Throughout history, people have sought to obtain the necessary nutrients through different foods in order to obtain better health and to cope with daily tasks, and fortified milk is a very plausible option at this time to to get it.
This drink is one of the most used in the world to help obtain the necessary nutrients that are lacking from the consumption of diets. It has numerous health benefits, but at the same time it has some disadvantages, which can significantly affect the health of a person who does not tolerate such food.
Take a look at the benefits and uses of fortified milk to decide if its consumption is right for you.
Fortified milk guide
1. How is fortified milk made?
Fortified milk is the same cow's milk, but with additional vitamins and minerals that are not naturally found in milk in significant amounts.
For example, vitamins A and D are added to fortified milk sold in the United States. However, milk can be fortified with other nutrients , such as iron, folic acid, and zinc.
How milk is fortified, and if it is, depends on where you live and what nutrients may be lacking in the basic diet of your country. Many countries require fortification of milk by law, but this would not be the case in countries like the United States. Even so, fortified milk is much more common in that country, thanks to the level of its economic market.
To fortify the milk, retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A) and vitamin D3 are added. These are the most active and absorbable forms of these nutrients.
Because they are resistant to heat, these compounds are added to milk before pasteurization and homogenization, which are heat processes that kill harmful bacteria and improve shelf life (Huppertz, 2011). In contrast, other nutrients such as B vitamins have to be added later, since heat can destroy them.
2. Benefits of fortified milk
2.1 Complete the nutrients in your diet
The milk fortification process is intended to provide you with nutrients that some foods lack, and fortification adds the nutrients that were lost during milk processing. These methods were developed in order to prevent diseases due to nutrient deficiencies, such as rickets.
On the other hand, fortification is a great strategy to correct other micronutrient deficiencies, which may not be as serious but can be harmful. For example, most people around the world get enough vitamin D to prevent rickets, but not other harmful side effects of vitamin D deficiency, such as decreased immunity (El-Fakhri et al., 2014).
One study found that countries with widespread use of fortified milk had populations with higher blood levels of vitamin D than countries that did not widely use fortified milk (Itkonen, Erkkola, and Allardt, 2018).
2.2 Promotes the healthy growth of children
Fortified milk helps fight the prevention of anemia in children, caused by iron deficiency. This is a common problem, especially in developing countries.
A review of a study of more than 5,000 children determined that milk and grain foods fortified with iron, zinc, and vitamin A decreased the occurrence of anemia by more than 50% in children under 5 years of age (Eichler et al. , 2012).
Another similar study conducted in the UK found that young children who consumed fortified milk had higher levels of iron, zinc, vitamin A and D; as well as higher levels of vitamin D and iron than those who drank unfortified milk (Sidnell et al., 2016).
On the other hand, fortified milk helps improve brain function in older children. In a study of 296 Chinese high school students, those who drank fortified milk were less likely to be deficient in riboflavin and iron. In addition, they showed better academic performance and motivation, compared to those who drink unfortified milk (Wang et al., 2017).
2.3 Improves bone health
Fortified milk helps improve bone health . Products such as milk and dairy that are fortified are related to a bone mineral density or stronger and thicker bones (Heuvel and Steijns, 2018).
Milk is usually rich in calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, even non-fortified milk can promote bone health by providing the raw materials needed to build and strengthen bones. However, milk fortified with vitamin D is excellent for bone health, as this nutrient helps improve calcium absorption .
Adequate calcium intake is important to prevent problems such as osteoporosis, a disease that weakens the bones.
3. Disadvantages of fortified milk
Although fortified milk has many health benefits, it also has a number of drawbacks that you should consider.
Experts indicate that approximately two-thirds of the world's population is lactose intolerant; therefore, they cannot properly digest the sugar found in dairy products. People with this problem often experience diarrhea and other intestinal problems after consuming dairy (Szilagyi and Ishayek, 2018).
If you are lactose intolerant or react badly to dairy products, you should avoid consuming fortified milk , or simply choose lactose-free products. If you suffer from a milk allergy, then you should eliminate its consumption completely. If that's your case, you can substitute fortified milk with products such as soy milk or almond milk.
Also, it is important to note that "fortification" does not mean that a food is entirely healthy. For example, chocolate milk can be fortified with vitamins A and D, just like cow's milk. But often, it also contains a lot of sugar and additives that should be consumed in moderation.
Finally, nonfat fortified milk can make it difficult to absorb vitamins A and D, as they need fat while they are to be fully absorbed.
conclusion
Fortified milk is a food that contains many nutrients which are beneficial for health in general. Fortification helps people obtain the nutrients that you cannot obtain through the consumption of a daily diet, filling the nutritional gaps that it leaves.
On the other hand, as it contains many benefits, it also has a number of disadvantages. Also, it is not recommended for people who suffer from lactose intolerance problems.
References
- Eichler, K., Wieser, S., Rüthemann, I. and Brügger, U. (2012). Effects of micronutrient fortified milk and cereal food for infants and children: a systematic review. BMC Public Health. doi: 10.1186 / 1471-2458-12-506
- El-Fakhri, N., McDevitt, H., Shaikh, M., Halsey, C. and Ahmed, S. (2014). Vitamin D and its effects on glucose homeostasis, cardiovascular function and immune function. Hormone Research in Paediatrics . doi: 10.1159 / 000357731
- Huppertz, T. (2011). Homogenization of Milk | High-Pressure Homogenizers. Encyclopedia of Dairy Sciences. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374407-4.00225-9
- Itkonen, S., Erkkola, M. and Allardt, L. (2018). Vitamin D Fortification of Fluid Milk Products and Their Contribution to Vitamin D Intake and Vitamin D Status in Observational Studies-A Review. Nutrients . doi: 10.3390 / nu10081054
- Sidnell, A., Pigat, S., Gibson, S., O'Connor, R., Connolly, A., Sterecka, S. and Stephen, A. (2016). Nutrient intakes and iron and vitamin D status differ depending on main milk consumed by UK children aged 12-18 months – secondary analysis from the Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children. Journal of Nutritional Science. doi: 10.1017 / jns.2016.24
- Szilagyi, A. and Ishayek, N. (2018). Lactose Intolerance, Dairy Avoidance, and Treatment Options. Nutrients . doi: 10.3390 / nu10121994
- Van den Heuvel, E. and Steijns, J. (2018). Dairy products and bone health: how strong is the scientific evidence? Nutrition Research Reviews. doi: 10.1017 / S095442241800001X
- Wang, X., Hui, Z., Dai, X., Terry, P., Zhang, Y., Ma, M., Wang, M… Deng, F. (2017). Micronutrient-Fortified Milk and Academic Performance among Chinese Middle School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients . doi: 10.3390 / nu9030226
