Milk in Medical Uses
Protection against osteoporosis (Major issues in women )
The most common form of osteoporosis (literally, “bones full of holes”) is an age-related loss of bone density in postmenopausal women. Starting at menopause, women may lose 1 percent of bone density every year for the rest of their lives. Men also lose bone, but at a slower rate. As a result, women are more likely to suffer bone fractures; six of seven who suffer a broken hip are women.
A lifelong diet with adequate amounts of calcium can help stave off bone loss later in life. Current studies suggest that postmenopausal women who are not using hormone replacement therapy should get at least 1,500 mg calcium a day .This is equivalent to the amount of calcium in five glasses of non-fat milk.
Reduced risk of hypertension (high blood pressure )
In 2008, a team of researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health suggested that Hypertension woman who consume two or more servings of fat-free milk and milk products a day reduce their risk of high blood pressure by 10 percent. This in comparison to women who consume these products less than once a month. The finding is specific to low-fat milk products; it does not apply to milk products with higher fat content or to calcium and vitamin D supplements.
Lactose intolerance.
Lactose intolerance—the inability to digest the sugar in milk—is not an allergy. It is an inherited metabolic deficiency that affects two-thirds of all adults, including 90 to 95 percent of all Asians, 70 to 75 percent of all blacks, and 6 to 8 percent of Caucasians. These people do not have sufficient amounts of lactase, the enzyme that breaks lactose (a disaccharide) into its easily digested components, galactose and glucose. When they drink milk, the undigested sugar is fermented by bacteria in the gut, causing bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, and intestinal discomfort. Some milk is now sold with added lactase to digest the lactose and make the milk usable for lactase-deficient people.
To strengthen bones and reduce age-related loss of bone density.
High-calcium foods protect bone density. The current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for calcium is still 800 mg for adults 25 and older. A diet with adequate amounts of calcium-rich foods helps protect bone density. Low-fat and no-fat cheeses provide calcium without excess fat and cholesterol.
Protection against tooth decay.
Studies at the University of Iowa (Iowa City) Dental School confirm that a wide variety of cheeses, including aged cheddar, Edam, Gouda, Monterey Jack, Muenster, mozzarella, Port Salut, Roquefort, Romano, Stilton, Swiss, and Tilsit—limit the tooth decay ordinarily expected when sugar becomes trapped in plaque, the sticky film on tooth surfaces where cavity-causing bacteria flourish. In a related experiment using only cheddar cheese, people who ate cheddar four times a day over a two-week period showed a twenty percent build-up of strengthening minerals on the surface of synthetic toothlike material attached to the root surfaces of natural teeth.
Protection against periodontal disease.
A report in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Periodontology suggests that consuming adequate amounts of dairy products may reduce the risk of developing periodontal disease. Examining the dental health of 942 subjects ages 40 to 79, researchers at Kyushu University, in Japan, discovered that those whose diets regularly included two ounces (55 g) of foods containing lactic acid (milk, cheese, and yogurt) were significantly less likely to have deep “pockets” (loss of attachment of tooth to gum) than those who consumed fewer dairy products.
Protection against antibiotic-related illness.
Gastric upset, primarily diarrhoea, is a common side effect of antibiotic therapy because antibiotics eliminate beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract along with harmful microorganisms. In 2008, a report in the British Medical Journal confirmed earlier studies suggesting that hospitalized patients on antibiotics who were given “probiotic” cultured milks—yogurts containing beneficial microorganisms—had a significantly lower risk of developing antibiotic-related diarrhoea.