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The only medical reason to give up tea and coffee with milk is to combat obesity
Although milk is a basic product that is constantly present in the Ukrainian diet, there are still many myths around it. You have probably also repeatedly come across the statement that sour milk is a real superfood, but dry milk contains nothing useful.
Allergist Olga Tarnavskaya spoke exclusively to RBC-Ukraine about what myths exist around milk.
Tea and coffee with milk are harmful
“One famous nutritionist often told a horror story about how, during autopsies of corpses, undigested coffee with milk is found in their stomach. But the maestro is exaggerating – there is no scientific data to support his statement. The only thing is that a person with allergies and intolerances with such a mix may be at risk of mild stomach discomfort “, explains the doctor.
She adds that the only medical reason to give up tea and coffee with milk is the fight against obesity, when careful control of every calorie consumed is important, since milk contains fats, when added to tea and coffee, the calorie content of the drinks increases.
Whey is much healthier than milk
“There can be no clear confirmation of this thesis – these products are too different. Whey is classified as a by-product of fermented milk and cheese production. At home, it can be obtained by making cheese from milk yourself, but in modern realities, whey can be found much more often in the composition soft drinks with the addition of fruit juices and lactic acid bacteria,” says Tarnavskaya.
The doctor notes that it is not entirely correct to compare the usefulness of such drinks with milk.
Skim milk is healthier than regular milk
Doctors’ recommendations for low-fat dairy products have changed several times over the past decades: in the 1980s, they were considered the healthiest solution in the fight against obesity and cardiovascular disease, so doctors in all developed countries recommended that patients switch exclusively to products labeled no fat.
“In the early 2000s, fats were justified – they were declared healthy, and low-fat products sharply began to lose popularity. And this has remained so until now,” says the allergist.
Sour milk is a superfood
“This statement is a myth, like all statements about “superfoods” in general. Trends for them come and go almost as quickly as trends in the fashion world change,” says Tarnavskaya.
She notes that the media have been cultivating “new products” for many years in a row: products whose amazing healthy lifestyle properties no one knew before. After the Vogue magazine article, the Western world discovered kefir.
“Sour milk has been declared a new superfood and healthy lifestyle snack of the future. However, doctors recommend dividing any superfood hobbies by ten and not making an exception for kefir and yogurt,” notes the doctor.
Powdered milk is not milk at all and there is nothing healthy in it
Milk powder is a soluble powder obtained from normalized cow’s milk by condensing and drying it. It consists of fats, proteins, milk sugar and minerals.
“Skimmed milk powder contains much less fat than whole milk powder, while skimmed milk powder contains more proteins and milk sugar,” says Tarnavskaya.
Milk causes acne
“If only everything were so simple. But acne is one of the most common skin diseases, and the mechanisms of its development are quite well studied. First of all, it is a change in the qualitative and quantitative composition of sebum, caused by hereditary factors or hormonal disorders in the body. Unstable hormonal levels (for example, in adolescence and low estrogen levels also contribute to the development of acne. Therefore, milk is not poured into the appearance of acne,” explains the allergist.
