Milk; The Nutrition Powerhouse

Full cream, skim, A2, soy, rice, almond, coconut, macadamia…the list goes on. The market is flooded with milk of all kinds. And while the popularity of plant-based milk is on the rise, you have to ask the question, how processed are these products? And what nutrition is your body missing out on by switching away from dairy?

Not much can beat the nutrition of cows milk, and here are our top 7 reasons why:

• Milk is a low glycaemic index drink, which means that milk releases its natural sugar into your bloodstream steadily, giving you a stable and longer release of energy. It helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer, so you’re less inclined to snack between meals.

• Milk is a great protein source: products such as Made By Cow Cold Pressed Raw Milk provide around 9.8g of protein per serve, or nearly 20% of your Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) per day. Protein is needed to build and repair every cell in your body, and it is also excellent for satisfying your appetite.

• Milk a fantastic workout recovery drink. It contains both whey and casein protein types, which, between them, contain all the essential amino acids. One of these is leucine, which switches on muscle synthesis, important for optimising results after a hard workout.

• One serve of milk can deliver nearly 40% of your RDI of calcium per day. This mineral is good for more than just healthy and strong bones. Research has shown that higher calcium levels also trigger your body to store less fat and create more heat and therefore to burn more energy. Also, when you have enough calcium in your body your fat cells store less of it, allowing these fat cells to be used more readily by the body. These are two ways that dairy calcium can help you maintain a healthy weight.

• Milk is a great source of iodine and selenium; these are needed to support the health of your thyroid.

• A serve of milk also contains around 15% of the mineral potassium that is regarded as adequate intake. Potassium supports healthy blood pressure.

• A final highlight of cow’s milk, such as Made By Cow Cold Pressed Raw Milk, is it’s a great source of vitamin B12 and vitamin B2. Vitamin B12 supports healthy central nervous system function, while vitamin B2 helps your body make energy from the food you eat.

Take home message: Cows milk is a nutrition powerhouse! So the next time you’re thinking of the best beverage to add to your coffee or pour on top of your cereal, ignore the milk ‘wannabes’ and choose cows milk, as it really does provide optimal nutrition for your body.

By Ashleigh Feltham, Accredited Practising Dietitian

References:

1.Pereira, M.A., Jacobs, D.R.Jr., Van Horn, L., Slattery, M.L., Kartashov, A.I. & Ludwig, D.S. Dairy consumption, obesity, and the insulin resistance syndrome in young adults: the CARDIA Study. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002;287(16):2081-2089.

2. Heaney R.P., Rafferty K. Preponderance of the evidence: an example from the issue of calcium intake and body composition. Nutr Rev 2009;67(1):32-39.

3.Major G.C., Chaput J.P., Ledoux M, St-Pierre S, Anderson G.H., Zemel M.B., Tremblay A. Recent developments in calcium-related obesity research. Obes Rev 2008;9(5)428-445

4.Zemel M.B. The role of dairy foods in weight management. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005;24(6 Suppl):537S-546S.

5.Zemel M. Dietary calcium and dairy products accelerate weight and fat loss during energy restriction in obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 75(suppl):342S-343S.

6.Caan B., Neuhouser M., Aragaki A.,Lewis C.B., Jackson R., LeBoff M.S., Margolis K.L., Powell L., Uwaifo G., Whitlock E., Wylie-Rosett J, LaCroix A. Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and the risk of postmenopausal weight gain. Ann Intern Med 2007;167(9):893-902.

7. Zemel MB et al. Dairy augmentation of total and central fat loss in obese subjects. Int J Obes 2005;29:391-3

https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/potassium

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