Types of milk and what are the points of difference between them
There are many types of milk and their components differ from one type to another. Many may think that milk is only two specific types, which are cow’s milk and mother’s milk, but in fact there are a large number and different types of milk today.
But in general, milk is a rich and natural food source, which includes a group of valuable nutrients that help the body and maintain human health
It is recommended that adults consume about 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat dairy products per day as part of a healthy diet, but on the other hand, research on milk is conflicting and there are multiple studies and results that emphasize the importance and benefits of milk with a wide range of other claims that it is bad, because Increasing concerns about health and lactose intolerance for some people along with animal welfare and it is advised to choose plant-based milk and various dairy alternatives.
The main types of milk
Full fat milk
It is regular milk from which other types of milk are produced, such as skimmed milk, i.e. low-fat or skimmed milk production, all of which differ in the amount of fat they contain by ridding regular milk of fat or reducing its percentage, as for the rest of the ingredients and nutrients are the same, but they differ The percentage of fats varies slightly from one type to another. As for the percentage of fats in the three types, they are as follows:
Whole milk: 3.25% of milk fat. Low-fat milk: 1% of milk fat. Skim Milk: Less than 0.5% of milk fat. All three types contain many essential nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids such as; Omega-3 provides the body with many health benefits, including improving heart and brain health, managing weight and reducing the risk of cancer, and whole milk reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Organic milk
It is a simple option that fits the lifestyle because organic standards reflect what a person wants from food so that the feed used on organic farms to feed animals is determined and farmers are not allowed to use genetically modified crops, synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics or modified crops genetically on their own organic farms used to produce organic milk,
Organic milk can be eaten by different age groups, children and adults alike, and is the perfect choice for vegetarians.
Lactose-free milk
It is a manufactured commercial product that is free of lactose. As for lactose, which some people have difficulty digesting, which made many food manufacturers go to produce an alternative manufactured from milk that is free of lactose sugar.
Lactose-free milk contains the same nutrients found in regular milk such as protein, which promotes the building of hair, skin, bones and muscles, and many minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, which help regulate blood pressure by balancing sodium levels, and vitamin D is added to it, which helps the body to Calcium absorption, which promotes and maintains bone health and contributes to reducing the risk of osteoporosis,
In addition to vitamin B12 and riboflavin, it can be taken as a healthy alternative without worry.
Mother’s milk
Breast milk production begins during pregnancy and at birth it begins to come out in small quantities in the first days and gradually increases over time.
Mother’s milk is of complex composition and differs from one mother to another. It even varies within the mother herself. It also consists of 200 different substances such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and hormones that meet the child’s basic need of elements and nutrients that he needs to grow his body in a healthy manner. To be able to fight and resist diseases.
Mammal’s milk
Mammalian milk is more nutritious for different age groups than formula milk and provides the immune protection the body needs. Mammalian milk is produced immediately after birth by all types of mammals
All mammals share many milk-producing genes that depend on the immune system, despite the wide variety of lactation strategies
However, they differ in the amount of milk produced, as the immune component of the milk is specifically designed to suit the specific needs of each type of mammal.