Every day, we wake up with complicated information. Words such as “shocked”, “vigilant” and “surprisingly” are pervasive in our lives, often making us confused about everything around us-how can we distinguish between knowledge and rumors if we cannot be proficient at all? To this end, this publication has specially launched the “Rumor Smasher” section to stop these “scientific” rumors from bothering you.
In the 1990s, drinking milk was considered a rare event in the eyes of the Chinese people, and now it has become a common occurrence in life. Whether it is to supplement calcium for physical fitness or to supplement high-quality protein, milk is definitely the best choice. Nevertheless, the rumors accompanying milk seem to have never stopped. Have you heard of the following rumors?
Rumor one: drink milk carcinogenic
truth Interpretation: A lot of people against drinking milk claim that milk contains insulin-like growth factor and tyrosine, both of which may induce the occurrence of cancer, in fact, this is a rumor. In fact, milk does contain insulin-like growth factors, and studies have also found that it can lead to the reproduction of human ovarian cancer cells and promote the growth of cervical cancer cells. However, the content of insulin-like growth factor in milk is very small and the effect is minimal. Not only that, the commercially available milk products are all heat-sterilized. In this process, the insulin-like growth factor protein is also destroyed due to poor thermal stability. Taking a step back, even if the insulin-like growth factor still remains, it will be digested and destroyed when it enters the body’s stomach acid, and its biological activity will disappear. It will not play a carcinogenic effect at all, and there is no need to worry.
As for tyrosine, we don’t have to worry about it. It is one of the eight essential amino acids in our body. The so-called essential amino acids also means that the human body cannot synthesize by itself, and must be obtained from food, and milk just provides us with a good source. Most importantly, the existing research has not found that tyrosine has any toxicity and carcinogenicity to the human body.
Rumor two: drink milk before going to bed sleep aids
truth Interpretation: In fact, we recommend you drink milk did not consider it to have this effect, but it also does not have the additional effect.
So, why would anyone think that drinking milk helps sleep? It was originally reported that milk contains tryptophan, which is the raw material for the synthesis of melatonin and serotonin, which can help people reduce anxiety and promote sleep. But in fact, the content of tryptophan in milk is not high, and the amount of milk consumed per person per day is about 200 ml. In this case, the intake of tryptophan is even more pitiful, and it can’t play the role of helping sleep. If you drink too much milk before going to bed, it is hard to say whether it can help you sleep, and there will be no shortage of running toilets at night.
Tryptophan, an essential amino acid for humans, is not only contained in milk, but also in many foods, such as millet, bananas, and eggs. Instead of just staring at milk, it is better to eat more of these foods to improve the level of melatonin in the body, which may help relieve insomnia.
Rumors three: the more expensive the better milk
truth Interpretation: A lot of people are convinced that “a sub-price goods,” the statement, as well as in the milk of choice. But this is not the case. The quality and price of milk are not directly equivalent.
First, the price of a bottle of commercially available milk depends on many factors, such as raw materials, processing, transportation costs and packaging material costs, as well as the added value of marketing. Obviously, the raw materials are actually only a small part of the many factors. For example, milk with a long shelf life on the market is expensive, not because of its nutritional value, but because it uses Tetra Pak packaging to extend its shelf life. Pasteurized milk packaging is often relatively simple, so the price is slightly lower.
Secondly, the difference in the nutritional value of milk is actually not big. On the one hand, different milk sources do have an impact on the nutritional quality of milk. According to the relevant standards of my country’s dairy products, as long as the protein content per 100 ml of milk reaches 2.8 grams, it is qualified. On the other hand, different processes do have a slight impact on the quality of milk. Generally speaking, the nutritional value of pasteurized milk is less lost.
Finally, some people say that expensive milk tastes better and thicker. In fact, the taste is mainly related to the fat content in milk. The higher the fat content, the more fragrant and thicker the taste. Skim milk tastes as light as water, but the price is higher than ordinary milk.
Therefore, when we buy milk, we can’t just focus on the price, we must learn to read the nutritional composition table, where the protein and calcium content are the key factors.
Rumors IV: the morning to drink milk more conducive to absorb
the truth Interpretation: A lot of people like to drink a glass of milk at breakfast, which is a good habit, because milk tends to improve the quality of breakfast. So, does it also mean that if you drink milk in the morning, the nutrients will be better absorbed?
of course not.
Generally speaking, after milk enters the human body, after catabolism, nutrients will be absorbed in molecular form. As for how much nutrients can be absorbed, it does not depend on subjective wishes, but more on the food itself and the storage conditions in the body. The human body will appropriately adjust the absorption rate according to the storage of a certain nutrient. For example, when there is a lack of iron in the body, the human body will increase the absorption rate of iron in food, and this change is not related to the time of meal.
Therefore, whether you drink milk in the morning or at other times, it is actually the same. Nutrients in milk will be fully absorbed, and there is no such thing as much absorption in the morning and less absorption in the evening.
Rumors Five: more high-calcium milk calcium
truth read: spend more money to buy more of the calcium content of milk, so in fact there is no need.
Generally speaking, the calcium content in milk is about 90-120 mg/100 ml, and the calcium content in high-calcium milk sold on the market is generally about 120 mg. If you simply look at the data, a cup of 250 ml high-calcium milk will indeed have 40-60 mg more calcium than ordinary milk. However, the extra calcium does not mean that it will work.
First of all, the premise of milk calcium supplement is that calcium can be fully absorbed by the body. Although the calcium absorption rate in milk is very good, it is not the same as high calcium milk. Because the calcium in high-calcium milk is not all built-in, part of it is to increase the calcium content in milk, and it is added on the basis of ordinary milk, the most commonly used is calcium carbonate or calcium lactate. Therefore, high-calcium milk is also called “calcium-fortified milk.” However, compared with the natural calcium in milk, the extra calcium added in this part has a poor absorption effect.
Secondly, the extra calcium of high-calcium milk is far from our needs. The human body’s daily demand for calcium is about 800-1000 mg. The dozens of mg of calcium in high-calcium milk can’t play a big role. In addition, adding calcium to milk can easily destroy the stability of the protein system and affect the taste of milk.
Rumors Six: buffalo milk higher than the average nutritional value of milk
truth Interpretation: drink water, milk friends all know, the taste is really more fragrant than ordinary milk, more mellow, but this does not mean that water is even higher nutritional value of milk.
There is not much difference between buffalo milk and ordinary milk in terms of protein and calcium content. The reason why buffalo milk is stronger and more fragrant is that it has higher fat content. Generally speaking, the fat content in every 100 ml of buffalo milk can reach 8%, which is twice that of ordinary milk. If you are more concerned about fat, we do not recommend drinking milk. In addition, the price of buffalo milk is higher than that of ordinary milk. It is not because of its high nutritional value, but its low yield. Therefore, we choose ordinary cows instead of buffalo as the source of milk. Of course, buffalo milk is also very high-quality, especially double skin milk made with buffalo milk has a unique flavor, and it is also a good choice to drink in moderation.
To sum up, milk is a very good drink. Drinking 300ml a day is good for health, but it is more important to stick to milk for a long time.