For centuries, milk has been thought of as an “ideal” food. For most people, milk and milk products are still an important source of nutrition. But to some ignorant people, they just don’t get it. Below are just 10 good reasons why…..

1. Calcium Can Keep You Trim: A study of adolescent girls showed those who consumed the most calcium were also the leanest. Researchers have found that calcium at the cellular level causes fat to be broken down in the cell and speeds up the rate at which calories are burned.

2. Decreases the risk of kidney stones: It’s a myth that high calcium intake causes kidney stones. Most kidney stones are composed of calcium oxalate. And oxalate is chiefly responsible for stone formation. But calcium, by binding with oxalate in the intestine, decreases its absorption. With less oxalate the risk of stone formation is decreased.

LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

3. Lowers the risk of breast cancer: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) present in milk slows the development of mammary tumours in animals. Postmenopausal women with high levels of CLA in their blood and fatty tissue have a 70% lower chance of breast cancer.

4. Less risk of colon cancer: Increased consumption of milk products has been shown to decrease the risk of colon cancer in both sexes by 40%. A huge benefit since colon malignancy is a major cause of death.

5. Fights hypertension: A study titled Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), showed that people consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables have lower blood pressures. Add three servings of milk products and the blood pressure lowering effect is doubled. This results in fewer heart attacks and strokes. The DASH diet also lowers homocysteine levels, a risk factor in heart disease, the nation’s number one killer.

6. Fights Insulin Resistance Syndrome (IRS): People who are obese and have hypertension, decreased amounts of good cholesterol (HDL), impaired glucose metabolism and high blood triglyceride have what doctors call IRS. This combination of problems now affects 25% of the population and interferes with the body’s ability to control blood sugar. The end result is often diabetes which affects 5% of the population. Those who consumed a low level of milk products tripled their risk of developing IRS.

7. A natural treatment for the Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): Studies show that women with PMS appear to have abnormalities in calcium metabolism. And that women taking 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams of calcium rich foods such as milk experience significant improvements in mood, behaviour, pain and bloating during the menstrual cycle.

8. Lowers the chance of developing ovarian malignancy: In a study of 588 women with ovarian cancer, those with the highest intake of milk and dairy calcium halved their risk of ovarian cancer. But calcium supplements and non-dairy food sources of calcium did not provide this protection.

9. Helps to keep teeth for a lifetime: Children are taught that calcium in milk helps to build strong teeth. But few know that milk protein and cheese fight the formation of dental plaque and help to coat the teeth. This decreases the amount of fermentable carbohydrate in the mouth and the risk of dental caries.

10. The prime way to stay out of a wheelchair: Too many people still haven’t heard the message that milk and dairy products are the prime way to combat brittle bones. It’s a tragedy that young people are drinking huge amounts of soft drinks loaded with sugar when they should be drinking milk. Consuming three glasses of milk daily builds strong bones early in life. Later, as we age we lose bone, so having powerful bones in youth is the best insurance policy to stay on your feet rather than in a wheelchair.

*Note
One point of common interest in nearly all the reasons to drink milk is that calcium pills don’t have the same good effects as the calcium and other nutrients found naturally in milk.