The Benefits and Nutritional Value of Consuming Cow's Milk

Abstract

This paper will review the benefits of consuming cow’s milk, and what nutritional benefits cow’s milk has to offer. It will also cover how consuming cow’s milk can help maintain a healthy diet, and healthy body.

Do you think the average American consumes adequate nutrients for their dietary needs? Do you think there are shortfalls in Americans diet? When thinking about a way to combat these shortfalls what would your first idea be? Would cow’s milk be the supplier needed to fulfill these shortfalls? Per several studies and articles, cow’s milk is a great source of vitamins, essential minerals, fatty acids, and more. These articles give great amounts of information as to why people should be drinking cow’s milk to maintain a healthy body, and how it can be beneficial to them for many different reasons, such as benefits to heart health, bone and teeth strength, muscle mass, and many other things.

Cow’s milk has many benefits that can be taken advantage of when consumed in appropriate amounts. Milk has calcium, zinc, copper and many broken down enzymes that can be beneficial to the human body. Some people may think to associate milk with cardiovascular disease, when it is consumed in greater than average amounts. However in a recent epidemiological study, it has been shown that there is no relation between the two (Claeys, et, al. 2014). It was also found that the fatty acids associated with milk can be beneficial to health such as butyric acid which is a known modulator of gene function. Caphrylic and capric acids also found in cow’s milk may have antibacterial and antiviral functions, which has been known to delay tumor growth (Claeys, et, al. 2014).

There was a concern in American diet indentified by the 2005 Dietary guidelines for American advisory committee. It was identified that individuals were lacking to meet calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamins A, C, and E, and fiber for adults, and calcium, magnesium, postassium, Vitamin E, and fiber for children as well. They also noted that there were some difficulties to meeting needs for vitamin D, iron and B12. A secondary data analysis that extended from 1999 to 2004 by the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, less than three percent of the United States population consumes the reccomneded level of postassium, thirty percent of these aged two years and older consumed the recommended calcium intake. Drinking cow’s milk is a good way to meet most of the standard needs in the daily diet. The Dietary Guidelines for American Advisory Committee did a study in 2005 that showed without drinking cow’s milk women between the ages of nineteen and fifty years old would only make it to 44% of their calcium reccommedations, and they would only make it to 57 % of their magnesium intake, and 57% of their recommended potassium intake as well. Daily dairy intake has been linked to positive bone health in many studies. A study performed by the National Health and Nutritional Examinaiton Survey data showed that low milk consumption during childhood was associated with doubling of ip fracture in American postemenopausal women. Milk Consumption has been positively related to decreased vascular events and ischemic heart disease by 16%. Similar studies also showed that milk is related to lowering the risk of ischemic strokes as well. It is also shown that people who have avoided milk all together have lower bone mass density and bone mass contents (Claeys, et, al. 2014).

Cow’s milk is fortified with vitamin D which is good for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Also because milk has complete proteins which are considered to be important because with aging bones density increases and milk is a good way to maintain strength (“Milk: Benefits and Nutritional Information- Medical News Today,” 2013). Cow’s milk also contains Omega three fatty acids, which are considered a good form of cholesterol. Good cholesterol levels help to improve heart health (“Milk: Health Benefits and Nutritional Information – Medical News Today,” 2013). Milk has been linked to regulation of blood sugar levels because of the vitamin B and essential minerals found in it, it helps metabolism run smoothly, which in turn can help regulate glucose and insulin levels. Growth and development have seen that the many nutritional benefits can help children grow up stronger and healthier. Cow’s milk has potassium in it as well, which has been associated with reduced blood pressure. Those who consumed 4096 mg of potassium per day had a 49% lower risk of death from heart disease to those who did not consume the adequate amount of cow’s milk daily (“Milk: Health Benefits and Nutritional Information- Medical News Today,” 2013).

Because of the vitamin D that is found in cow’s milk it can also be said that consuming cow’s milk can help reduce ones risk of depression. The vitamin D found in cow’s milk contributes to adequate vitamin D levels that support the production of serotonin in the human body. Serotonin is associated with mood, appetite, and sleep, therefore with adequate vitamin D levels, it encourages serotonin production, reducing the risk of depression. Cow’s milk is also full of many quality proteins and essential amino acids which can help build muscle mass, which is why it is encouraged in children from age one on. The consumption of milk helps children grow, and develop strong muscles (“Milk: Health Benefits and Nutritional Information- Medical News Today,” 2013).

Per a study performed by the American Society for Clinical Nutrition that was performed in 2001, it was shown that prepubescent children that did not drink cow’s milk regularly, who avoided it all together were found to have major problems in their bone health. This study showed that cow’s milk avoiders had smaller skeletons, lower bone area, mineral contents, and lower volumetric bone mineral density, compared to the control children that drank milk regularly as a part of their diet. Also, found in this study the past avoiders of cow’s milk that began drinking it has better calcium intakes than those that did not drink it.

While there are many articles that present the many benefits to drinking cow’s milk some people still choose not to, but it is clear to see why we should take advantage of these benefits. Bone health, teeth health, and overall body health can be benefitted from drinking cow’s milk from the early age of 1 year old and on. It is however recommended to drink it within recommended serving sizes. After taking into consideration the amount of positive side effects that come with milk it would be thought that drinking cow’s milk would be encouraged, which among many doctors it is highly recommended to be served to children from age 1 on. Whole milk is recommended for children from the age of one to five. After this age, it is recommended that the cow’s milk served to them is one percent or two percent.