More or Less Milk for Good Health?
By Tom Herrin
Anytime we try to do something to improve our health, most of us take a pretty hard look at what we can actually control. For the most part, it is rest, exercise, and nutrition. What we take in to fuel our bodies is a really important part of maintaining our overall health. Beginning when we are born, we rely on milk to provide us with all the nutrients we need. It continues to play a major role in our diet for quite a few years. The federal school lunch program has included milk in every meal since its inception. It is considered to be a great source of what is needed to build healthy bodies and promote growth.
Milk May Do Much for Adults
Just because we have become legal adults is not a reason that we should abandon milk in our diets. It is a great source of protein, especially calorie-for-calorie. Many individuals who participate in heavy workouts always follow their exercise session with a glass of milk to restore protein. It is also believed that milk, with fat, may help to raise good cholesterol and manage blood pressure. This could truly be a key ingredient for a heart-healthy diet. Most of us would certainly like to do all we can to protect our hearts.
Milk May Be Trouble for Some
Even though milk may offer some really good benefits, it doesn't do much good if it makes us sick in the process. Some people have big problems drinking milk or consuming milk products. Many have problems with lactose and all referred to as lactose intolerant. Some who don't appear to have that issue still seem to have difficulty with milk. It has been discovered in more recent years that one of proteins in cows' milk causes some people to have problems with digestion. This protein is referred to as A1. Apparently this milk has A1 and A2.
There Are a Few Options
If you want to try milk but have some of these issues with it, there is still hope. There are lots of kinds of milk on the market that are considered to be lactose-free. Some producers have also been able to deliver milk that has only the A2 protein, and the milk is marked as such. There are other alternatives as well. For those who need more calcium, products like almond milk are available. They have higher levels of calcium than other milk and may be used in some of the same ways as traditional milk. We all do what we can to be as healthy as possible.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Irving, Tex.