Is milk still drinkable? What kind of milk is good milk? Here, we will help you clear up misconceptions about milk. Let's see which of your common understandings about milk are wrong and which are correct.
Is loose milk the freshest? Wrong
Everyone knows that for chicken, free-range is best, and for pork, "natural" pork is the best. However, it's different for dairy cows. Only healthy cows can produce healthy milk. The health of cows raised by farmers varies due to different feeding methods and growth environments, so the quality of milk from small-scale farmers naturally differs. Moreover, milk from hand-milking has a higher bacterial content than mechanically milked milk. Such milk is inconsistent in quality, has a poor taste, a salty flavor, low protein content, and often fails nutritional inspections. Consequently, unscrupulous small-scale farmers or milk stations add stabilizers, flavorings, substitute proteins, and other chemical ingredients to substandard milk to pass it off as合格.
Is the richer and more fragrant the milk, the better? Wrong
Sometimes, the pure milk we buy is very thick, with a pure white color. When we drink it, a rich milky aroma lingers in the mouth for a long time. This kind of milk is often considered "good milk." In fact, this is not true. Truly good milk is not thick and its flavor is not rich, but has a light fragrance and a milky white or slightly yellowish color. The particularly rich and fragrant milk often has thickeners, flavorings, and substitute proteins added—non-milk substances that make it taste good but are actually harmful to the body. The quality of milk depends on whether its nutritional indicators meet the standards. Generally, pure milk has a protein content of about 3 grams per 100ml and a fat content of about 3.3 grams per 100ml.
Is pure milk the same as fresh milk? Wrong
Many people believe that pure milk is fresh milk, but they are misled by advertising. Have you ever seen something fresh that can be preserved for several months? How can pure milk stay fresh at room temperature? It's because it is no longer fresh. High-temperature sterilization destroys the nutritional components of milk, and the lactose can caramelize at high temperatures, so ultra-high-temperature pasteurized milk is not of the highest quality. Internationally, fresh milk is sterilized using low-temperature pasteurization (below 80°C). Although it has a shorter shelf life, it retains the original nutrients of milk and eliminates harmful bacteria, making it a win-win.
Is the higher the calcium content in milk, the better? Wrong
Currently, the calcium content in milk from different manufacturers does not vary significantly. However, some manufacturers, in search of a selling point, artificially increase the calcium content of their products by adding chemical calcium to natural milk. However, this chemical calcium is not absorbed by the human body and can accumulate over time, potentially even causing kidney stones.
Is the lower the fat content in milk, the better? Wrong
Many people worry that drinking milk will cause weight gain, so they always choose low-fat or skim milk. In fact, the fat in milk cannot be directly converted into body fat, and the natural fat content in milk is not high. Therefore, the belief that drinking milk leads to weight gain is a misconception. For people with high blood lipids, drinking low-fat or skim milk is a requirement for dietary control, but it is not necessary for the general population, and long-term consumption of low-fat milk is not good for your health.
What kind of milk is the healthiest?
From a nutritional perspective, the ranking of the nutritional value of various types of milk is: Pasteurized milk is gold, yogurt is silver, powdered milk is bronze, and shelf-stable milk (ultra-high-temperature pasteurized with a long shelf life) is iron. To be more specific, if we were to score them: carton milk would get 100 points, milk in glass bottles or plastic bags would get 90 points, yogurt made from fresh milk would get 80 points, fortified powdered milk would get 60 points, yogurt made from powdered milk would get 50 points, and shelf-stable milk would get 40 points.