Drinking Milk: Benefits Versus Risks
Milk is a good source of nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, potassium and protein. One cup of fortified milk provides 314 milligrams of calcium, 397 milligrams of potassium, 100.5 milligrams of vitamin D and 8.53 grams of protein. It also boasts 245 milligrams of phosphorus and 645 milligrams of vitamin A.
So should you be drinking three cups of milk per day to satisfy your calcium requirements and keep your bones healthy? It can be tricky to understand how much milk you need to drink, or whether you need to drink milk at all because for every study that says milk is healthy, there’s another one that says it may not be.
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The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health takes into account the various health benefits and risks associated with milk consumption and recommends that you limit your milk intake to one or two cups per day.
According to the HSPH, milk can be a convenient source of calcium, which is key to maintaining bone health. This beverage may also help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and colon cancer. However, the HSPH notes that there are no additional health benefits to gain from drinking more milk than that and, in fact, you could open yourself up to health risks, such as greater odds of developing prostate and ovarian cancer.
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Foods High In Calcium
Milk and other dairy foods arent the only way to get your daily recommended intake of calcium. Some non-dairy options include calcium-fortified orange juice, kale, soybeans, some varieties of tofu, canned sardines, and white beans.4
An 8-ounce glass of fortified orange juice contains about 30% of the recommended Daily Value of calcium, similar to an equal serving of milk.4 Calcium in fortified OJ is also well-absorbed.1
Milk Buttermilk Fluid Whole
The full nutrition content, RDA percentages and levels for Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole should be considered along with the vitamin d content. This food profile is part of our list of food and drinks under the general group Dairy and Egg Products.Other important and vitamin d related nutrients are Calories, Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate. For this 100g serving in your diet, the amount of Calories is 62 kcal , the amount of Protein is 3.21 g , the amount of Fat is 3.31 g and the amount of Carbohydrate is 4.88 g . The nutritional content and facts for 100g, which includes Calories, Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate is shown in the RDA chart below as percentages of the recommended daily allowance along with the vitamin d levels in whole milk.
Our proprietary nutritional density score gives a nutritional value out of 100 based on 9 different vitamins, minerals and macro nutrients. Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole has a nutritional value score of 14 out of 100.
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Highest Amount Of Vitamin D Per Serving
Please remember that the above gives an accurate value in 100g for high vitamin d foods in your diet. For example 100g of Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole contains 52 IU of vitamin d. However, there are other factors to consider when you are assessing your nutritional requirements. You should also take into account portion sizes when you are considering the vitamin d nutritional content.
The food with the highest vitamin d content per typical serving is Milk, dry, whole, with added vitamin D which contains 537.6 IU in 1 cup . For this serving the Calories content is 634.88 kcal, the Protein content is 33.69 g, the Fat content is 34.19 g and the Carbohydrate content is 49.18 g.
Why Is Vitamin D So Important
Calcium gets most of the credit for maintaining strong, healthy bones, but vitamin D is also a key player in bone health.
You can have all the calcium in the world, it doesnt get absorbed into your bones without vitamin D, Donald Ford, MD, a family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. Thats vitamin Ds jobwithout it, the calcium you get from yogurt, cheese, and even vegetables like broccoli wouldnt get absorbed, and ultimately wouldnt do much in terms of keeping your bones strong. Vitamin D can also help prevent against osteoporosis, which makes your bones brittle, and a vitamin D deficiency can contribute to a gradual loss of strength of bones over time, Dr. Ford says.
As far as a daily dosage of vitamin D goes, the Institute of Medicine recommends 600-1000 IU of Vitamin D daily to meet 95% of the populations needs, says Tania Elliott, MD, an instructor of clinical medicine at NYU Langone. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get the recommended amount each dayheres how.
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In Language And Culture
The importance of milk in human culture is attested to by the numerous expressions embedded in our languages, for example, “the milk of human kindness”, the expression “there’s no use crying over spilt milk” , “don’t milk the ram” and “Why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?” .
In Greek mythology, the Milky Way was formed after the trickster god Hermes suckled the infant Heracles at the breast of Hera, the queen of the gods, while she was asleep. When Hera awoke, she tore Heracles away from her breast and splattered her breast milk across the heavens. In another version of the story, Athena, the patron goddess of heroes, tricked Hera into suckling Heracles voluntarily, but he bit her nipple so hard that she flung him away, spraying milk everywhere.
In many African and Asian countries, butter is traditionally made from fermented milk rather than cream. It can take several hours of churning to produce workable butter grains from fermented milk.
Holy books have also mentioned milk. The Bible contains references to the “Land of Milk and Honey” as a metaphor for the bounty of the Promised Land. In the Qur’an, there is a request to wonder on milk as follows: “And surely in the livestock there is a lesson for you, We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies from the midst of digested food and blood, pure milk palatable for the drinkers” . The Ramadan fast is traditionally broken with a glass of milk and dates.
How Much Vitamin D Should I Take For Depression
Studies suggest that depression is associated with a lower level of vitamin D. If you have a lower concentration of vitamin D for a prolonged period, you may grow symptoms of depression. 400-800 IU of vitamin D is sufficient to keep depression at bay. A study on two groups of healthy people is done to find the effects of two different doses of vitamin D, 400 IU and 800 IU. The study shows that 400 IU D/day keeps their mode high, whereas 800 D/day doesnt significantly impact them.
Intake of a minimum of 400 IU D/day of vitamin D with calcium supplementation enhances your mental health and ward depression and sadness off your life. Calcium is needed for the proper absorption of vitamin D through the intestine. You may take 1000-4000 IU of vitamin D per day to maintain optimal blood vessels. However, consuming 4000 IU of vitamin D is harmful and should be avoided as it can form some nasty diseases, including stone formation.
However, its still a hypothesis that vitamin D has significant effects on depression. A year-round study done on 250 females show that vitamin D supplementation doesnt significantly change the mood scores if you consider the seasonal effects. More researches are underway. As time passes, well know the underlying mechanisms of vitamin D effects on depression.
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Why Vitamin D Is Important
Vitamin D boosts immunity to a great extent if your body produces it at the right amount. It activates the T-cell and antigen rich cells to protect our body from exogenous microorganisms. Vitamin D contains two of the most influential factors to prevent diseases overall: anti-inflammatory function and immunoregulatory properties. So, if vitamin D deficiency occurs, some infections like pneumonia, tuberculosis, asthma, viral diseases, and other chronic diseases start to attack the respiratory system.
If your body lacks vitamin D concentration, an inflammatory mechanism named cytokine storm increases significantly. Increased cytokines are harmful as they damage the cells and tissue of our body and spread the inflammation widely.
Cytokine is a protein that is an essential part of our overall immunity. Vitamin D, a steroid hormone, controls gene expression and influences protein production in your body. And proteins are the stronghold in protection against various diseases.
Vitamin D also maintains some vital parts of our body, including muscles, teeth, and bones. Due to vitamin D deficiency, adults may suffer from osteomalacia and other bone diseases, and the child may suffer from rickets.
How Do I Know If Im Getting Enough Vitamin D
The best way to know your vitamin D levels is to get your blood taken. Not everyone needs to get their vitamin D levels checked regularly, but it may be a good idea if youre experiencing symptoms of a deficiency. Here are the common ranges:
Some common signs and symptoms of low vitamin D include :
- Bone pain
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
Certain individuals, such as those with chronic kidney disease or inflammatory bowel disease, are at higher risk of being vitamin D deficient . People with low vitamin D levels need to take a high-dose supplement, while those without a deficiency can usually maintain vitamin D levels through a healthy diet .
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Iu Of Vitamin D In Whole Milk
This list of 6 types of whole milk, is brought to you by www.dietandfitnesstoday.com and ranges from Milk, dry, whole, with added vitamin D through to Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, without added vitamin A and vitamin D where all food items are ranked by the content or amount per 100g. The nutritional vitamin d content can be scaled by the amount in grams, oz or typical serving sizes. Simply click on a food item or beverage from the list at the bottom of the page to give a full dietary nutritional breakdown to answer the question how much vitamin d in whole milk.
The list below gives the total vitamin d content in the 6 items from the general description ‘whole milk’ each of which show the vitamin d amount as well as Calories, Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate. Below, is the top 6 food items shown in the vitamin d chart. This gives a quick and easy dietary comparison for the different items, where each item is listed at the bottom of the page with a nutritional summary.
The corresponding nutritional value for whole milk based on our density score out of 100 is shown in the below nutritional density chart.
The corresponding Calories for whole milk ranked by the amount of vitamin d per 100g is shown below in the whole milk calories chart.
May Be Linked To Certain Cancers
In some cases, diets rich in milk and other dairy products have been linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancer.
For instance, a recent review of 11 studies in over 700,000 people, found that men with high intakes of dairy especially from whole milk may be 1.5 times more likely to die from prostate cancer .
Similarly, another recent review of 34 studies linked dairy consumption to a 20% higher risk of stomach cancer .
However, other studies observed no link between milk or dairy intake and cancer risk. In some cases, dairy even appears to offer small protective effects against colorectal, bladder, breast, pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancers .
Whats more, diets high in added sugars have been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers including esophageal cancer and cancer of the pleura, a membrane that covers the lungs .
Though some research indicates that certain types of milk may elevate your risk of certain cancers, more studies exploring these associations are needed before strong conclusions can be made.
Summary
Chocolate milk is rich in added sugars and may increase your risk of various conditions, including heart disease and certain cancers. Still, research is not conclusive.
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Nutrition For Infant Mammals
In almost all mammals, milk is fed to infants through breastfeeding, either directly or by expressing the milk to be stored and consumed later. The early milk from mammals is called colostrum. Colostrum contains antibodies that provide protection to the newborn baby as well as nutrients and growth factors. The makeup of the colostrum and the period of secretion varies from species to species.
For humans, the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and breastfeeding in addition to other food for up to two years of age or more. In some cultures it is common to breastfeed children for three to five years, and the period may be longer.
Fresh goats’ milk is sometimes substituted for breast milk, which introduces the risk of the child developing electrolyte imbalances, metabolic acidosis, megaloblastic anemia, and a host of allergic reactions.
How Much Vitamin D Is In A Gallon Of Milk
Are you thinking to build a habit of drinking fortified milk to get an excellent combo of calcium and vitamin D? Then youve chosen the best option to keep your body properly functioning. Vitamin D helps in calcium absorption from the intestines. Though vitamin D isnt found naturally on cow milk, manufacturers add them to enhance the functioning of calcium. Moreover, milk is regarded as a balanced diet containing all the proximate principles of food.
Its one of the best options to buy a carton of a gallon of milk to get them fresh and flavorful. However, among the options buying a gallon size milk can help you chug them for a longer period. And the gallon size packages are more available in the stores. So do you want to know how much vitamin D is in a gallon of milk?
The Food and Drug Administration approve certain limits of vitamin D to cow milk and plant-based milk. In 100 grams of milk, manufacturers can add up to 84 IU of vitamin D3 to cow milk. Plant-based milk contains the same amount, 84 IU of vitamin D2.
Different types of fortified milk are available in the stores, including whole milk, nonfat milk, raw cows milk, goats milk, almond milk, etc. 1-cup serving of whole milk contains 98 IU of vitamin D. However, cows raw milk doesnt have any trace amount of vitamin D.
A gallon of milk contains 1568 IU of vitamin D, which can suffice your sunshine demand for almost three days .
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Should You Drink Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk provides important nutrients such as calcium, protein, and vitamin D which may benefit health. However, its high in calories and added sugar, which can contribute to weight gain and may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases.
Chocolate milk intake should be closely monitored in children. Too much can contribute to obesity, cavities, and other health issues in kids .
Though chocolate milk is a tasty beverage, it should be considered more of a dessert than a beverage for children and adults alike.
Summary
Vitamin D And The Sun
The body makes vitamin D when skin is exposed to the ultraviolet light from the sun. During the winter months in New York the UVB rays are not adequate to make enough vitamin D. In addition, as we age, our bodies are less able to make vitamin D from sun exposure. The most important factor that blocks the body’s ability to make vitamin D, is the use of sunscreen to protect skin from sun damage. For all of these reasons, especially the importance of protecting your skin, it is recommended that people use sunscreen and get vitamin D from foods and/or supplements.
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How Much Milk Should You Drink At The Age Of 50 And Also Over 50
Whether you’re six or 66, drinking milk is supposed to help keep your bones healthy. However, given the bad reputation this beverage has gotten lately, it can be tricky to figure out how much milk you should be drinking every day.
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Tip
The USDA recommends that you consume three cups of dairy per day to meet your calcium requirements and keep your bones strong. Of this intake, one or two cups can be from milk.
Find Out Whether Soy Almond And Other Popular Nondairy Drinks Provide Enough Of This Key Vitamin
Getting enough vitamin D from your diet can be a challenge if youre not much of a milk drinker. Thats because dairy milk, which is usually fortified with the bone-friendly nutrient, is one of the few foods that contain D in abundant amounts. But milk alternatives, such as soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and rice milk, may be a good option for getting vitamin D, especially now.
Many milk alternatives are fortified with vitamin D, so they contain almost as much D as cows milk. And since the Food and Drug Administration has recently increased the amount of vitamin D that can be added to both dairy milk and milk alternatives, you can now get up to 205 international units of D in an 8-ounce glass of your favorite dairy substitute. Thats almost twice as much as a milk drink could contain before the rule change.
This could really help, says Kelly Pritchett, Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor in nutrition and exercise science at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash., and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Most people dont get enough D. Fortified foods are the biggest provider in the American diet. They may be especially important if you rarely get outside in the sunshine, because your body makes D from sunlight.
Read our special report, Supplements Can Make You Sick.
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