Explanation: About 8,000 years ago, Central and South
Americans began adding hot chilies to their food. Odds are, that's also when
people started searching for ways to cool a spicy mouth, and for years,
plain-old milk has been one of the favorites.
But are there better means than a glass of cow juice for
quenching a fire caused by chomping on hot chilies? From plain water to
tequila, the MythBusters put viewer-recommended cures to the test.
Chilies contain a substance called capsaicin that makes taste
buds sting. When capsaicin pings taste buds, these heat-detecting neural
sensors send a message straight to the brain: "fire!" Milk, however,
contains casein, a fat-loving compound that binds with spicy capsaicin oil and
then washes it away.
So, will a few gulps of cold water or beer ease the pain as
well as milk does? No dice. The drinks may offer brief relief, but because oil
and water don't mix, these water-based liquids will actually spread the oily
capsaicin rather than reduce its effect. Alcohol could help by dissolving the
capsaicin oil, but there's not enough alcohol in beer to conquer the painful
burn. Truth is, you might have to drink 10 ounces of 70-proof tequila to
dissolve 1 ounce of concentrated capsaicin compound.
Apparently when it comes to beating a mouth-sizzling burn,
milk really does the body good.
Milk is frequently found at the top of many household grocery
lists in the US and parts of Europe, but is rarely consumed in Asian and
African countries.
Milk can come from many different species. Cows, sheep and
goat milk are the most popularly consumed. There are also many "milk
alternatives" available such as soymilk, almond milk, coconut milk and
hemp milk.
Calcium
Calcium has many functions in the body, but its primary job
is the development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. Calcium is also
important for blood clotting and wound healing, maintaining normal blood
pressure and muscle contractions including heartbeat.
It is important to try to pair calcium-rich foods with a source
of vitamin D to improve absorption.
The National Institute of Health recommends 1,000 milligrams
a day of calcium for individuals over 18 years of age. There are 306 milligrams
of calcium in one cup of skim milk.
Milk Proteins
Milk is a rich source of protein.
It has approximately 1 g of protein in each fluid ounce 30.5
g, or 7.7 g in each cup 244 g.
Proteins in milk can be divided into two groups based on
their solubility in water.
Insoluble milk proteins are called casein, whereas soluble
proteins are known as whey proteins.
Both of these groups of milk proteins are considered to be of
excellent quality, with a high proportion of essential amino acids and good
digestibility.
Milk is a very good source of high-quality protein, which can
be divided into two categories, casein and whey proteins.
Vitamins and Minerals
Milk contains all the vitamins and minerals necessary to
sustain growth and development in the young calf during its first months of
life.
It also contains almost every single nutrient needed by
humans, making it one of the most nutritious foods on the planet.
The following vitamins and minerals are found in particularly
large amounts in milk:
1. Vitamin B12: This essential vitamin is only
found in foods of animal origin, and milk is very high in B12.
2. Calcium: Milk is not only one of the best
dietary sources of calcium, but the calcium found in milk is also easily
absorbed.
3. Riboflavin: One of the B-vitamins, also called
vitamin B2. Dairy products are the biggest source of riboflavin in the Western
diet.
4. Phosphorus: Dairy products are a good source of
phosphorus, a mineral that plays an essential role in many biological
processes.
Bone health
Everyone has heard that milk is good for the bones, and that
is because milk is one of the primary sources of vitamin D in the American
diet, as well as a good source of calcium. However, adequate calcium and
vitamin D intake is not enough to prevent osteoporosis.
mother and daughter drinking milk
A study in 40,000 Norwegian women discovered that those who
drank milk as children and continued to do so throughout adulthood had a
significantly lower chance of developing breast cancer.
Regular physical activity and strength training, along with
not smoking and eating a diet low in sodium and high in potassium also
contribute to overall bone health and a decreased risk of osteoporosis.
Brain health
Researchers from the University of Kansas found that
consuming more dairy is associated with a higher amount of glutathione - a
powerful antioxidant - in the brain, among older adults.
Milk drinkers who met the recommended three daily servings of
milk and milk products had antioxidant levels that were approximately 30%
higher compared to adults who got less than half a serving. While more research
needs to be done, this study suggests a new potential benefit of adults getting
enough milk in their diets.
Blood pressure and
heart health
An increase in potassium intake along with a decrease in
sodium intake is the most important dietary change that a person can make to
reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, according to Mark Houston, MD, MS,
an associate clinical professor of medicine at Vanderbilt Medical School and
director of the Hypertension Institute at St Thomas Hospital in Tennessee.3
In one study, those who consumed 4,069 mg of potassium per
day had a 49% lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease compared with
those who consumed less potassium (about 1,000 mg per day).3
Unfortunately, according to the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey, fewer than 2% of US adults meet the daily 4,700 mg
recommendation.
Leafy greens like spinach and kale are the best sources of
potassium, along with citrus fruits, bananas, tomatoes, prunes and dairy
products like milk and yogurt.
Carbs
Carbs in milk are mainly in the form of a simple sugar called
lactose, which constitutes around 5% of the weight of milk.
In the digestive system, lactose breaks down into glucose and
galactose. These are absorbed into the bloodstream, and galactose is converted
into glucose by the liver.
Some people lack the enzyme required to break down lactose.
This condition is called lactose intolerance.
Carbs constitute around 5% of milk, most of which is lactose
(milk sugar), which many people are intolerant to.
No comments:
Post a Comment