"How is milk best consumed for maximum nutrition?"

While milk is nutritious, it is not suitable for everyone. You may have heard of the term: lactose intolerance. Lactose is a type of sugar found in milk, which must be hydrolyzed by lactase to be absorbed. Individuals lacking lactase cannot fully digest and absorb lactose, causing it to remain in the intestinal cavity, leading to pathological changes.

Inappropriate Milk Consumption Scenarios:

1. It is not advisable to drink milk on an empty stomach in the morning. When the body is empty, gastrointestinal motility is rapid, and nutrients in milk often enter the large intestine before being absorbed. Additionally, drinking milk without sufficient chewing reduces the opportunity for it to mix with saliva, hindering digestion and absorption. It is best to eat some biscuits, cakes, or snacks while drinking milk.

2. Drinking milk at night is more beneficial. Scientific research has revealed a unique pattern in human calcium metabolism: at night, especially midnight, plasma calcium levels drop to a "trough," prompting the body to compensate by transporting bone calcium through regulatory mechanisms. This maintains blood calcium levels temporarily but depletes bone calcium. Milk is rich in calcium, so drinking a glass before bedtime can compensate for nighttime calcium requirements.

3. Milk should not be boiled with sugar. Milk is abundant in amino acids. Under high temperatures, the lysine in milk reacts with sugar through the Maillard reaction, producing a new compound called fructoselysine. This substance cannot be digested or absorbed by the body and may adversely affect health. It is best to consume milk fresh, or warm it slightly if too cold.