26 Aug Are dairy products healthy?
The health benefits associated with dairy products go far beyond maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Consuming enough milk, yogurt and cheese can also be good for heart health, blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight.
Milk, cheese and yogurt are naturally full of important nutrients such as calcium and protein. The unique package of vitamins and minerals they provide means that these dairy products pack several significant health benefits.
In fact, consuming milk, cheese and yogurt is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and colon cancer.
Digestive health
Research supports the role of gut health in overall health and wellness. Some fermented foods contain probiotics. active bacterial cultures with unique characteristics that allow them to survive in the gastrointestinal tract. When consumed in sufficient quantities, they provide health benefits and have the ability to maintain the natural balance of the gut microbe.
Fermented dairy products such as yogurt, beverages and kefir are some of the most common and readily available sources of probiotics. These products are an ideal vehicle for probiotics as the milk composition (which includes carbohydrates, proteins and fats) acts as a protective matrix to help the probiotics survive from the digestive system to the intestine, including helping them survive adverse conditions of the stomach.
Bone health
Bones are living tissue, constantly in a state of renewal, so building and maintaining bones from childhood to old age is important. Essential ingredients for strong bones for life include weight training, calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt, as well as vitamin D from safe sun exposure.
Failure to care for bones can increase the risk of osteoporosis, a disease where bones become brittle and are at high risk of fracture. In Greece, osteoporosis affects one in two women and one in three men over the age of 60. Bone health is determined by both genetic and lifestyle factors, and adopting a bone-friendly lifestyle at any age can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Dental health
Achieving dental health requires more than just good oral hygiene. Healthy eating and eating habits also help maintain healthy teeth. Dairy foods have a specific role to play in dental health as they contain a unique combination of special nutrients against decay, such as calcium, phosphorus and protein, casein.
Milk has been linked to a reduced risk of cavities, making it a good drink choice between meals, and hard cheese has been linked to a reduced risk of cavities and corrosion. It is a good idea to eat a small piece of cheese after eating sugary foods or beverages to protect your teeth and reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Weight management
Maintaining a healthy body weight is a matter of balancing the energy received with the energy used through daily activities or exercise.
When trying to lose weight through a calorie-controlled diet, studies show that eating at least three servings of milk, yogurt or cheese a day can help people lose more weight, more pounds and more body fat than people. who ate fewer portions of dairy food.
Muscle mass and hydration
Post-exercise protein is known to help build muscle mass, but not all proteins are equally effective. There is a reason that proteins found in milk – whey and casein – are more commonly used in dietary supplements designed to maintain or increase muscle mass.
Milk contains high quality proteins that provide all the essential amino acids needed to build and maintain muscle mass. The unique blend of casein milk and whey contains amino acids in a pattern similar to muscle protein. Casein is a slow-digesting, slow-release protein that has been shown to reduce muscle breakdown. Whey is a fast-acting protein and fast absorption with a high concentration of leucine – a branched chain amino acid. Leucine specifically stimulates the building of new muscle tissue.
Milk also helps with hydration after exercise, replacing fluids and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) in the right balance. Other nutrients in milk, such as protein, help the body retain fluid more efficiently.
Reduction of disease risks
Dairy products play an important role in maintaining a healthy diet and reducing the risk of serious diseases. The following are just a few examples:
A healthy lifestyle and diet can help you reduce your risk of heart disease, and studies show that people who regularly consume milk, cheese and yogurt are more likely to have a reduced risk of heart disease than those who do not.
A healthy diet that includes a variety of foods from the five food groups, such as fruits, vegetables and milk, cheese and yogurt can help you manage your blood pressure. In addition, many studies show that three servings of milk, yogurt and cheese daily are associated with a reduced risk of hypertension.
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