What happens if you drink a glass of milk every day? Strengthen bones? Reduce cancer risk?

Milk is a healthy drink recommended by the Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Residents to drink every day. It has a mellow taste. Different countries have some differences in the recommended intake of milk. The most is Australia, which recommends that residents drink 750 mL of milk every day, while my country recommends drinking 300-500 mL of milk every day.

From the comparison of different countries, we can see that the recommended intake of milk in my country is at a medium level. Even so, the amount of milk consumed by Chinese residents is not satisfactory. In 2018, the average daily intake of milk and its products by Chinese adults was only 27.9 grams per day, which is less than 1/10 of the minimum recommended intake of milk in the dietary guidelines. Only 4% of people can drink more than 200 grams of milk per day. Regarding the issue of drinking milk, Chinese residents really need to continue to work hard!
So, what changes will happen to your body if you drink a cup of milk every day?
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01
The nutritional value of milk is not only calcium supplementation. First, let's talk about the nutritional value of milk. The most well-known one is calcium supplementation. Drinking 300 mL of milk every day can provide more than 300 mg of calcium, which can reach nearly 40% of the daily calcium requirement of the general population. In fact, drinking milk can not only supplement calcium, but also supplement other nutrients!
High-quality protein: Milk contains high-quality protein, mainly casein and whey protein, which are easily absorbed by the human body. The protein content is about 3.5%, which is an important way to supplement protein in daily life. If you drink 300 mL of milk every day, you can take in nearly 10 grams of protein, which can meet 18% of the daily protein requirement of an average woman.
Potassium: Milk is rich in potassium, 180 mg/100 g, and is easy to ingest. One 250 mL pack of milk can provide 450 mg of potassium, which is 22.5% of the average person's daily potassium requirement.
Magnesium: Although the magnesium content in milk is not very high, only 11 mg/100 g, if you can drink 500 mL of milk, you can ingest 55 mg of magnesium, which can meet 17% of the general population's daily magnesium requirement.
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B vitamins: Milk is a good source of B vitamins, especially vitamin B2. Drinking 300 ml of milk every day can provide 0.36 mg of vitamin B2, which reaches 26% of the recommended intake.
Vitamin D: There are few common foods that can supplement vitamin D, but milk can provide us with a small amount of vitamin D, and many milks are further fortified with vitamin D. The vitamin D content of cheese made from milk is relatively higher, at 7.4 micrograms per 100 grams. Eating 50 grams can meet 37% of the daily vitamin D requirement of the general population.
RNI is the recommended daily intake *Data is the adequate daily intake (AI)
02
What are the health benefits of drinking milk?
In addition to being rich in nutrients, milk is also beneficial for improving many diseases.
Strengthen bones: Milk is not only rich in calcium, but also has a more suitable calcium-phosphorus ratio. It also contains vitamin D and lactose that can promote calcium absorption. Drinking milk every day can strengthen bones and is very suitable for people with osteoporosis. Studies have shown that the intake of milk and its products can increase the bone density of children, adolescents and postmenopausal women.
In addition, the lactose in milk can promote the reproduction of lactic acid bacteria in the intestines, especially bifidobacteria, and improve intestinal health.

Copyright image in the gallery; any reproduction or use may result in copyright disputes. Suitable for people with high uric acid levels: Excessive uric acid in the body is an important factor in triggering gout attacks, and milk is very suitable for this group of people.
First of all, milk is a low-purine food; secondly, the casein and whey protein contained in milk can promote the excretion of uric acid; and dairy products can promote the kidneys to excrete the uric acid precursor xanthine. The excretion of xanthine will increase significantly 1 to 2 hours after consuming milk, which can reach 200%, which may help lower uric acid.
Suitable for patients with type 2 diabetes: Studies have shown that drinking milk every day has a strong protective effect against diabetes. Because the release of insulin requires the participation of calcium, insufficient calcium intake will change the balance of calcium ions in the intracellular and extracellular calcium pools of pancreatic β cells, ultimately affecting the normal release of insulin; whey protein can also improve insulin resistance. Therefore, patients with type 2 diabetes can insist on drinking milk every day.
Control blood pressure: The minerals calcium, potassium and magnesium contained in milk are all very helpful in controlling blood pressure. Insufficient calcium intake will increase blood pressure, and daily calcium intake below 600 mg is strongly correlated with the occurrence of hypertension. In addition, calcium may promote the excretion of sodium from urine, which may be one of its mechanisms for lowering blood pressure.
Potassium intake is negatively correlated with blood pressure levels. Adequate potassium intake in the diet has a significant antihypertensive effect on hypertension caused by high sodium. This may be related to the fact that potassium can promote urinary sodium excretion, inhibit renin release, dilate blood vessels, and reduce the production of thromboxanes. Magnesium is also helpful in lowering blood pressure. The possible mechanism is that magnesium can reduce vascular tension and contractility, and can also promote vasodilation.
Possible cancer prevention: Many people worry that drinking milk can cause cancer. In fact, the latest evidence shows that the intake of milk and its products may not be related to the risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer. In addition, the intake of low-fat milk and its products may reduce the risk of breast cancer by 16%.
In 2018, the third expert report of the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) concluded that consuming dairy products may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer; a meta-analysis also showed that increasing dairy product intake by 200 grams per day can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 7%.
May improve sleep: Many people have heard that drinking milk can improve sleep. The reason for this is that milk contains tryptophan, which is a precursor of melatonin in the body. Increased melatonin levels can make us sleepy. However, the research results on whether drinking milk can improve sleep are inconsistent. It may have the effect of improving sleep for the elderly and hospitalized patients, but further research is needed.

Copyright image in the gallery, reprinting and using may cause copyright disputes. On the other hand, calcium deficiency can make nerves excited, and the cerebral cortex is constantly in an excited state, which may affect sleep. Milk can provide us with sufficient calcium to prevent excessive nerve excitement.
03
How to choose milk?
Since milk has many health benefits, it is recommended to drink 300~500 mL of milk every day. There are many types of milk on the market now, how to choose?
Pasteurized milk: This type of milk is made from milk and is pasteurized. The sterilization temperature is low, generally below 80°C, which can kill pathogenic bacteria in milk while retaining more nutrition and flavor. At the same time, pasteurization has a relatively small effect on whey protein in milk, causing only 15.4% of whey protein to denature, and can better retain the immune activity of immunoglobulins.
However, the shelf life of pasteurized milk is relatively short and needs to be refrigerated. The shelf life is generally 3 to 10 days, and some can reach 15 days. The product standard number on the packaging is GB 19645, which is pasteurized milk.

Figure: E-commerce platform

Ultra-high temperature sterilized milk: This type of milk is sterilized at a higher temperature, generally at least 132°C, and the loss of nutrients is greater than that of pasteurized milk. However, the difference is small and the flavor is slightly different, so consumers can choose according to their preferences.
Even so, UHT milk also has its advantages, that is, it has a long shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated. It only needs to be stored at room temperature away from light. It can generally be stored for more than 3 months, 6 months is common, and some can even be stored for 1 year. This is very convenient for friends who do not have a refrigerator or people who travel frequently. The product standard number GB 25190 on the package is UHT milk.
Figure: Lactose-free milk on e-commerce platforms: Lactase is added to lactose-free milk during production and processing to break down the lactose in milk into glucose and galactose. This is very friendly to people with lactose intolerance and can avoid abdominal pain and diarrhea after drinking milk.
In addition to raw milk, the ingredient list of lactose-free milk also contains lactase, which is a formula milk. The product standard number is GB 25191.
Figure: E-commerce platform 1 cup of milk a day, food diversification, nutrition and health. It is recommended to drink at least 300 mL of milk a day. For people with lactose intolerance, lactose-free milk can be selected.
Did you drink milk today?
References:
[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House. 2022
[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 2[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2019
[3] Expert consensus on the evaluation and improvement of vitamin D nutritional status
[4] Tian Fang, Shao Chunhai, Liu Jingfang. Milk and dairy product intake reduces serum uric acid levels in gout patients[J]. Shanghai Medicine, 2013, 34(05): 9-11.
[5] Ye Yanbin, Lu Wei, Chen Yuming, et al. A case-control study on the relationship between nutritional factors and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus[C]//Chinese Nutrition Society. Proceedings of the 12th National Nutrition Science Conference. [Publisher unknown], 2015:117-118.
[6] Sun Changhao. Nutrition and Food Hygiene 7th Edition[M]. People's Medical Publishing House. 2017:45
[7] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 1)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019
Author: Registered dietitian Xue Qingxin, one of the first nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission, China's registered dietitian Reviewer: Gu Chuanling, deputy secretary-general of the Capital Health Nutrition and Gourmet Society, registered dietitian