Top 10 Mistakes in Drinking Milk You Should Be Aware Of

Most milk products on the market are thoroughly pasteurized. Boiling milk after purchasing it is unnecessary and can lead to the loss of its nutritional value, even potentially causing milk to undergo changes that may contribute to cancer (leaking lactose).

If you prefer warm milk, you can heat it to 70 degrees Celsius for 3 minutes. Avoid simmering the milk on low heat for an extended period, as it may reduce the vitamins and nutrients, making them susceptible to oxidation. It's best to boil the milk quickly with high heat. Once it shows signs of boiling, turn off the heat promptly to preserve nutritional value and ensure effective milk sterilization.

Many people have the habit of drinking milk in the morning, considering it as a meal for the day. However, according to nutrition experts, drinking milk in the morning may not be good as it can make us feel bloated, have difficulty digesting, and the body always feels sluggish. But if you drink milk in the evening, it's completely the opposite.

Evening is the best time to drink milk for everyone, bringing many health benefits, and milk also helps you sleep better, provides enough nutrients for the skin, and slows down the aging process.

Combining milk with medication does not bring any benefits to your body; instead, it affects the absorption rate of the medicine and reduces its concentration in the bloodstream.

Moreover, taking medication with milk can lead to the formation of a coating on its surface, causing calcium in milk and mineral ions like zinc to chemically react with the medicine, diminishing its effectiveness and posing potential harm to the body. Hence, it is advisable not to consume milk within 1-2 hours before and after taking medication.

Many believe that combining milk with fruits enhances its nutritional value, especially by adding a splash of orange or lemon juice. However, this is a misconception as acidic fruits, when mixed with the protein in milk, can denature the protein, diminishing its value and significantly impacting digestion.

Additionally, milk interferes with the cardiovascular benefits of tea. Simultaneously, tea accelerates the process of calcium excretion before the body can absorb it.

While agreeing that milk is rich in nutrients, excessive intake may not ensure daily nutrition for the body. Particularly, children learning to walk up to the age of 4-8 should not consume more than 480ml (120ml per serving) per day to avoid constipation and obesity. Excessive caloric intake in children often leads to a reluctance to eat other nutritious foods, resulting in underweight issues.

Conversely, if a child can consume a significant amount of milk while maintaining a balanced diet, it may lead to overweight and obesity. Additionally, adults should limit intake to 200ml per serving. Studies suggest that women consuming three or more glasses of milk daily have a higher risk of fractures and mortality. Similarly, men drinking three or more glasses a day face an elevated risk of mortality, primarily due to cardiovascular issues.

Misconceptions exist about placing milk in the sun for vitamin D absorption. Sunlight adversely affects milk, causing vitamins B1, B2, and C to rapidly degrade. It is advised to store milk in a cool place, such as a chilled refrigerator, to avoid direct sunlight. Failing to do so may turn milk into watery liquid, devoid of health benefits.

Producers recommend against exposing milk to direct sunlight or storing it at excessively high temperatures. Neglecting these precautions undoubtedly impacts milk quality. Poor milk quality leads to consumer dissatisfaction, failing to meet nutritional needs.

Diminished milk quality correlates with reduced protein and fat content. Unaware of declining milk quality, consumers unknowingly intake inadequate nutrients, affecting height, physical development, and cognitive function.

Condensed milk, a product derived from fresh milk, is boiled down to 2/5 of its volume. Then, 40% sugarcane is added to it, making condensed milk very sweet. Adding water to dilute it reduces the concentration of fat and protein significantly compared to fresh milk. However, if you add too much water to a little condensed milk, you risk a sudden increase in sugar levels in the body.

Many parents believe that the thicker the milk, the more nutrients their child will absorb. This is entirely unscientific. Just like adding condensed milk to fresh milk, it's an unhealthy habit. In reality, the thickness of the milk depends mainly on the child's age.

If infants consume overly thick milk, it can lead to stomach pain, constipation, poor appetite, etc. The reason is that the internal organs of the child are still very delicate, and the digestive organs are prone to damage as the thicker the milk, the higher the nutritional content.

Therefore, when giving milk, pay attention to the child's age and follow the instructions on the product label.

When preparing baby's weaning porridge, adding powdered milk can subtly alter the flavor, increasing the sweetness and creamy richness of the porridge, and the baby may or may not fancy it. Mothers should only do this occasionally or use it for foods they find suitable (such as finely ground cereals or purees of red pumpkin or mashed potatoes...) to avoid making the baby averse or loading the bowl with too much energy that the baby finds hard to digest.

Milk contains vitamin A, while porridge is primarily starch-based, with the presence of Lipoxygenase that can destroy vitamin A. If children do not absorb enough vitamin A, it can lead to slow development and susceptibility to many diseases. Therefore, even for nutritional supplementation, it is essential to separate the use of these two types of foods.

To ensure your little one grows smart and healthy, mothers should make a daily effort, even in difficulties, starting from giving the baby milk and introducing solid foods.