Drinking milk is a technical matter; drinking it incorrectly can significantly reduce its nutritional value. What is the best milk? Which type is right for you? On June 1st, World Milk Day, the "Life Times" newspaper invited authoritative nutrition experts to teach you the correct way to drink milk.
Milk contains 4 types of beneficial nutrients
When it comes to milk, many people describe it as "very nutritious," but just how nutritious is it? First, the protein in milk is known as high-quality protein, which is easily digested and absorbed by the body and can have a complementary nutritional effect with cereal proteins. Second, milk not only has a high calcium content but also a high absorption rate, making it the best source of dietary calcium. Drinking 300 grams of milk provides about 312 milligrams of calcium, which is close to 40% of the recommended daily intake.
Furthermore, milk is also a good source of B vitamins, providing a significant amount of vitamin B2, a nutrient that is often lacking in the Chinese diet. Finally, milk also contains a large number of bioactive substances, such as lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, and bioactive peptides, which are beneficial to human health.
What does good milk look like
Dr. Hu Changli explains that when choosing milk, in addition to selecting well-known brands and "pure milk" with no additives, you should also carefully check the ingredient list. For products at the same price, choose the one with a higher fat content. Generally, the higher the fat content of the raw milk, the better its quality.
This is because, unlike protein, fat rarely has chemically synthetic substances added to it. A high protein content does not necessarily mean the milk is of good quality.
After buying milk home, you can judge its quality using the following methods.
First, good milk is milky white (it may have a slight yellowish tint), has a light milky fragrance, a thin texture, and a faint aroma. When you taste it, there is a delicate milky flavor. If the pure milk you bought has a thick and rich texture, that is highly abnormal. Milk with a strong, pungent aroma before you even taste it, and a long-lasting milky flavor after, is very likely to have milk flavoring added.
Second, pour the milk you bought (not boiled or heated in a microwave) quickly into a clean, transparent glass, then slowly tilt the glass. If a thin milk film is left on the inner wall of the glass, does not cling to the glass, and can be easily rinsed off with water, then it is made from fresh raw milk.
This type of milk is sent to the processing plant in a short time and has a very low total bacteria count. If the milk film on the glass is uneven, or even has visible small particles clinging to the wall that are difficult to clean, it means the milk is not fresh enough.
Third, add a few drops of milk into a bowl of cold water. If the milk coagulates and sinks to the bottom, it is of good quality. If it spreads and floats, its quality is poor.
Finally, if you prefer to boil your milk, you can observe the milk skin on the surface after it has been boiled and cooled. A complete milk skin on the surface indicates fresh milk of good quality with a high fat content. A milk skin that looks like tofu pudding indicates spoiled milk.