Milk is a reservoir of nutrients and thus it becomes of prime importance to consume it on a daily basis, so that the body gets the essential nutrients required by the body. Well, nothing in this world is perfect, same holds true for milk too. But taking into consideration milk nutrition facts, it can definitely be said that milk is next to perfect food. Read further to explore milk nutrition information…

Milk forms an important component of our daily balanced diet. It serves as an excellent source of calcium that makes our bones and teeth strong. It would be appropriate to comment that it is practically impossible to meet body calcium requirements, without the consumption of milk and other dairy products.

Not only is milk a fabulous source of calcium, but also it provides the body with high quality proteins that contain the essential amino acids, which the body is incapable of producing by itself. Well, the versatility of milk is not yet over. Milk also helps in meeting the body's requirement for vitamins. One glass of milk contributes about 44% to our daily-recommended vitamins intake. So, make it a part of your routine to drink milk everyday, so as to promote your health fitness.

For Growing Bones... Why Milk?

Check the Nutrient Facts panel on Greenland milk cartons to find the benefits. You'll see several nutrients that everyone in your family needs.

Calcium and Vitamin D for your child's growing bones and teeth. These same nutrients help your bones stay healthy. Protein for building a growing body. It also keeps your body in good repair. Vitamin A for healthy eyes and skin. Offer milk or water to satisfy thirst. Your child needs plenty of fluids to stay.

Which Milk for Your Child?

Starting at age two, children can drink low-fat milk. It's good habit for your whole family to learn. Drinking low-fat milk is one way to get less fat, especially saturated fat. That's healthy!

If you have a child less than two years, offer whole milk after breast milk or formula. Babies and toddlers need the fat from whole milk to grow properly.

"Try This"

Drink milk to protect your bones - and your child will do what you do. The secret to success is having Greenland milk in your refrigerator. Have enough for you and your child, too.

The Composition of Milk

There is far less fat in milk than many people think. Even whole milk (full-fat milk) contains only 3.9% fat. Semi-skimmed milk has less than half this amount (1.7% fat) and skimmed milk is virtually fat-free (0.3% fat).

Milk supplies only around 8% of the fat in our diet and so is not a major contributor to fat in-take. Other dairy foods such as yogurt and cheese have a range of fat contents with lower fat options readily available. In total, dairy foods contribute 15% of the average fat intake; 85% of fat eaten comes from other foods.

Dietary guidelines suggest around 70g of fat a day is a healthy intake for an average woman and 95g for a man. Milk and dairy products fit easily within these recommendations. A glass of semi-skimmed milk, a pot of low-fat yogurt and a piece of cheddar-type cheese together contain approximately 15g of fat.

Although milk contains some saturated fat, no link has been established with milk and heart disease. In fact, a review of all scientific studies in this area found that people who drank the most milk were at a reduced risk of both heart disease and stroke. In addition, certain components of milk fat such as conjugatedlinoleic acid (CLA) have been suggested to have health benefits including ‘anti-cancer’ and bone-building effects. However, more research is needed in this area.

Milk and Calcium

It has been suggested that the consumption of milk and dairy products increases the rate of calcium loss from the body and therefore increases the risk of osteoporosis. This is purported to be related to milk’s relatively high protein content- excess protein intake can increase the amount of calcium lost in the urine. However, whether protein results in negative calcium balance (so-called‘ calcium leaching’) depends on the amount of calcium in the diet. If a high protein diet is matched with an adequate calcium intake - as it is in dairy foods - it need not adversely affect bone health. Several studies have confirmed that calcium is well absorbed from milk and is well retained by the body.

Supporters of the ‘calcium leaching’ idea point out that osteoporosis is more prevalent in countries where a dairy culture exists - for example, Scandinavia. However, many factors influence the development of osteoporosis and in the case of Northern Europe, lack of vitamin D may play a part. Vitamin D, which inessential for calcium absorption and therefore for bone-health, is primarily obtained via the action of sun light on the skin. Countries in the northern hemisphere have a limited number of months each year during which sunlight exposure is sufficiently strong to generate vitamin D and consequently levels are often low.

Milk and Weight Control

There is a misconception that milk and dairy products are fattening and should be avoided by those trying to lose weight. In contrast, evidences emerging that dairy foods may actually help with weight control. A number of studies have reported that adults who have a high-calcium diet(especially from dairy foods) tend to be slimmer than those who eat few calcium-rich foods. Similarly, children and teenagers with a low intake of calcium and/or dairy products are more likely to be overweight than those who regularly eat dairy foods.

Research also suggests that dairy foods might make it easier to lose weight. A series of studies have found that including three to four servings of low-fat dairy foods a day as part of a calorie-controlled diet helps people to lose more weight and more fat than cutting calories alone on a low-dairy diet. Dairy foods also tend to lead to greater weight loss around the waist; excess fat in this area is associated with the greatest health risks.

It is thought that the calcium in dairy foods is responsible for some of these beneficial effects, altering the way fat cells function and helping the body break down and burn fat. However, other compounds in dairy foods may also play a part as the weight-loss effects of dairy are greater than for the equivalent calcium supplement.

Milk and your Skin

No definitive evidence exists to show that milk and dairy products cause acne or increase its severity. A single study in the scientific literature reports that American women who suffered from severeacne as teenagers drank more skimmed milk than those who did not. This study relied on the women remembering what they ate a decade before and does not prove a causal link between milk and acne.

In fact, there is no convincing evidence that any dietary component, including chocolate and fried foods such as chips, causes spots. Rather, a number of factors working together including genetics, hormonal balance and skin type are thought to influence the skin’s condition and complaints such as acne. Acne suffers are especially sensitive to the hormone testosterone, which causes the skin to produce excess oil. Spots result when pores become clogged with oil and dead skin cells, and are infected by bacteria.

Teenagers are particularly prone to acne because of changing hormonal levels. However, this is also a crucial time for bone-building and cutting out milk and dairy products is likely to have a detrimental effect on calcium intake. The best diet for skin health is the same as that for general health and includes a good balance of foods from the four main food groups, including dairy.