People who monitor their nutrition should know that when eating foods, you need to consider not only their calorie content, but also the glycemic index. The article will focus on the glycemic index of milk and dairy products.
The concept of glycemic index
First you need to decide what the glycemic index is. This concept means how much a particular product affects the increase in blood sugar. In other words, the glycemic index is a designation of the rate of breakdown of the product. The reference parameter is 100 units (glucose breakdown rate).
The concept of glycemic index can only be attributed to carbohydrate-containing foods. For example, in chicken breast or cottage cheese, this value is zero.
Do not confuse the glycemic index and calorie content. Foods with a zero glycemic index can have a high calorie content. For example, lard. When losing weight, you should pay attention to both indicators. This is the only way to achieve the desired results.
Low and high
What is the glycemic index, we have already figured out. Now you need to understand what glycemic index a product should have in order not to harm health and body shape.
Simply put, foods that have a high glycemic index are fast carbohydrates. Low-carb foods are complex carbohydrates.
All glycemic index foods are divided into three types:
- with a high rate (70-100 units);
- with an average glycemic index (40-69 units);
- low (0-39 units).
People who do not want to get better and diabetics should avoid, and it is better to completely exclude foods with a high glycemic index from their diet.
The basis of nutrition is 70% of foods with a low glycemic index and 30% with an average.
Glycemic Index of Dairy Products
| Product name | Glycemic index |
| Natural milk | 32 |
| Skim milk | 27 |
| Raw milk | 32 |
| Goat's milk | 28 |
| Soya milk | thirty |
| Natural yogurt, sugar free | 35 |
| Fruit yogurt with sugar | 52 |
| Curd 1.8% | 0 |
| Kefir 1% | 0 |
| Curd 9% | 0 |
| Cocoa or Chocolate Drink | 34 |
| Brynza | 0 |
| Curd 18%, with sugar | 45 |
| Cottage cheese pancakes, with sugar | 70 |
| Cheese feta, suluguni, hard | 0 |
| Cream 15% | thirty |
| Condensed milk | 80 |
| Ice cream | 70 |
| Sour cream 15% | 0 |
As can be seen from the table, many dairy products have a zero glycemic index, which means that they do not contribute to the deposition of fat in the body.
But you should pay attention to the glycemic index of milk. Its value is close to average. Therefore, it is worth limiting it in your diet.
Many dieters drink fruit yoghurts. From the table of glycemic indices of milk and dairy products, it can be seen that yogurts have a fairly high glycemic index. If you eat them daily, then there can be no question of losing weight.
Calorie content of milk
Of course, natural cow's milk can be eaten while losing weight. After all, 100 grams of this product contains 58 calories, and fat-free only 31 calories. People suffering from overweight just need to use this product.
Given the glycemic index of milk and its calorie content, we can conclude that it is best to eat skim milk or low-fat cottage cheese.
The benefits of milk
Milk is a drink of natural origin. It is not for nothing that in India, a cow is considered a sacred animal, because it gives people a drink that brings incredible benefits to the body.
- Strengthening the immune system. The proteins that are contained in this product contribute to the production of immunoglobulin. It helps the body fight viral infections. All doctors claim that raw cow's milk is simply necessary to drink for colds.
- Benefits for the musculoskeletal system. Children and adolescents just need to drink milk so that the bone tissue forms correctly. After all, milk contains a huge amount of calcium and phosphorus. For injuries and fractures, you also need to use this product, because at these moments the body requires much more calcium than on ordinary days.
- Beneficial effect on the nervous system. The milk contains amino acids and vitamins of group B. These components have a positive effect on the nervous system. If you want to relieve stress or nervous tension, then drink milk. This product makes sleep more calm. It is not in vain that children are recommended to drink a glass of milk before going to bed.
- Benefits in diseases of the digestive system. Milk envelops the stomach and reduces acidity. Milk can help get rid of heartburn. This product is ideal for diseases of the gallbladder, because the body does not waste energy digesting this product.
Harm to milk
- Cow's milk is a strong allergen.
- Milk is contraindicated during infectious bowel diseases and poisoning.
- Fatty milk is forbidden to eat with severe obesity and atherosclerosis.
- In severe kidney disease, it is also not recommended to drink milk.
Lactase deficiency
Some people have lactase deficiency - milk intolerance. In European countries, about 7% of such people, but in countries of Africa, Asia and South America, almost 75% of the population suffers from it.
These people are advised to drink milk without lactose, from which milk sugar has been removed.
Increasingly, infants suffer from lactase deficiency. Pediatricians advise such kids to drink lactose-free mixtures. Usually, lactase deficiency disappears with age, although it sometimes appears in the elderly.
How much milk to drink per day?
Nutrition experts have not come to a consensus. Some argue that you need to drink 400 grams of milk daily for preventive purposes. Others claim that a large amount of milk harms the body.
Only one thing is clear: milk is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D.
A glass of milk per day will not hurt anyone, just pay attention to the quality of the product and its glycemic index.
The most useful milk is fresh milk, which has not been processed. But, unfortunately, it is difficult to get it. It remains only to choose a good producer to get the most natural milk.
Please note that the shelf life of the product should be no more than a week. In the process of processing, it will still lose some useful properties, but it is much better than analogues stored for a year or more.