Milk is a natural food source for mammals. Animals, including humans, produce milk to feed their young until they are ready for solid food.
As such, milk contains valuable nutrients that help support a growing body, including calcium and protein.
Research about milk is conflicting, however, with different studies claiming milk is either good or bad for the body.
Due to rising concerns about health, lactose intolerance, and animal welfare, plant-based milk, and dairy alternatives are gaining popularity.
This article looks at the potential health benefits of cow’s milk and discusses alternatives.
Health benefits of milk:
Official sources, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015–2020Trusted Source, recommend that adults eat about 3 cup-equivalent of low fat or fat-free dairy each day as part of a healthful diet.
This amount can include milk, yogurt, cheese, and fortified soy beverages.
The following sections look at the possible benefits of milk for human health.
Milk and bone health:
Calcium is an essential nutrient for strong bones and teeth, muscle movement, and nerve signals. Health authorities recommend getting enough calcium to help prevent bone fractures and osteoporosis.
Milk offers a rich source of calcium. Manufacturers fortify cow’s milk with vitamin D, another nutrient that benefits bone health.
While calcium is important, not all studies agree that milk is good for preventing osteoporosis or fractures, as a 2019 review discusses. Due to this discrepancy, scientists still need to do more research.
Milk and heart health:
Milk is a source of potassium, which can help the blood vessels dilate and reduce blood pressure.
Getting more potassium while also reducing sodium (salt) intake can lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Many people in the US do not get their recommended daily requirement trusted source for potassium of 3,400 milligrams (mg) in males and 2,600 mg for females.
Other potassium-rich foods besides milk include:
dried apricots
oranges
potatoes
tomatoes
Lima beans
spinach
bananas
prunes
yogurt
Cow’s milk also contains a high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease, so people should eat dairy in moderation.
Cow’s milk also contains a high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease, so people should eat dairy in moderation
Milk and cancer:
Milk contains calcium and vitamin D, two nutrients that may help protect against cancer.
Calcium may protect a trusted source in the gut lining to reduce the risk, trusted source of colon cancer or rectum cancer. However, research has linked too much calcium trusted source with prostate cancer.
Vitamin D might play a role in cell growth regulation. It may help trusted source protect against colon cancer, and possibly prostate and breast cancer. However, research has also linked high vitamin D levels to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Many factors affect cancer risk. Likewise, cancer can take a long time to develop, so it is difficult to study its causes and risk factors.
Scientists still need more long-term research to establish the facts with any certainty.
Milk and depression:
Adequate vitamin D levels support trusted source the production of serotonin, a hormone people associate with mood, appetite, and sleep.
Research, including a 2020 review trusted source, has linked vitamin D deficiency with clinical depression.
Manufacturers often fortify cow’s milk and plant milk with vitamin D.
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