People don’t naturally think of dairy products when they consider healthy eating and daily nutrition. But dairy is much more than creamy desserts and lashings of butter on your morning toast. Milk, for example, is full of healthy nutrients and positive ingredients which combine to help, not only our long-term health, but also our body’s structure and resilience.
Milk is made up of some essential elements that the body needs to grow and thrive, and there is a good reason why we are given milk at school. This is because it is highly influential in how the body develops and how robust our teeth, bones and skeleton become in adulthood. So, let’s look at these important health factors in more detail.
The health benefits of milk
A recommended regular intake of milk will help with:
- Bone health – Milk is rich in calcium which is absorbed by the body and is effective in developing bone strength, as well as repairing enamel damage on teeth. It also contains protein and phosphorous which help the body to digest calcium. This helps develop bone density from a young age and maintains it in later life also.
- Nutritional value – Having a good nutritional intake is healthy for multiple reasons. The high quality proteins in milk help to maintain muscle mass, which aids post-workout recovery, and means you are able to exercise more regularly. Milk also contains vitamin B12 which supports the functioning of the nervous system and regulates your energy levels, again, which is helpful for maintaining regular exercise.
- Low-calorie – Milk can come in a low-calorie format known as ‘skimmed milk‘, which means the saturated fats are removed and the resulting milk is low in cholesterol. This is good for heart health and is done without having any impact on taste.
- Digestion – The abundant proteins in milk make it very easily digestible also, but there are some people who are lactose-intolerant and therefore struggle with digesting dairy products. Lactose-free milk is made using a process which adds lactase to the milk and therefore enables the lactose to be broken down and digested by the body, meaning lactose-intolerant people can consume milk without experiencing stomach pain and bloating.
The benefits of UHT milk
UHT milk is made using an ultra-high heat treatment process which kills off harmful bacteria and makes the milk sterile. This can be done without impacting on the flavour, texture and quality of the milk, but importantly, also without affecting the nutritional value of the milk. So UHT milk, or long-life milk as it is sometimes called, has a much longer shelf life, but doesn’t compromise on taste and quality or the health benefits of fresh milk.
So, you can enjoy UHT milk in exactly the same way as fresh milk, and still also gain the health benefits of good bone and teeth health, and a balanced nutritional intake also.