Milk, ideal for children and good for adults. A complete and nutritious food that can be part of everyone’s diet – allergies and intolerances excluded – at all ages. Pay attention only to what you drink but above all with what you drink it.
What is the nutritional identikit of milk? «Milk is a food rich in calcium and vitamin D, nutrients essential for bone growth and health. Furthermore, it contains proteins, sugars and fats of animal origin “, replies Dr. Monica Giuffrè, nutritionist of the Bariatric Surgery of the Humanitas hospital. «Whole milk is the most complete, but those who want to reduce the fat part without sacrificing the benefits of milk can choose the skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. The “skimming”, in fact, eliminates fat leaving intact the intake of proteins and sugars, such as lactose, but especially calcium and vitamin D “.
For whom is milk particularly recommended?
“Surely for children and adolescents, when the process of growth and development is underway, but a major contribution to bone health comes from milk even for menopausal women: the calcium that contains obstructs osteoporosis”.
Are the recommended daily amounts of milk the same as children and adults?
“As children you can drink more, even several times during the day. As an adult, the classic cup of milk is good for breakfast or a glass before going to bed. But in addition to quantity, it is important to pay attention to how you drink it when you grow up. If we eat cookies with milk, and drink a lot of them during the day, then we can not keep the calorie intake under control. For menopausal women, it is also good twice a day “.
“In fact,” the specialist points out, “100 ml of whole milk corresponds to about 64 calories, so a 200 ml cup gives us an intake of over 120 calories which increases considerably if we eat biscuits or add more teaspoons of sugar. A cappuccino, alone, can replace a light meal when you are away from home, that is an alternative to toast; but if we consume copious amounts of milk in a complete diet with the canonical 5 meals, then the calories introduced go far “.
For whom is it contraindicated to drink milk?
«For subjects with hypercholesterolemia since milk contains cholesterol. For these, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk is indicated. For those who do not want animal fats, soy milk is good, but my advice is that it is better to drink cow or goat milk if there are no particular contraindications, from high cholesterol to lactose intolerance to milk protein allergy »Suggests Dr. Giuffre.
What are the possible sources of calcium alternative to milk?
«There are milk derivatives with which you can balance the calcium intake from yoghurt and cheese, even if the cheeses are fatter and caloric. However, the more milk is excluded from the diet, the more difficult it is to reinsert it: it is as if the enzymes with which it is digested are not used to doing so. The council – he concludes – is to be constant in taking milk with the passing of the years, reducing only the quantities ».
