutritious and less protein, adapted to a growing body and new products;
• Mature milk appears from the third week. It is more oily and watery. Protein is produced less and less with age; mature milk contains mainly fatty acids, which are responsible for normal brain function. Normally, a woman produces up to 1.5 liters of mature breast milk per day. A distinction is made between foremilk and hindmilk: Foremilk - bluish and liquid - is secreted in the first minutes of feeding, it contains carbohydrates, salts and water, and serves to quench thirst.
• The back is yellowish and thick - complete food for the baby.

Compatibility of cow's milk with other products

Natural milk is best combined with cereals, durum pasta and flour products - eating these products together does not cause harm. It is better not to consume fresh milk with vegetables and fruits; most often this provokes flatulence and diarrhea, an unpleasant feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

Very often, milk is added to coffee or tea, and here its benefits become ambiguous. On the one hand, in hot drinks the product loses most of its valuable properties. vitamins are destroyed under the influence of high temperature. But on the other hand, even heated milk can neutralize the effect of caffeine, which means adding it to coffee and strong tea will be useful if you are prone to hypertension or heart disease.

Drinks with milk

The product is often mixed with other drinks. Sometimes such a connection is beneficial, in some cases it can cause harm:

Green tea with milk has always been drunk in Asian countries. They consider this combination one of the most useful. Green tea reduces the risk of heart attack, is good for teeth, and helps you lose weight. Milk added to a hot drink promotes complete absorption of the substances contained in green tea.

The compound also preserves the nervous system: milk neutralizes the stimulating effect of tannin, which is sufficient in tea. The drink has a strong diuretic effect; if you have kidney disease, it is undesirable to drink it. Green tea with milk is also useful for those who want to lose weight. The drink suppresses appetite well.

Black tea with milk. The main feature of the drink is to increase vitality and restore strength after physical exertion. Those who like to add milk to black tea are less likely to suffer from gastrointestinal and kidney diseases. The drink relieves the symptoms of poisoning. In order for tea to bring maximum benefits, you need to prepare it like this: first pour milk into a cup, and then add tea leaves.

Chicory with milk is a successful combination that allows you to easily absorb beneficial substances from both products. The drink is especially useful for older people. Chicory normalizes blood pressure, improves digestion, and has a positive effect on the nervous system. Milk softens the specific taste of the product.

Useful recipe: add 1 tbsp to a glass of milk. l. chicory. The mixture is brought to a boil, infused for 3-5 minutes, and filtered.

Cocoa with milk reduces the risk of blood clots, improves the condition of teeth, prevents the development of cancer, stimulates mental activity and improves mood. The drink is good for men: it helps produce testosterone and protects against prostatitis.

Women seeking to lose weight can safely add cocoa and milk without sugar to their menu. Low-calorie product reduces cravings for sweets. It is not advisable for pregnant and lactating women to drink cocoa with milk: the drink contains some caffeine.

Coffee with milk is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, people with diseases of the cardiovascular system. The drink will not harm others. Milk reduces the stimulating effect of caffeine and softens the taste of the drink. Coffee suppresses appetite, increases performance, and improves the condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Using milk, you can create different types of drinks: mocha, latte, cappuccino.

Milk with honey is the best sedative, useful for people in a state of prolonged stress. Drinking in the morning, the drink, on the contrary, can awaken the body. Honey in combination with milk strengthens bones, has a beneficial effect on digestion, and increases endurance. Both products are also used externally: honey and milk improve skin condition.

Recipe for insomnia: 1 glass of milk is heated over low heat and poured into a cup. Add 1 tbsp to the liquid. l. honey

Milk with cinnamon relieves pain and helps you relax. With the help of the drink you can get rid of parasites in the body, increase immunity, and improve skin condition. Milk and cinnamon help you lose weight: the combination of foods gives you a feeling of fullness and reduces anxiety, which often causes overeating.

Useful recipe: 1 cinnamon stick is added to 1 glass of milk. The mixture is supplemented with 5 drops of vanilla and 1 tsp. honey