 |
Milk has been used as food for thousands of years and Ayurveda extols the virtues of cow’s milk and its by-products such as buttermilk, butter and ghee in preserving our health and treating illnesses.
However, it can be argued that apart from active and growing children, others can do without the saturated fat content (3-4.5%) in milk, especially given our sedentary lives. The fat is best skimmed and used for cream, butter and ghee, to be consumed judiciously.
Jayashree Joshi Eashwar
So, apart from the fat—and with due apologies to vegans—milk is generally regarded as a remarkable combination of food elements with protein, beta carotene, vitamins A and D. It is one of the richest natural sources of calcium. We all know how important that is for our bones and teeth, especially during the earlier and later years of our lives. But, if not produced under strict conditions (or adulterated!), it can cause problems.
Apart from powder added to milk for greater volume, there are murkier ways in which the quality of milk can be affected. The first is through mycotoxins and aflatoxins present in milk because of cattle feed that is contaminated with plant disease or has pesticide residues. This can be carcinogenic.
It affects the health of the lactating animal and then ours through its milk. Most dairies do not have the wherewithal or commitment to screen the milk collected.
A second problem is the use of oxytocin hormonal injections given to cows/buffaloes to make them produce more milk. This is done by large government dairies as well as farmers/milkmen who supply them. It should be noted that this unscrupulous practice is followed abroad (in the US and other countries) as well. This ruins the animals’ health over a period of time and their milk causes users to suffer a host of health problems that range from allergic reactions to infertility.
The safest alternative is organic milk. This milk is from organic farms where the cows are fed organic feeds and no unethical practices are followed. But, since it’s not available easily or in plenty, your next bet is milk in 1-litre cartons from reliable manufacturers (who have the technology and understanding to screen milk). Sure, this milk is more expensive but then, anything good comes for a price.
Besides it is children who drink a lot of milk and surely no one wants a compromise here. Secondly, curd made from milk is supposed to be nutritious as well as beneficial for the digestive tract. It would be a good idea to keep it uncontaminated and healthy!
For vegans or those with lactose intolerance— caused by the intestines lacking an enzyme that digests lactose (the sugar in milk and other dairy products)— there is soya milk or milk from nuts such as almond or peanut. This can also be made at home by soaking, grinding and then pressing out the milk. Milk has great food value. But like we need a telescope to enjoy the Milky Way, we also need to look minutely at the milk we buy.
|
