About cow’s milk
Milk is an emulsion where liquid butterfat globules are
dispersed within water solution.
Composition of cow milk provides the correct rate of growth
and development for baby calf therefor the human milk is tuned to meet the nutritional requirements of
human baby, which is obviously more suitable for human baby than cow’s
milk. So this should not be given to a child under the age of one due to their differences
in composition. They contain similar % of water. The relative amounts of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins
and minerals vary extensively.
The
protein content in 100g of whole cow’s milk 3.3g is more than double that of
human milk 1.3g. The human infants on the other hand need less protein and more
fat as their energies are expended primarily in the development of the brain,
spinal cord and nerves. Leucine is a unique
amino acid in that it stimulates muscle protein synthesis, Cow’s milk contains
3.3 grams/ litre and the human milk contains 0.9 grams/ litre so the human
infant is the mammal with the slowest growth rate. The proteins in milk can be
divided into two categories: caseins and whey proteins. Human milk contains
these in a ratio of 40:60 respectively; while in cow’s milk the ratio of casein
to whey proteins is 80:20. The cow’s milk and human milk contain similar amounts of
fat. While these values are close, the
types of fat vary. The cow’s milk contains more saturated fat while human milk
contains more unsaturated fat. The human
milk contains 1.8g saturated fat, 1.6g monounsaturated fat and 0.5g
polyunsaturated fat. The higher level of unsaturated fatty acids in human milk
reflects the important role of these fats in brain development.
A cup of milk contains around 30% of the daily
requirement of calcium for adults. Milk also contains potassium and magnesium.
These minerals are important for healthy bones and teeth. Milk may help improve
weight and bone density in children.
Drinking milk hasn’t been
linked to weight gain or obesity, and it may help curb appetite. It could
prevent diabetes.
Milk fat may help raise
levels of HDL cholesterol so it may prevent heart disease and stroke.
Cow’s milk has a higher
amount of lactose, so it can be linked to lactose intolerance.
