Milk

In many cultures, especially in the West, humans continue to consume milk beyond infancy, using the milk of other mammals (especially cattle, goats and sheep) as a food product. Initially, the ability to digest milk was limited to children as adults did not produce lactase, an enzyme necessary for digesting the lactose in milk. People therefore converted milk to curd, cheese and other products to reduce the levels of lactose.

There are two distinct categories of milk consumption: all infant mammals drink milk directly from their mothers’ bodies, and it is their primary source of nutrition; and humans obtain milk from other mammals for consumption by humans of all ages, as one component of a varied diet.

Milk is packed with Nutrients! It’s really quite impressive. One cup of milk contains:

Calcium: 28%

Vitamin D: 24%

Riboflavin: 26%

Vitamin B12: 18%

Potassium: 10%

Phosphorus: 22%

Selenium: 13%

Calories: 146

Protein: 8 grams

Fat: 8 grams