Milk Facts You May Not Know

If you're not a voracious milk consumer, but like to have a some milk on hand for occasional bowls of cereal, cooking and perhaps a coffee creamer, sometimes those half gallon containers of milk sit in the refrigerator longer than we intend. As a rule of thumb, milk can retain its freshness for up to one week after the expiration date on the carton.

Most people think that buttermilk is high in fat content. To the contrary, buttermilk only contains about 1% milk fat.

We generally regard the milk pasteurization process as a more healthful treatment to reduce bacteria and milk contamination. However, studies show that pasteurization of milk may also have a number of adverse health effects including:

• Milk allergies in children
• The reduction of calcium and phosphorous levels which may affect the metabolism of calcium, phosphorous and nitrogen
• Reduces up to 50% of the vitamin C content
• Reduces up to 25% of the vitamin B1 content
• Reduces up to 15% of the vitamin B2 content

Certified raw milk is a healthy alternative to pasteurized milk, but you need to be sure the milk product is pure.

Whole milk is the source of the highest amount of saturated fatty acids in the American diet. Whole milk can contain as much as 65% saturated fatty acids. Some level of saturated fatty acids in the diet are beneficial and serve as energy for the muscles, heart, and other organs, as well as building blocks for cell membranes, and as energy storage for the body.

However, excess levels of fatty acids not used up as energy are converted into triglycerides. A triglyceride is a molecule formed by attaching three fatty acids onto a glycerol compound that serves as a backbone. Triglycerides are then stored in the body as fat (adipose) tissue. Excess intake of saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of developing coronary artery disease.

Americans have almost tripled their consumption of low-fat milk over the last 30 years, while the consumption of whole milk has declined almost 70%. This shift in favor of low-fat milk over whole milk is directly attributed to the raised awareness of the health benefits of reduced fat intake.

A glass of warm milk before bedtime can be a soothing beverage. Milk contains the amino acid "tryptophan" which can reduce anxiety and stressful feelings. However, for some individuals who have a milk lactose intolerance, warm milk can actually cause insomnia. Many people do not have the proper enzyme "lactase" to break milk down, which causes digestive problems and diarrhea.

How many times have you heard that milk is a soothing drink to calm an ulcer. To the contrary, the calcium in milk can stimulate the secretion of stomach acids that may actually irritate certain ulcers.