Top 10 Health Benefits of Milk

You start drinking milk the day you are born, and it is your sole source of nutrition for many months. But as you start growing, your milk intake naturally decreases. Irrespective of your age, it’s important for your overall health to drink milk daily.

Milk provides a unique balance of nutrients and is considered “nature’s wellness drink”. According to the National Dairy Council, it contains nine essential nutrients: calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin and vitamins A, D and B12.

Any amount of milk you drink is beneficial, but the recommended dose for adults is three one-cup servings of dairy each day. Depending upon your diet and nutritional needs, you can choose whole, 2%, 1% or skim milk.
It’s well known that the calcium and vitamin D in milk help keep your bones healthy. But milk has many additional health benefits that will encourage you to make sure you get the recommended daily servings.

Here are the top 10 health benefits of milk.

1. Builds Muscles

For a strong, muscular body, milk should be a part of your diet. The body needs protein to build muscle and milk is the one of the best natural sources of good quality protein.

The protein in milk is 20 percent whey and 80 percent casein. While whey protein is quickly broken down into amino acids and absorbed into the bloodstream, casein is digested more slowly. So, when you drink milk, your body gets the benefits of both types of protein.
Also, the calcium present in milk contributes to muscle and blood health.

Drink a glass of milk after a workout to hydrate your body, build muscles and help you recover quickly before your next workout session.

2. Strengthens Teeth

One of the best food choices for the health of your teeth is milk. Milk provides high amount of calcium, phosphorus and iodine needed to remineralize teeth and to make them sharp and strong.

The casein protein in milk forms a thin film on the enamel surface, which helps prevent loss of calcium and phosphate when the teeth are exposed to acids in the mouth or in foods and drinks. Thus, it helps prevent tooth decay and cavities. It also makes the jaw bones strong.

To enjoy strong teeth, drink milk without adding sugar. Also, try to drink milk between meals for overall oral health.

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