Here is why milk continues to be an important food item in children's diet | Photo Credit: iStock Images
New Delhi: For each one of us, a very vivid memory from our childhood has to be the constant persuasion from our moms to finish the glass of milk. None of us can forget how they kept raving about the many nutritional and health benefits of the beverage, and how it played a very important role in helping us grow and develop. Even today, milk continues to be one of the first few foods that infants consume and remains just as important for overall health as it used to be.
National Milk Day is observed on the 26th of November, every year, in India. The day is marked to celebrate the achievement of being one of the largest producers of milk in the world, and to emphasise on the importance of the food product in our diets.
Babies are only fed breast milk for about 6 months from the time they are born. According to Dr Shalini Pandey, senior consultant, Paediatrics, Batra Hospital, New Delhi, A newborn must be given milk diet. Breast milk is the best food that a baby should be given. Feeding breast milk should be a top priority for the initial six months for parents and medical staff. Breast milk is a complete food that a baby needs for initial growth through the early months of life. Dr Pandey said that even after six months of age, even as complimentary food is given to the baby, breast milk should be continued.
Milk is one of the most nutritious food items available to us for consumption.Dr Shalini explains the nutritional contents of milk that can help your child in growth, development, and overall health.
One cup of whole milk provides
Milk proteins - Insoluble milk proteins are called casein, whereas soluble proteins are known as whey proteins. Both of these groups of milk proteins are considered to be of excellent quality, with a high proportion of essential amino acids and good digestibility. Casein forms 80% of proteins in milk. It has an important ability to increase the absorption of minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus.20% of the protein content in milk is whey protein. Its rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine.Whey protein is good for muscles so used as a supplement.
Milk fat - Cow milk has roughly 4% fat. Milk fat is a complex natural fat, containing about 400 different types of fatty acids out of which 70% is saturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats are in minimal amounts, around 2.3% of fat content. Monounsaturated fats make up the rest about 28% of the total fat content. In addition, trans fats are naturally found in dairy products. In contrast to trans fats in processed foods, dairy trans fats also called ruminant trans fats are considered beneficial for health. Milk contains small amounts of trans fats, such as vaccenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
Carbohydrates - Milk mainly has simple sugar lactose, which makes up around 5% of milk. The digestive system breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose. These are absorbed into your bloodstream, at which point your liver converts galactose into glucose.
Vitamins and minerals - Milk contains most of vitamins and minerals necessary to sustain growth and development during its first years of life
Milk is a good source of nearly all the nutrients a child needs. It also helps in supplying calcium to bones and vital source of proteins and healthy fats.However, some people can suffer milk allergies also called lactose intolerance, which can lead to symptoms like upset stomach, diarrhoea, etc on the consumption of milk or milk products.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
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Here is why milk continues to be an important food item in children's diet - Times Now
