milk,
dairy
19 Reasons to Keep Dairy in Your Diet for 2019
The holidays have come and gone, and our sights are set on 2019. According to The Statistics Portal, losing weight and getting in shape was the second most popular New Year’s resolution in 2018, right behind saving money. Fortunately, keeping dairy in your diet can help you achieve both of those goals!
1. Milk contains nine essential nutrients, which include:
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin A
- Riboflavin
- Phosphorus
- Vitamin B12
- Protein
- Potassium
- Niacin
2. One serving of milk has 8 grams of power-packed protein. In comparison, one would have to drink one serving of soy milk (7 g protein) PLUS one serving of almond milk (1 g protein) to equal milk.
3. According to Milk Life, nearly half of Americans get their vitamin D from milk. One 8 oz serving contains 30% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin D.
4. Milk is made up of only three ingredients — Milk, Vitamin D and A. Plant-based «milks» can contain 10 or more added ingredients!
5. Zip! Zero! Nada! Milk contains zero added sugars and only 12 grams of natural sugar (lactose.)
6. Vitamin A, an essential nutrient found in milk, helps support a healthy immune system.
7. Dairy milk can help save you moolah! The average American household spends about 10 percent of their budget on food — nearly $80 a week for groceries, according to Milk Life. If consumers purchased milk each week, they would spend an estimated $628 annually. This is much lower compared to the $1,222 that would be spent on purchasing almond milk. In comparison, Dairy milk would save consumers nearly $600 each year!
8. Cultured dairy foods like yogurt contain probiotics which provide a wide array of health benefits. Probiotics in the diet can enhance the good bacteria in the gut, improve health and reduce the risk of certain diseases, as reported by the Dairy Council of California.
9. Rich in high-quality protein, milk helps support lean muscle growth.
10. Studies have shown that dairy fat found in whole milk and cheese can help reduce the risk of type two diabetes.
11. Nearly one-third of American suffer from high blood pressure. According to Dairy Good and the National Dairy Council, consumption of dairy products is linked to a lower risk of high blood pressure.
12. Healthy nutrition and eating habits help keep our teeth strong and white. Dairy foods have a specific role to play in dental health as they contain a unique combination of special anti-decay nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus and the protein, casein, as reported by Legendairy.
13. According to Medical News Today, vitamin D, a nutrient found in milk, helps play a role in cell growth regulation and cancer protection.
14. Research has shown that drinking milk every day has been linked to reduce the progression of osteoarthritis, a disease that several effects our mobility and joint health.
15. This decline of skeletal muscle tissue and function or strength with age is called sarcopenia, which is linked with increased risk of falls and can contribute to poor health. Drinking protein rich milk and exercising regularly can help slow age-related muscle loss.
16. Eating low-fat yogurt has been shown to reduce chronic inflammation and also improve gut integrity.
17. About one in three adults has metabolic syndrome, a set of risk factors that increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. Research suggest that dairy foods can help lower these risk factors.
18. Just got done with a workout? Drink chocolate milk! It’s a great source of electrolytes, including calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium to help replenish what's lost in sweat.
19. We’re all guilty of over indulging during the holidays but snacking on protein filled snacks is actually recommended by nutritionists! The high-quality protein found in milk, cheese and yogurt keeps us feeling fuller longer, which can assist with weight loss.