Benefits of drinking milk daily to stay healthy

Balanced nutrition is necessary for healthy living. And milk is one of the main sources of getting balanced nutrition. 

According to nutritionists, Milk and dairy products play an essential role in keeping the body healthy and functional. Milk holds significant nutritional value for individuals of all ages including children and adolescents. 

World Milk Day is observed on 1 June to highlight the importance of milk and dairy products to people worldwide. Since 2001, the day has been celebrated under the initiative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The theme of this year's World Milk Day is "Enjoy Dairy", reads a press release.

Regarding the benefits of milk and dairy products, the former chief nutrition officer of BIRDEM Hospital's nutrition department and chief nutritionist Professor Akhtarun Nahar said that when talking about a balanced diet, milk comes first. 

"Milk is the best food. Human life begins with milk. Milk is a very necessary food for people of all ages including children and adolescents. Babies who cannot drink milk properly after birth, often suffer from various malnutrition problems," she said.

Lactose is an essential component of milk, which helps in body composition and intellectual development. It is the main component of protecting human health. This drink also contains amino acids, various vitamins, minerals like chromium, iron, cobalt, manganese, copper, zinc and iodine. Cow's milk contains 86.5% water, 4.8% lactose, 4.5% fat, 3.5% protein and 0.7% vitamins and minerals.

The most beneficial aspect of milk is its calcium. Calcium is essential for human bone health. It is a good source of vitamin D. Vitamin D nourishes bones, teeth, nails, hair and skin, and increases immunity. There is also vitamin A, which is beneficial for the eyes of people of all ages. Milk contains folate and magnesium, which help our body to produce hemoglobin, build immunity against pathogens. Iodine helps us prevent hormonal problems. Vitamin B prevents beriberi disease, keeps nerves functioning. The benefits of this balanced diet are long-lasting.

In spite of so many benefits, the trend of drinking milk is low among the people of Bangladesh. They are not keeping milk as an essential part of their daily diet. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a person needs to drink an average of 250 milliliters of milk per day. Which is followed by only one third of the people of Bangladesh.

One of the many reasons for low milk consumption in the country is the lack of production of the required amount of milk. Also, the production cost of milk has increased. Although milk production in the country has increased over the last decade, the mass population still consumes less milk than required. Along with this, there is an increase in commodity prices. Many families have reduced the amount of milk they buy as the price of the commodity has gone up. Nutritionists believe that the way people are excluding milk from the food list, the public health will suffer more.

Therefore, in addition to being healthy, experts have advised to drink milk regularly according to the ability to raise the next generation with strength, intelligence and health. To drink milk regularly, you have to buy liquid milk from the market and boil it. 

Many people find this whole process a bit of a hassle in this busy time. As a result, for those who are not drinking milk regularly according to the body's needs, nutritionists advise that they can easily drink UHT milk in the midst of busy schedules. 

UHT is a process where the shelf life of milk is extended by using a high or ultra-high temperature method. In this method cow's milk is heated at 135 to 140 degrees Celsius for four seconds and after complete sterilisation it is packed in special carton packs made of 6 protective layers. As a result, air, moisture and sunlight cannot penetrate the Tetra Pak carton, and this ensures that the milk is not spoiled as long as the pack remains unopened. Due to this, milk inside an unopened pack is good for up to six months even at normal temperature, without any need for refrigeration. 

The biggest advantage of UHT milk is that it can be consumed straight out of the packet. There is no need to boil. So, you can safely consume UHT milk to meet the nutritional needs of the body.