Vital: Milk It for All It’s Worth ; EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE WHITE STUFF IS GOOD FOR YOU…BUT DO YOU KNOWJUST HOW GOOD? OUR TOP 10 PINTA TIPS EXPLAINS ALL

WE’VE been drinking it for thousands of years and it’s packed full of nutrients, including protein, calcium, zinc and vitamins.

Milk also contains phosphorous, as well as all the essential food groups, and is considered the perfect way to boost well-being in a glass.

Now scientists have discovered organic cow’s milk can even bean alternative source of the health properties found in fish oil.

Researches at Aberdeen University found it contains up to 71 per cent more omega-3 fatty acids than ordinary milk.

Sasha Mansworth discovers the top ten health benefits of drinking the white stuff.

1 Party Aid WITH the festive season in full swing,we’re all likely to be drinking more.Have a glass of milk before you hit the bars or crack open a bottle of wine and it will help to absorb alcohol more slowly. This way you’ll be able to pace yourself.

2 Wind down

A MILKY drink helps relax the brain at the end of a stressful day.

This is because the sugars in milk enable the brain to absorb more tryptophan (also provided by the milk) from the bloodstream.The brain then converts tryptophan into soothing, sleep-inducing serotonin.

3 Night Vision INCREASING the amount of Vitamin A in the diet can help improve your vision in poor light.

The vitamin,found in milk,helps convert light into electrical signals that are then distinguished by the brain.As it can be absorbed only with fat,Vitamin A deficiency is common among people on low fat diets or those with Crohn’s disease.Full-fat milkcontains more of the fat-soluble vitamins A and D

4 Strong Bones MILK can help women fight off osteoporosis, the bone weakening condition.

The National Osteoporosis Society recommends adults consume800mg of calcium each day to protect their bones, while growing teenagers should have1000mg.

Tinned pilchards and sardines eaten with their bones provide more calcium, weight for weight, than milk does.

Catherine Collins, chief dietician at London’s St George’s Hospital, says milk is our main source of calcium and adds: ‘Calcium is more easily absorbed from milk products than other sources.

‘Just one glass gives you a third of your daily requirement. I’d recommend having three dairy portions a day, from low-fat milk, cheese or yoghurt.’

5 Fight off colds and infections

IT’S not only a hot toddy that helps to fight off the winter sniffles.

Vitamin A,found in milk,has an important part to play in the immune system and people without enough of it in their diet are more prone to colds,flu and even cold sores.

6 Acne CLEOPATRA used to bath in it. But then milk’s vitamin content is a good skin food.Vitamin A plays a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and reducing the risk of infection. It has been found to bean effective treatment for acne.

7 Weight Loss SKIMMED milk is a perfect health drink for adults and is excellent as part of a fat- controlled diet.

It contains 0.1 percent fat and about half the calories of the full-fat version.However, even though fat is removed, it still retains most of its nutrients.

In fact,skimmed cow’s milk contains slightly more calcium than full-fat milk because calcium is found in the watery part,not the creamy part.

8 Beat the Menopause SKIMMED milk is excellent for women who are postmenopausal or who have a family history of osteoporosis.

It also contains more water- soluble B vitamins than whole milk.

9 Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Skimmed milk is also an excellent alternative to full-cream milk for those who suffer from IBS, since fat-rich foods are thought to aggravate the condition.

10 Horse milk with your tea? COW’S milk may soon be jostling for space with horse’s milk.Popular in France, it is richer in vitamins and said to be more digestible than cow’s milk.Some claim it is less likely to cause allergies in those prone to eczemaand other skin conditions.

the facts

# Milk is best for cooling your mouth after eating spicy food. Milk products contain casein, a protein that cleanses burning taste buds.

#The milk bottle was invented in 1884.

# In an average lifetime, each person in the UK will drink 10,000 pints of milk.

#The average cow produces 48 pints of milk a day.