Kompas.com – Milk has long been part of the diet of many people because of its high nutritional content.
Milk is not only a source of high quality protein, but also provides good calcium for bone health.
However, for some people, milk can cause digestive problems and even associated with the risk of certain cancer. Let’s examine further benefits and risk potential.
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What is milk?
Milk is a nutritious liquid obtained from animals such as cows, goats, and sheep. Cow’s milk is the most commonly consumed and used as a basic ingredient of other dairy products such as cheese, cream, butter, and yogurt.
In recent years, many people have begun to switch to alternative vegetable milk due to difficulty in digesting cow’s milk.
They believe that milk causes excessive mucus production, or worrying about its impact potential on health, including the risk of cancer.
However, is this concern reasonable?
Nutritional content of pure cow’s milk
The following is a nutritional profile of 100 ml of pure cow’s milk:
- 65 KKAL / 273 KJ
- 3.5 g of protein
- 3.7 g of fat
- 4.7 g of carbohydrates
- 4.7 g of natural sugar (lactose)
- 124 mg of calcium
Milk contains almost all nutrients needed by the body, including high quality protein, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin B12.
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Because of its rich nutritional content, milk and processed products remain part of the nutritional guidelines in many countries. Here are some of the benefits of milk consumption:
1. Source of high quality protein
Milk contains casein and whey, two types of protein that are rich in essential amino acids. Protein in milk helps a longer feeling of fullness and supports the absorption of minerals is important for bone health.
2. Maintaining muscle and bone health
The content of calcium and phosphorus in milk supports the health of bones and teeth.
Whey protein that is rich in amino acids leusin is also beneficial in the growth and maintenance of muscles, especially for athletes and elderly who are susceptible to loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia).

3. Helps control weight
Milk has a nutritional balance that makes it filling and can help reduce the desire to overeat.
4. Reduce blood pressure
Casein protein in milk is thought to help lower blood pressure, which is beneficial for heart health.
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