Milk

There is evidence that milk has played a very important role in the history of man. Early records prove that milk and milk products were part of man's everyday life. This got a strong hold when, in 1922 a temple near Babylon thought to be 5000 year old was discovered by a British-American expedition. Different milking scenes of local people are painted on its walls. Some men are depicted milking on the mural. Peculiar thing to note is the position of the milker. They are shown milking from behind instead of from the right like modern milkmen do. The milker is shown sitting on a milking stool. Men straining milk in a certain container is shown in another scene painted on the wall. In a third painting, a group of men is shown collecting the strained milk into large stone jars and sealing them. Apart from these, another proof that attests the role of milk in society is the book of Exodus in the Bible. In Exodus 3:8, it is described that Palestine is the Promised Land which was ‘flowing with milk and honey'. In Bible, milk signifies riches and abundance.

Every one among us has consumed milk at least once in life. We know what it looks like. And to give a deep thought, milk is the white opaque liquid produced by the mammary glands of female species, which they use to feed their young ones. Warm blooded animals that produce milk are called mammals. Mammals have udders or mammary glands where blood pumped by heart passes through. The mammary glands are highly specialized sweat glands that have the ability to separate different substances from the blood and combine them into a substance we know as milk. To make one pound of milk it takes around 100 to 150 pounds of blood to pass through the udder.

Today, the most sources of milk for the man are the cow and the goat. However, many people still get milk from animals that are native to their land. In India and Central Asia, people drink milk of the water buffalo and zebu. Camels, yaks and horses too are milked in Asia. The sheep is chief source of milk in Asia and Europe whereas the Eskimos and Laplanders use reindeers and caribou for milk.

It's amazing to know that milk contains several hundreds of chemical components. Even today, scientists are constantly trying to find out something new in milk. Milk is known for its taste, high quantity of phosphorus, protein and especially, calcium. Since milk is a natural substance, it is easily broken down and digested making calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients effortlessly available for the use of the body. Milk contains important vitamins needed for the overall growth and development of the body. It has large amount of vitamin B2 or riboflavin. Some of the components are found only in milk and nowhere else. These are the milk fat, Milk Sugar or Lactose and Casein, which is the major milk protein.

Because of the presence of all nutrients needed in it, milk is called ‘A Complete Food' and it is very well justifiable.