What’s in a glass of milk?
You may enjoy it on its own, or with one or two (or three or four…) homemade cookies. You may prefer to gulp it down after a workout or after underestimating just how spicy Sri Lanken food really is. Whatever the circumstances, it seems a glass of milk is often just the thing we’re looking for. It’s a staple of our diets – and for good reason! We all know milk is good for us. Why? It’s chocked full of calcium! And yet, milk has the distinction of being a food whose health benefits are often underestimated. You read that right: milk is not just good for your bones and teeth. This begs the question: what else is in a glass of milk?
The answer is simple: a lot. One glass of milk contains your daily supply of vitamins A and D, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. What do these nutrients all have in common? Canadians do not get enough of them! More than a third of Canadian adults are deficient in five of these key nutrients¹’²’³, each of which is vitally important to our overall health:
- Vitamin A helps boost your immune system while protecting your eyesight from deteriorating with age.
- Vitamin D also helps ward off diseases, but it mostly comes from our exposure to sunlight – a rare thing during our Canadian winters!
- Magnesium has been linked to amelioration of the symptoms of depression.
- Potassium regulates fluid balances and controls the electrical activity of our hearts. A deficiency of potassium can lead to fatigue, weakness, and constipation.
- Zinc plays a key role in our immune systems, helping with everything from healing our flesh wounds to our head colds.
And it doesn’t stop there: milk is also a rich source of protein. Overall, thanks to these key nutrients, milk has been associated with reduced risk of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.
So what’s in a glass of milk? Not literally a banana, some broccoli, eggs, almonds, and beans. Rather, it’s a tightly-packed collection of essential nutrients to help keep you healthy at every stage of life. The kicker? Milk is delicious! So pour a cold glass and drink to your health. 🙂
DPAC Reports and Submissions
Speaking Notes: DPAC Presentation to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (October 18 2018)
Comments and concerns surrounding the review of Canada’s Food Guide – Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (December 2017)
Recommendations on improving health and food safety, and growing more high-quality food – Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food (October 2017).
Recommendations on policy measures to promote innovation in the dairy processing sector – Submission to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (October 2016).