The milk is indeed a good food. The human body requires a certain amount of protein and calcium daily, milk may be the most convenient way to provide high-quality protein and calcium. Milk are classified as "high-quality protein" because milk proteins and human demand on the amino acid composition is very close, also the digestion and absorption rate is high. The milk is not only rich in calcium and it’s absorption rate is high also. In addition, milk also contains a considerable number of manganese, potassium, and certain vitamins and other trace elements. So milk is the conventional food of people.
Good food, not which one is irreplaceable. In fact, milk is a common allergen, and there are a lot people who is lactose intolerant . When these kind of people drink milk, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and even other more serious reactions will occur.In addition, for those vegan, milk is the refusal column.
We eat any food, in order to meet the specific nutritional needs. Which food can apply the major nutrients provided by milk?
First talk about the protein. For a long time in the history, people are lacking of protein in the diet, especially the relative lack of high quality protein. In that era, eggs, milk quality protein-rich food, becomes a "tonic". Now, most people have solved the problem of food and clothing, and in many areas, lack of protein no longer exists, and even a lot of people are protein excessed. So, without milk, the protein problem is a easily being solved. In addition to eggs, soy products, chicken, fish and other lean meat are also good source for protein.
For milk, calcium is the more important contribution than the protein.People need about 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day.100 grams of milk provide about 110 mg calcium. If you do not drink milk, calcium can come from vegetables. Good source of calcium is spinach, cabbage, beans, and so on. 100 grams spinach or cabbage contains the similar amount of calcium comparing to 100 grams of milk. 100 grams tofu contained calcium even more than two cups of milk.
As for the other nutrients provided by milk, such as manganese, potassium, vitamin D, B2, B12, etc., can be obtained from other foods. Such as manganese, potassium and vitamin B2, spinach and milk compared favorably; B vitamins, eggs richer.
In fact, the advantages of milk are obvious, but of course, it is also not a "perfect food". In recent years, some scholars believe that saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein in the milk, is quite detrimental to human health. They believe that although the milk does provide quality nutrients mentioned earlier, but those ingredients can be obtained from other foods. Taking into account its "negative effect", these scholars do not even think that milk is a good food. Although this view is "small minority", the mainstream view is still the milk as a quality food, but it also shows that at least: the milk is not that necessary.
For videos, please click Why is milk bad?
All in all, the milk was a good food. However, it provides nutrients which can be obtained through other foods. As long as a comprehensive and balanced attention to food, drink milk or not is not a big deal.
Note Marisa Salon's blog page about nutrition, she shares some similar idea with my work.
Pictures:
Marlow Foods Ltd, 2012，http://www.cauldronfoods.com/cauldrontofu/
Tinatian nurition, 2004, http://www.51ttyy.com/
