Surely you have heard that humans are the only mammal that continues to consume milk after weaning, but is it really necessary to continue consuming milk?

The truth is that milk is a very nutritionally complete food, probably because it serves as an exclusive food during the first months of life. But once weaning has arrived, it is totally optional to consume it or not. Let’s see why.

About milk

Milk contains 4.7 grams of carbohydrates for every 100 g of milk, all of which are sugars , mainly  lactose . Many people cannot hydrolyze this sugar, which makes them lactose intolerant . In addition, as we get older, our body assimilates lactose worse (especially if it is not consumed) because every time we synthesize less lactase. That is why people are becoming progressively lactose intolerant. People who consume it regularly assimilate it better, since the synthesis of the enzyme depends on regular consumption.

As for protein, it contains 3 grams per 100 g of milk . They are proteins of high biological value , and together with that of the egg, they constitute the best quality that we can find in the diet.

The fat is something that leads to discussion. It contains 3.8 grams per 100 g of milk and more than half of it is saturated fat. Despite this, they are not advised against in people with cardiovascular problems because not all saturated fatty acids increase cardiovascular risk, and those from dairy are a good example. Drinking skimmed milk does not produce better health effects, in addition to draining the formula quite a bit:

• It only reduces the fat of 3 grams and little that contains whole milk
• There is not a great reduction in caloric level
• It takes away a large part of the vitamins (especially the fat-soluble ones)
• It detracts from satiating capacity

Milk is one of the best sources of calcium in the diet (but not the only one) although it is deficient in iron , which is why many milks are supplemented with this mineral. It is rich in vitamins A and D, but as I have said previously, skimmed milks lose these vitamins when they are defatted, which is why more and more milks are enriched in these vitamins.

Milk and bone health

Do I need to consume milk for good bone health? Do I need to consume dairy to avoid suffering from osteoporosis? Do I have to eat yogurt to prevent osteoporosis?

The answer is NO . No, why not only find calcium in milk and its derivatives. As I have said before, milk and its derivatives are one of the main sources of calcium in the diet, but we have many others.

Let’s look at the following table that I have made. In it I detail the amount of calcium in certain foods by measure of consumption, since it is easier to compare and much more practical and real. You will never eat 100 grams of sesame seeds in a salad, right?

I leave you attached the PDF in case you want to download it: Table_Calcio

As you can see, a serving of spinach has more calcium than a serving of milk. We also have many other foods of plant origin that provide us with calcium such as nuts, green leafy vegetables, legumes …

So, no, you don’t need dairy to maintain good bone health or to prevent osteoporosis , as long as you consume the rest of your food properly.

Studies show it:

In January 2014, Feskanisch et al. Published in  JAMA Pediatrics  a study that consisted of the follow-up of 96,000 men and women for 22 years, in which it was concluded that a higher milk intake during adolescence was not related to a lower risk of hip fractures (the main fracture of osteoporosis) in older adults.

And in September 2015,  Tay et al.  And  Bolland et al. Published in the journal  BMJ , two studies that demonstrated that increasing calcium intake, either from food or from supplements, does not reduce the risk of fracture.

conclusion

Milk and dairy products are nutritionally very interesting foods, but they are not essential in the diet for this reason, neither for that reason nor for their calcium intake, because, as we have already seen, we have other sources of calcium in the diet that will perfectly cover our needs. And although it is true that the availability of vegetable calcium is not as high as that of dairy products, this does not pose any type of associated problem. Our body can increase the absorption of this mineral when it needs it, to maintain the organic balance.

In addition, there is no relationship between osteoporosis and dairy consumption, so it is not a reason that leads us to consume it. We can maintain optimal bone health without the need to consume milk and derivatives.