The wonder of milk - Join the hundreds of countries celebrating World Milk Day – June 1st 2013
The Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations designates 1st June annually as World Milk Day. (Ref1) Now in its thirteenth year, many countries across the world take part to promote the benefits of drinking milk - from milk moustaches in Brazil, to concerts and stage shows in Russia, to fun runs in Alaska and vintage style poster campaigns in Spain…the list goes on and on and on!
And it is not just limited to cows’ milk - goats' milk is the most widely drunk milk in the world and is already a key healthy fridge essential for thousands of people in the UK.
Why hold a World Milk Day?
The day provides a great opportunity to support the FAO’s mandate to raise levels of nutrition in the world by focusing on milk - a natural and affordable source of important nutrients in the diet. The fact that so many countries choose to do this on the same day shows that milk is a truly global nutritious food central to health across cultures and nations.
‘Nature’s most perfect food’
For many years, milk has been hailed as one of nature’s most perfect foods. Apart from tasting great, milk is hugely versatile and whether it’s whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, it is one of the most nutritionally complete foods and has been part of our diet for thousands of years and provides a wealth of health benefits for you and your family. (Ref 2)
Three a day
Research shows that a diet that includes three servings of milk and/or dairy products a day, especially low-fat varieties, may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, colon and even breast cancer. (Ref 3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
Even in developing countries, which continue their efforts to reduce hunger, some are also facing the opposing problem of obesity. (Ref 10) Whilst many people in developed countries unnecessarily ‘turn away’ from milk thinking it is fattening, research has shown that those who consume milk and dairy foods are more likely to be slimmer than those who do not, and indeed milk may actually make it easier to lose weight, particularly from the tummy area. (Ref 11, 12, 13)
Milk is not fattening!
Milk supplies only 8% of the fat in the British diet and so is not a major contributor to fat intake. (Ref 14) In fact, there is far less fat in milk than many people think. Even whole goats’ milk contains only 3.6% fat, whilst semi-skimmed is at 1.6% and skimmed goats’ milk is virtually fat free, at just 0.1% fat. (Ref 15)
A refreshingly healthy and versatile drink
You can cool it down, heat it up, bake it, smoothie it, blend it or even milk-shake it! There are very few other foods that offer such a variety of ways to be enjoyed as part of our daily lives.
Next to water, enjoying a glass of milk is such an affordable way to combine a refreshing drink with a whole host of beneficial nutrients, while protecting your teeth at the same time.
Straight from the fridge, milk is a cool thirst-quencher, while iced cold chocolate milk is an excellent post-workout tonic. (Ref 16) A milk based hot chocolate drink is perfect on a winter’s day, whilst a mug of warm milk before bedtime, with a carbohydrate-rich snack, may help send you off into a deep slumber. (Ref 17)
Starting the day with a milky coffee is a popular trend amongst city workers and coffee enthusiasts, whilst milk-based smoothies and shakes make for a nutritious anytime treat for adults and kid alike.
There are loads of great recipes for you to explore, using milk is an essential ingredient - check out the recipe section of the St Helen’s Farm website for lots of fresh recipe ideas.
A highly nutritious liquid
One glass of goats’ milk alone can make a valuable contribution to the daily recommended intake of many important nutrients for all age groups, within relatively few calories.
For example, milk is high in protein, which your body needs to work properly and to grow or repair itself; iodine needed for keeping your metabolic rate healthy; B vitamins needed for the release of energy from food, and last but by no means least, milk is one of the richest sources of calcium needed for the normal growth and development of bone in children and for the maintenance of bone in adults (Ref 3) - a 250ml glass of St Helen’s Farm whole, semi skimmed or skimmed milk goats’ milk provides 300mg calcium – 38% of the Recommended Daily Allowance - in a form that’s well absorbed by the body. (Ref 15, 18)
There is no doubt that milk is a nutrient-rich food which as part of a varied and balanced diet, and healthy lifestyle could play an important role in maintaining health, vitality and nutritional wellbeing. So whatever you are doing on World Milk Day, raise a glass of milk to yours and your family's health.
Helen x
References:
1. Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. http://www.fao.org/economic/est/est-commodities/dairy/school-milk/13th-world-milk-day/en/. Accessed 15/05/2013
2. The Dairy Council. http://www.milk.co.uk/. Accessed 15/05/2013
3. H E Theobald. Dietary Calcium and Health. Briefing Paper. British Nutrition Foundation. 2005, London. UK.
4. Appel LJ et al (1997) A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure.
DASH Collaborative Research Group. New England Journal of Medicine 336; 1117-1124.
5. Milk, coronary heart disease and mortality 2001. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 55: p.379-82.
6. Liu S et al (2006) A Prospective Study of Dairy Intake and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in
Women. Diabetes Care 29; 1579-1584.
7. Parodi PW (2005) Dairy Product Consumption and the Risk of Breast Cancer. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 556S-568S.
8. Lipkin M & Newmark H (1995). Calcium and the prevention of colon cancer. J Cell Biochem 22; 65– 73.
9. Wu K et al (2002) Calcium intake and risk of colon cancer in women and men. J Natl Cancer Inst 94; 437-446.
10. The developing world's new burden: obesity. Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. Accessed 15/05/2013. http://www.fao.org/FOCUS/E/obesity/obes1.htm
11. Zemel MB, Richards J, Russel J, Milstead A, Gehardt L, Silva E. Dairy augmentation of total and central fat loss in obese subjects. International Journal of Obesity. 2005; 29(4): 341-7.
12. Poddar KH, Hosig KW, Nickols-Richardson SM, Anderson ES, Herbert WG, Duncan SE. Low-fat dairy intake and body weight and composition changes in college students. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009; 109(8): 1433-8.
13. Zemel MB et al (2005) Effects of calcium and dairy on body composition and weight loss in African-American adults. Obesity Research 13; 1218-1225.
14. The facts about milk. The Dairy Council. 2007
15. St Helen’s Farm, general nutrition and processing information. 2011.
16. Karp JR, et al. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006;16:78.
17. Martin Reite, John Ruddy, Kim Nagel (2002-03-27), Concise guide to evaluation and management of sleep disorders, p.98, ISBN978-1-58562-045-6.
18. Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the UK. Report of the Panel on Dietary Reference Values of the Committe on Medical Aspects of Food Policy. HMSO (London, 1991).
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