Milk Nutritional Composition and Its Role in Human Health

Abstract

Introduction: Milk is a nutritious, white or slightly yellowish liquid, which is a biological secretion of mammalian breasts, including the human species, intended for feeding their babies. Purpose: The purpose of this review is to examine the nutritional value of milk and its usefulness in human nutrition. Material and Methods: The study was conducted based on reviewing Greek and international scientific studies on the subject found in Greek and international databases such as “PubMed”, “Scopus” and “Medline”, through the search engine “Google Scholar” and the Hellenic Academic Libraries Association (HEAL-Link). The exclusion criterion for the articles was the language, except for Greek and English. Mostly, only articles and studies accessible to authors were used. Results: Cow’s milk consumption is vital for children, because it is considered one of the most important factors in the structure and development of the skeleton and maintenance of Intestinal microbiota (intestinal flora) aiding digestive processes. Additionally, it promotes the absorption of calcium. As regards the milk consumption by older adults, it meets the needs of the body in the best way because its nutrients are in digestible form. One liter (1 L) of milk provides 700 calories and consuming 2 L of milk per day neutralizes the feeling of hunger from the body, while achieving a satisfactory weight loss diet. Conclusions: Milk, therefore, is an invaluable and irreplaceable liquid that offers considerable long-term benefits to both people of all ages and society.