Milk is a good source of nutrients such as vitamin A, folate, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, etc. This write-up provides nutritional information about milk.
There's a reason why parents encourage children to drink milk. Milk is a good source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. It is a rich source of calcium, which is essential for keeping our bones and teeth healthy.
Rich in vitamin A, milk is good for the eyes as well. These days, milk is fortified with vitamin D, which in turn helps in regulating the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body.
The benefits of drinking milk are numerous. However, people who are affected by lactose intolerance must limit the intake of dairy products to avoid symptoms such as bloating, lower abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea, etc.
Nutrition Facts about Milk
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 g of whole milk with 3.25% milkfat, and without added vitamin A and vitamin D contains the mentioned nutrients:
Nutrients (Value per 100 g):
Water - 88.13 g
Calories - 61 kcal
Protein - 3.15 g
Total lipid (fat) - 3.27 g
Carbohydrate - 4.78 g
Dietary fiber - 0.0 g
Total sugar - 5.05 g
Minerals:
Calcium - 113 mg
Iron - 0.03 mg
Magnesium - 10 mg
Phosphorus - 84 mg
Potassium - 132 mg
Sodium - 43 mg
Zinc - 0.37 mg
Vitamins:
Vitamin C - 0.0 mg
Thiamin - 0.046 mg
Riboflavin - 0.169 mg
Niacin - 0.089 mg
Vitamin B6 - 0.036 mg
Folate - 5 µg
Vitamin B12 - 0.45 µg
Vitamin A - 46 µg
Vitamin A - 162 IU
Vitamin E - 0.07 mg
Vitamin D (D2+D3) - 0.1 µg
Vitamin D - 2 IU
Vitamin K - 0.3 µg
Lipids:
Total Saturated Fatty Acids - 1.865 g
Total Monounsaturated Fatty Acids - 0.812 g
Total Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids - 0.195 g
Cholesterol - 10 mg
From the aforementioned data, you must have learned that milk is a good source of many nutrients.
According to the USDA, a cup (244 g) of milk contains approximately 11.66g of carbohydrates. Carbs found in milk are in a disaccharide (made of two sugar units) form called lactose. It's sometimes referred to as milk sugar. One molecule of lactose is made of one molecule of glucose and fructose each. It must be noted that milk doesn't contain dietary fiber.
The total lipid content in 244 g of milk is 7.98 g. A cup of milk contains 4.551 g of total saturated fatty acids, 1.981 g of total monounsaturated fatty acids, and 0.476 g of total polyunsaturated fatty acids.
244 g of milk has 7.69 g of proteins. The proteins mainly present in milk are casein and whey proteins. Milk contains alpha-s1, alpha-s2, beta, and gamma casein. In the category of whey proteins, milk has beta-lactalbumin, immunoglobulin, and blood serum albumin. Milk also contains fat globule membrane proteins and certain enzymes.
It's a rich source of vitamins. The amount of vitamin A in 244g of milk is 395 IU. 244g of whole milk with 3.25% fat (without added vitamin A and vitamin D) contains 5 IU of vitamin D , 0.7mcg of vitamin K, 0.412mg of riboflavin, 0.112mg of thiamin, 0.217mg of niacin, 12mcg of folate, 0.088mg of vitamin B6, 1.10mcg of vitamin B12, and 0.17mg of vitamin E.
244 g of milk contains has 276 mg of calcium, 0.07 mg of iron, 24 mg of magnesium, 0.90 mg of zinc, 205 mg of phosphorus, 105 mg of sodium, and 322 mg of potassium.
244 g of milk contains 215.04 g of water and 24 mg of cholesterol.
The aforementioned nutritional information is about whole milk. If you are on a low-fat diet, you can opt for skim milk, which is made by removing the fat present in the cream of the milk. The fat present in skim milk is not more than 0.5% of the fat that is present otherwise.
It is a myth that skim milk has low calcium content. Most of the calcium present in milk is bound to water molecules. Removal of fats has no effect on the calcium content of the milk. Therefore, it is safe to drink skim milk.
On a concluding note, milk has a good nutrient profile, which is why one must drink at least a glass of milk daily. This will not only fulfill your nutritional requirements, but also make your body strong and more resistant to diseases.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.