Is milk healthy or not?

A number of disturbing articles regularly appear claiming that milk is not healthy. Is this really so?

Every baby gets milk as its first food. Milk therefore seems essential for our growth and health. It is an important source of calcium. A glass of milk contains 185 mg of calcium and we need about 900 mg of calcium every day. We need this calcium to strengthen our bones.

Without the necessary calcium, our bones would develop poorly as children and we would often suffer bone fractures as adults. Milk also contains a lot of vitamins B2 and B12, potassium, magnesium and zinc. These are necessary to maintain our health.

Some people cannot tolerate milk because they are lactose intolerant. They should choose a milk substitute that contains sufficient calcium. Clacium-rich soy products are often suitable for this. Milk is the healthiest drink after water. People on a low-calorie diet can use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.

Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMra1903547?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2023-12-11 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024