Many people have the habit of drinking milk, especially children, as parents believe it can supplement calcium for their kids. In fact, there are many misconceptions about drinking milk. Let's take a look at them together with the editor.
What are the misconceptions about drinking milk?
1. Milk is good for the body, so the more, the better
Although milk is good, you should still control the amount. Milk contains about 70% water, but it cannot replace water. Whole milk contains about 3% animal fat, which is "bad fat." Therefore, you should not drink too much milk. It is recommended that for adults over 3 years old, the total daily intake of dairy products should not exceed 500 milliliters. Drinking 200-300 milliliters a day is sufficient. If you want to supplement more dairy products, you can have a small cup (100-150 milliliters) of yogurt.
2. Milk and eggs for breakfast
Many people think that milk and eggs are both very nutritious, so having such a breakfast will definitely keep them energetic all morning. The reality is quite the opposite. Both are high in protein, and after eating them, you often feel full and can't eat other essential foods like starches. Therefore, it's better to eat milk and eggs separately. Starchy foods, such as bread, cookies, pastries, steamed buns, and fruits, can provide the body with glucose.
3. Using condensed milk instead of milk
The concentration of milk in condensed milk is very high. Some people use condensed milk instead of milk for their children. This is wrong. Condensed milk is too sweet and must be diluted with 5-8 times the amount of water. However, when the sweetness is right, the concentration of protein and fat is often half that of fresh milk. If you add water to condensed milk to make the protein and fat concentration close to fresh milk, the sugar content will then be too high.
4. Drinking milk on an empty stomach
When the stomach is empty, the concentration of gastric juice is high, and the protein in the milk will curdle in the stomach. This affects the digestion and absorption of protein and can cause stomach discomfort. Therefore, it's best to drink milk after a meal, or eat some starchy foods while drinking milk to promote its digestion and absorption. Some people suffer from "lactose intolerance" and experience bloating and diarrhea after drinking milk. Such people should especially avoid drinking large amounts of milk on an empty stomach. They can drink yogurt or low-lactose milk with lactase added.
5. Milk with chocolate
Some people think that since milk is a high-protein food and chocolate is an energy food, eating them together must be very beneficial. This is not the case. Liquid milk combined with chocolate causes a chemical reaction between the calcium in the milk and the oxalic acid in the chocolate, forming "calcium oxalate." The originally nutritious calcium becomes a harmful substance to the human body, leading to calcium deficiency, diarrhea, delayed development in children and adolescents, dry hair, easy fractures, and an increased incidence of urinary tract stones.
6. The thicker the milk, the better
Many people believe that the thicker the milk, the more nutrition the body gets, but this is not scientific. Formula milk has strict water-to-powder ratios for preparation, and there's no need to deliberately add extra powder, otherwise the lactose content will exceed the standard, increasing the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, there's no need to blindly pursue a thick and smooth texture, as fresh milk is not so thick that it feels overly viscous.