In modern households, milk is becoming more and more popular. It has become an essential food on people's tables, and more and more people enjoy drinking milk. Milk is indeed rich in nutrients and is a convenient, affordable, and nutritious food. Therefore, drinking milk every day has become a habit.
Milk is the secretion of cows after calving, and it is milky white. Due to the ease of breeding and high yield of dairy cows, milk production is the main focus of the dairy industry worldwide. There are many dairy products, among which the most important one is fresh milk production. Fresh milk contains various bioactive substances, including hormones, cytokines, active genes, and immunoglobulins. Milk is rich in nutrients, easy to digest and absorb, cost-effective, nutritionally balanced, and convenient to consume. It is considered the "closest to perfect food" and is often referred to as "white blood." It is the most ideal natural food. The abundant nutrients in milk, including vitamin A, vitamin B2, and vitamin D, have certain preventive effects on gastric cancer and colon cancer. It is a desire for every consumer to drink fresh milk, but in fact, there is no so-called fresh milk on the market. Currently, most of the milk on the market belongs to pasteurized milk, which is what we commonly call sterilized milk. There is no such thing as "pure fresh milk," "fresh milk," or "room temperature milk" as claimed on the packaging.
Sterilization can eliminate pathogenic microorganisms in milk and make it safer. Currently, there are two main methods of sterilization: one is pasteurization, which is commonly known as "pasteurized milk"; the other is sterilized milk, which uses high temperature to kill all bacteria in milk. Pasteurized milk is sterilized at low temperature for a long time to kill pathogenic bacteria in milk while retaining beneficial bacteria and nutritional elements for the human body.
However, because this method cannot eliminate all microorganisms in milk, the product needs to be refrigerated, and its shelf life is relatively short, usually only a few days. Sterilized milk uses high temperature to kill all bacteria in milk. It completely destroys the microorganisms and spores that can grow in it. Since there are no microorganisms in milk, it can be stored at room temperature, and its shelf life is relatively long, usually more than 3 months.
Pasteurized milk sterilized at low temperature has slightly higher nutritional value, and various nutrients are preserved intact. Heating has the greatest impact on water-soluble vitamins and proteins in milk. During the heating process, about 10% of B vitamins and 25% of vitamin C are lost. The deeper the heating, the more nutrients are lost. The loss of whey protein during heating in sterilized milk is 7 times that of pasteurized milk. Therefore, pasteurized milk with a short shelf life has higher nutritional value, so it is important to pay attention when choosing dairy products.
To drink milk with better preserved nutrition, it is best to buy and consume it immediately. Try to buy milk with a short shelf life. In addition, it is best to drink the milk directly without reheating it again, as reheating will cause further nutrient loss. Once the packaging of the milk is opened, it is best to finish it in one go. The longer it is stored, the greater the nutrient loss.
The following are the main groups of people who are not suitable for drinking milk:
1. People who are allergic to milk or dairy products: Some people may experience symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea after drinking milk. Some severely allergic individuals may even experience rhinitis, asthma, or urticaria.
2. People who cannot digest lactose: Some people severely lack lactose enzyme in their bodies, so lactose in the milk they consume cannot be converted into lactose and glucose for absorption and utilization by the small intestine. Instead, it directly enters the large intestine, causing an increase in colonic osmotic pressure and causing the large intestine mucosa to absorb a large amount of water. In addition, lactose fermentation by bacteria in the intestine can produce lactic acid, causing the pH value of the intestines to drop below 6, stimulating the large intestine and causing symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence, and diarrhea.
3. People who are frequently exposed to lead in their work or living environment: Lactose in milk can promote the absorption and accumulation of lead in the human body, which can easily lead to lead poisoning. Therefore, people who are frequently exposed to lead should not drink milk. Instead, they can drink yogurt, as lactose in yogurt is minimal and has mostly been converted into lactic acid.
4. People with gastroesophageal reflux disease: Milk can lower the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter, increase the reflux of gastric or intestinal fluids by reducing pressure, and worsen esophagitis.
5. People who experience symptoms such as bloating, excessive flatulence, abdominal pain, and diarrhea: Although these symptoms are not caused by milk, drinking milk can exacerbate these symptoms.
6. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome: Irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abnormal physiological responses of intestinal smooth muscle movement and intestinal mucosal secretion to stimulation, without any structural lesions in the intestines. The symptoms are mainly related to psychological factors and food allergies, including allergies to milk and its products.
7. Patients with cholecystitis and pancreatitis: Digesting the fat in milk requires the participation of bile and pancreatic enzymes. Drinking milk increases the burden on the gallbladder and pancreas, exacerbating symptoms.
8. Patients after abdominal or gastric resection surgery: The lactase in the patient's body decreases due to the surgery. After drinking milk, lactose cannot be broken down and will ferment in the body, producing water, lactic acid, and a large amount of carbon dioxide, causing abdominal distension. During abdominal surgery, the intestinal tube is exposed to air for a long time, and the mesentery is pulled, delaying the recovery of postoperative intestinal peristalsis. The gas produced in the intestine due to swallowing or fermentation cannot be expelled in time, which can worsen bloating and may cause abdominal pain, increased intra-abdominal pressure, and even rupture of the suture site or incision in the abdominal wall. After gastric resection surgery, due to the small residual gastric pouch left after surgery, lactose-containing milk will quickly enter the small intestine, further exacerbating the deficiency or lack of lactase that was already insufficient or absent.
