The Power of Dairy

There has been a lot of controversy over the fact that milk may not be as good for you as you may think, as the cows are fed hormones and other chemicals. However scientific studies on such theories have come up inconclusive. It is safe to say however, that dairy products especially milk has been shown to be very beneficial in delivering certain vitamins and minerals that are essential to our bodies. There are still many reasons that you should not give up milk and other dairy products.

Beneficial Ingredients
Milk is known to be one of the top sources of Calcium, a mineral that is absolutely essential in helping prevent bone related conditions such as osteoporosis, and strengthening our teeth. Some of the nutrients in milk have also been known to help lower blood pressure and (ldl) cholesterol levels. These nutrients have also been known to have positive effects on different types of cancers as well as aid in weight loss.

Dairy Intake Lacking
According to the food pyramid, people are suppose to consume about 3 servings of dairy products per day. Despite this recommendation studies show that most individuals today only consume half of the recommended amount of dairy servings. An interesting study done by the department of agriculture shows that only about 10% of women get the recommended amount of dairy.

Vitamin Enriched
Milk these days are enriched and fortified with different vitamins needed by the body. This fortified milk is one of the few dairy products that contains vitamin D, which is a nutrient that helps your body to more easily absorb calcium. 1 cup of milk is noted as having 100 UI of vitamin D which is about half of the recommended amount for adults under the age of 50. Milk is also fortified with Vitamin A which has been known to help with vision as well as help to build a strong immune system
The question now becomes what kind of dairy foods are there and how much of it counts as a serving. Below is a list of dairy food servings.

-1cup of milk
-1cup of low fat yogurt
-1.5oz of cheese
-1/2cup cottage cheese

As you can see milk and other dairy products are beneficial to our health, despite the few inconclusive studies that state otherwise. Dairy products are very powerful foods and should not be left out of our diets.