Milk is our everyday food. We use it not only in our meals as an ingredient but also we drink it on regular bases. We have heard about it’s beneficial components since we were little and this has pretty much remained until this day.
We have often heard the saying, that if we want to be tall, we should drink milk. This hass pretty much been told to every one of us, and some of us have done so, others not. In any case we have all grown up, some tall, some not so much.
So, is there really a connection between milk and growing up? Can somehow beneficial components of milk make us grow taller and stronger, and if so, how does this exactly happen?
Nutritional information-milk
There is no doubt that milk is very healthy. Besides having a great taste it is also very nutritious. It has a high amount of vitamin D which helps absorption of calcium and phosphorus and protects our immune system. It is also important for the development of bones and teeth.
Milk has a significant amount of vitamin C. This vitamin protects our whole body and makes it stronger. He prevents strokes, keeps our eyes healthy and can even prevent cancer. Vitamin B12 that can also be found in milk protects our nervous system and helps to maintain the health of our nerve cells. He also helps with digestion and heart health.
Besides these nutritional benefits it also contains a lot of iron, iron is necessary for the growth of human body and production of red blood cells. Iron helps to provide our lungs with oxygen. Besides these components, milk also contains Niacin, Riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium and many other nutritional elements.
Milk is also good for our blood pressure. Studies suggest taking 3 portions of dairy each day along with fruit and vegetables. The main components that help this process are calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Studies also show that regular intake of milk can keep our blood vessels healthy. Calcium is the main element responsible for this. Calcium helps with binding of fat cells and this way prevents cardiovasculary diseases.
If we want to stay hydrated then milk might be the right drink to take. Besides it’s great taste, milk also keeps us hydrated just like water does, since it contains a lot of liquid. So, if you just had an exhausting training or you want to re-hydrate for any other reason, pick milk. You will get all the beneficial nutrients in the same time.
And the most importanly, milk is essential for our bones and teeth. The high amount of calcium it provides makes our bones stronger and more resistant to outside and inside effects. The component that helps in this process is also phosphorus and magnesium. For our teeht, ingredients in milk help to preserve the enamel of the tooth and also helps to preserve their health.
The truth about milk and growing
Even though this might sound stupid to some people, studies do show connection to growing and milk nutrients. When you think about it, it’s not that strange. Many nutritional benefits of milk can affect growth and improve our overall health easily. So, the more you feed your body with nutrients, the more it will grow and become stronger.
Milk contains all the important factors for growth. We can take Dutch people as an example. They have become the world’s tallest nation by drinking milk. Milk and dairy products are considered as a staple in their diet, so these foods have made the Dutch people to become the tallest nation.
Holland has the tallest nation in the whole world. an average Dutchman eats about 25% more milk and other dairy foods than people in USA and UK. Average Dutchman has the height of 5ft 4in. This also goes for the countires that surround Holland. On average all Dutchman are over 6ft tall. This can also go out to genetics, but it has been proven that milk can affect growth very much.
The Dutcman are not the only example. Maasai are all over 6ft. tall. And their height has also been proven as a result of dairy consumption on daily basis.
So, overall milk is a source of high energy and high biological protein. It also contains fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. They are all important for us and our bodies.
Milk and pregnancy
Many studies also show that drinking milk during pregnancy is very important. This way our bodies recieve everything they need, all the healthy nutrients while we are still developing in our mother’s womb. So, if you are tall, you can ask your mother if she had a lot of milk while she was carrying you.
In another study, women were tested. They were separated in two groups. The ones that hadmilk and the ones that didn’t. Every mother in the first group, drank about one pint of milk every day. The result was obvious. The ones that drinked milk gave birth to taller kids, and the ones that didn’t had shorter kids. These results were even published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Milk is also recommended during growing up. Our childern need a big amount of milk and it’s nutrients to grow up healthy and vital. Keep milk in his diet at all times and make sure his body is reacting okay. Their bones are developing and they need to get all the beneficial components in milk, like calcium and magnesium to get to their full capacity.
Milk and BMI
Milk consumption is also connected to BMI. The department of antropology in Bloomington examined the relationship between drinking milk and increase of BMI. This study showed that children who were drinking milk between the ages of 2 and 4, grow up to be taller than the other children. In this age they have been given milk, and this is how the connection between milk and BMI was made.
This has just been proven with milk and not other dairy products. So yogurt, custards , ice cream and pudding is not included. They don’t have the same nutritional benefits like milk, and most of them have been processed and supplemented so they can not replace milk. Keep that in mind.
Food intolerance-milk
One of biggest issues with milk consumption is it’s intolerance that happens by certain people. Many people have lactose intolerance, so this prevents them from having milk, and also eating other milk products. They have a harder time processing lactose, so making up for the calcium and other nutritional components that milk contains might be a problem.
If you are lactose intolerant or your child is then don’t worry. Ask your doctor or nutricionist for advice on how to make up for all the nutrients you need, to keep your body satisfied. Milk is important and recommended but not necessary.
So in the end milk is very healthy. He provides us with all the beneficial nutrients we need to stay healthy and grow stronger. We have been drinking milk since we were little and this pretty much remained as our habit.
We know it is healthy and we also like the way it tastes, so one reason mmore to like it. There are many studies as I mentioned before about milk and growth connection. Some of them indicate there is strong connection between milk and growth, and others are not that convinced.
Whoever you want to believe, there is no doubt that milk is important in our lives. Even more when we are little and we need a lot of nutrients to grow up healthy and strong. There is a reason why milk is important in every childs meal plan, and this has been proven many times.
If you are lactose intolerant thhen of course you can’t make your body to accept lactose. Don’t worry and make up with other foods. For all the others that can consume it, milk is highly recommended, like a drink just as well as like a meal ingredient. Expecially if you are raising a child. So, give your body all the beneficial nutrients and also benefit from it by growing strong and healthy.
You can decide to believe in facts, or decide not to, but in any case, drink milk and give your body the nutrition it needs. It doesn’t really matter how strong we are, what is important is to be healthy with or without milk.