The success of current medicine - the suppression of infectious diseases, especially by vaccination - but also a high level of hygiene, can create feelings that we can at all times achieve an ideal state of "health". Not only ours, but our children. To maintain health, our lifestyle is greatly influenced, which we can choose to a large extent ourselves.
Factors that we can very easily influence include our nutrition. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of false or misleading information among people that some dietary ingredients have a negative impact on human health.
"One example is the unreasonable fear of many people from eating gluten, which is proving to damage only people with celiac disease. Other false information relates to the dangers of drinking milk and dairy products . Unfortunately, they spread very efficiently without being supported by scientific evidence. Often, this statement is taken out of context, " explains prof. Jan Krejsek from the Institute of Clinical Immunology and Allergology at the Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Hradec Králové.
Europeans are able to digest milk even in adulthood
Milk can rightly be considered a functional food. It is formed in the mammary gland of mammals, including humans. It is a precondition for the survival of mammals in early life. Nourishing milk contains not only nutrients but also a number of biologically active substances that determine the development and function of immunity, nervous system, metabolism. Man, unlike other mammals, maintains the ability to digest milk even in adulthood. This is especially true for a population of European descent, in which thousands of years ago there was a happy mutation that made it possible to maintain lactase activity even in adulthood. Lactase activity, on the other hand, lacks adulthood in the Asian and African populations. People of this ethnic origin do not tolerate milk.
"With regard to information interconnection, unfortunately, information on the intolerance of milk in these populations is uncritically transmitted to the European population as well. This is one of the great myths about milk dangers. Czechs are among the nations where lactose intolerance (lactose) affects about 10 percent of adults. Everyone else will benefit from milk consumption, " notes Professor.
Does milk cause overweight or obesity?
A common argument, which we can also rightly put to myths, is the claim that milk causes obesity. But there is no scientific proof.
"Of course, we must remember that milk and dairy products are energy-rich, especially if they contain milk fat. We need to be aware of this when creating our diet. However, the energy content of milk and most dairy products is far from the energy content of meat products. In addition, we always have a choice of several bolds, " explains Professor Krejsek.
Does the milk dump the bone?
It is totally unjustifiable that drinking milk causes "bone degeneration", even if alternative healers will give it to you. There is no scientific evidence for this. Milk and dairy products from all common foods have the highest content of calcium and other minerals, as well as proteins necessary for the physiological recovery of our bones.
"The physiology of calcium in our body is extremely complex and has many implications for virtually all the functions of our body. Therefore, its absorption and other metabolism must be strictly regulated. It seems to be false to this that milk reduces calcium absorption in the intestines. It should be remembered that in milk fat (as in our few foods) vitamin D is sufficiently present. This is absolutely critical for the health of our bones. In addition, we now have unambiguous evidence of its irreplaceable immunity management, which prevents the development of immunopathological diseases as serious as multiple sclerosis, " emphasizes the professor.
How about milk allergy?
A common requirement for milk consumption is the claim that many people are allergic to milk. This is, however, very inaccurate information. The mechanism of allergies, including allergy to milk components, is very well known.
"Our doctors have good diagnostic options to make this form of allergy available to specific people. If this happens, they are not allowed to drink milk. Sometimes they can even endanger traces of milk proteins in other foods. However, it should be emphasized that milk protein allergy is very rare. It is somewhat more common in the toddler's age, but most children of this form of allergy "grow". In adulthood, only about 2% of people suffer from it, " says the leading Czech immunologist and allergologist.
Are we less allergic to goat milk?
A common myth is even the claim that goat's milk does not cause allergies when compared to cow's milk. But that is absolutely untrue. The biologicality of the cow and goat is so great that practically all the ingredients are cow's and goat's milk very similar. This is so in their "allergenic potential".
Milk and Inspiration - Immortal myth
What kind of milk myth will you recall at first? Probably the fact that milk is squirming. This is a very fashionable argument of Chinese medicine practitioners. However, doctors can easily refute this statement.
"All the mucous membranes of our body, including the digestive tract, are chemically very complex structures that we can call mucus. We need it as a natural barrier that greatly protects us. It consists of very specialized cells of our mucous membranes. The mucus is precisely regulated according to the needs of our body. Therefore, no food - or cow's milk - can cause "grubbing", "the professor explains the popular myth of milk.
Milk and Chinese medicine
Another biased statement about milk based on "Chinese medicine" tells us, for example, that "milk brings excess moisture and cooling to the body." We must clearly regard Chinese medicine as unscientific, completely different from our concept of medicine.
"It is true that alternative medicine may sometimes be a way of improving health, but it must be emphasized that everything is very individual. The man who can make an alternative, like Chinese medicine, usually completely re-evaluates his life. It completely changes its habits. This triggers a cycle that can lead to healing or reducing the health problem. And because, among other things, Chinese medicine has greatly reduced its consumption of dairy products, the individual attributes success to the treatment as well as the restriction or elimination of milk products from their diet. However, if the person concerned does not suffer from a relatively rare allergy to milk protein (about 2% of us) or some form of lactose intolerance (about 5-10% of our population), it brings many benefits to dairy products, " adds prof. Jan Krejsek from the Institute of Clinical Immunology and Allergology at the Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Hradec Králové.
Consumption of milk is therefore a clear benefit for the Czech population - up to a relatively low percentage. It is the richest source of quality animal proteins, minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids. Its excellent nutritional properties are enhanced by naturally sour milk products such as yoghurt. Their digestibility is even better than conventional milk, and can also contain health-promoting probiotic micro-organisms.
Source: tz