1. Sun exposure increases vitamin D in bottled milk
Some people believe that sun exposure is a good way to increase vitamin D intake, so they put bottled milk under the sun. However, this practice is not beneficial. While milk may gain some vitamin D, it loses vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin C. These three nutrients are prone to decomposition under sunlight, resulting in partial or complete loss. Additionally, lactose in milk can ferment under sunlight, leading to milk spoilage.
2. Using condensed milk as a substitute for milk
Condensed milk is a dairy product made by evaporating fresh milk to 2/5 of its original volume and adding 40% sugar. Some people believe that condensed milk is a concentrated form of milk and use it as a substitute. However, this is not correct. Condensed milk is too sweet and needs to be diluted with 5-8 times water. But when the sweetness is satisfactory, the concentration of protein and fat is only half of that in fresh milk. If water is added to achieve a similar concentration of protein and fat as fresh milk, the sugar content becomes too high.
3. Feeding infants with yogurt
Yogurt is a healthy beverage that aids digestion, and some parents feed their infants with it. However, the antibiotics produced by the lactobacillus in yogurt not only inhibit the growth of many pathogens but also disrupt the growth conditions of beneficial normal flora in the body. This can affect normal digestion, especially in infants with gastroenteritis and premature infants, who may experience vomiting and necrotizing enterocolitis if fed with yogurt.
4. Adding orange juice or lemon juice to milk for flavor
Adding orange juice or lemon juice to milk may seem like a good idea, but in reality, both orange and lemon are high in citric acid. When citric acid encounters the protein in milk, it denatures the protein and reduces its nutritional value.
5. Adding rice soup or porridge to milk
Some people believe that adding rice soup or porridge to milk can provide complementary nutrition. However, this practice is not scientifically sound. Milk contains vitamin A, while rice soup and porridge mainly consist of starch, which contains lipoxidase that can destroy vitamin A. Insufficient intake of vitamin A in infants and young children can lead to delayed growth and weakened immune system. Therefore, even for nutritional supplementation, the two should be consumed separately.
6. Boiling milk is necessary
Typically, milk only needs to be heated to around 70°C for 3 minutes or 60°C for 6 minutes for disinfection. Boiling milk at 100°C can cause lactose in the milk to caramelize, which can induce cancer. Furthermore, boiling milk can cause calcium in milk to precipitate as calcium phosphate, reducing its nutritional value.
7. The thicker the milk, the better
Some people believe that the thicker the milk, the more nutrition it contains, but this is not scientifically valid.
8. Adding more sugar is better
Some people believe that milk without sugar is hard to digest, but this is not true. Adding sugar is to increase the calorie supply from carbohydrates, but it must be done in moderation, typically adding 5-8 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters of milk.
9. Adding chocolate to milk
Some people believe that since milk is a high-protein food and chocolate is an energy food, consuming them together must be beneficial. However, this is not true. When liquid milk is combined with chocolate, the calcium in milk reacts with the oxalic acid in chocolate to form calcium oxalate. As a result, calcium, which is nutritious, becomes harmful, leading to calcium deficiency, diarrhea, poor appetite, delayed growth in children, dry hair, increased risk of bone fractures, and urinary stone formation.
10. Taking medicine with milk is a win-win
Some people believe that taking medicine with something nutritious like milk is beneficial, but this is extremely incorrect. Milk can significantly affect the absorption rate of drugs in the body, resulting in lower drug concentrations in the blood compared to those who take the same medication without milk. Taking medicine with milk can also lead to the formation of a film that covers the medication, and the calcium and magnesium ions in milk can react with drugs to form insoluble substances, reducing the efficacy of the medication and potentially causing harm. Therefore, it is best not to drink milk within 1-2 hours before or after taking medication.