Is Milk Healthy for Adults?

Milk isn’t just for kids even though many of us have a strong association between milk and growing up. Whether it was enjoyed over our favorite cereal before school, paired with a cookie before bed, or flavored with chocolate syrup for the ultimate slumber-party treat, milk was a daily staple.

Fast forward to adulthood. Now, you seldom fill your glass, mug, or bowl with milk. That may make you wonder if milk is necessary for adults—and if you’re missing something other than the magic of childhood. Here are four reasons you should revisit the childhood habit of drinking milk to benefit your health.

Boost Your Bones

Milk’s unique nutrition profile includes thirteen essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, and high-quality protein, all vital to overall bone health. Most Americans don’t get enough calcium and vitamin D in their diets, which can put you at risk for major health issues. It takes just a single glass of milk to achieve 25% of the daily recommendation for calcium and 15% of the recommendation for vitamin D. No matter your age, drinking milk regularly can help maintain muscle and preserve bone strength to lower your risk for fractures and osteoporosis.

Better Nutrition

Without milk in your glass, you’re likely missing out on essential nutrients your body requires to function optimally. And, those nutrients are difficult to replace with other foods. For example, to replace the amount of calcium and vitamin D in three 8-ounce glasses of milk, you’d have to eat about 7 cups of raw kale and approximately 15 sardines according to their nutrient profiles. Surprising, right? Beyond calcium and vitamin D, it can be difficult to meet the daily recommendations for vitamin A, B₁₂, and phosphorus with the absence of milk in your diet.

Defend Against Type 2 Diabetes

Being a milk drinker could also help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. In the last 10 years, strong research including systematic reviews and prospective studies continues to support the association between dairy consumption and reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

One meta-analysis found that drinking 200 grams of milk daily (a little less than one cup) decreased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 9 percent. To learn more about the robust research that supports dairy’s diabetes prevention benefits, check out this science summary.

Getting three servings of dairy a day (including milk) is a simple change to adopt to prevent a condition that affects as many as 1 in 10 Americans

Heart Helper

Milk is a source of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and protein—all key nutrients that play a role in blood pressure regulation.

What’s another benefit of drinking milk? A growing body of research shows that consuming dairy foods is not linked with an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease and is actually associated with a reduced risk of stroke. Findings from the PURE study suggest that dairy consumption is associated with improved cardiometabolic health outcomes, including lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

To learn more about what the research has to say about the cardiovascular benefits of milk and dairy, check out this science summary.

Meeting the recommendation of 3 glasses of milk or servings of dairy can help you get the benefit for your heart.

Post-Exercise Refuel

Are you an active individual? Research consistently shows that consuming chocolate milk after exercise or sports performance is a top-notch way to replenish nutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein, fluids, and even electrolytes needed for recovery. And while chocolate milk contains a small amount of added sugar, the overall nutrition package is far superior to other recovery beverages out there. It tastes great too!

Milk: Not Just for Kids

Milk isn’t just for kids and unless you have a dairy allergy, we can focus on easy ways to incorporate milk to meet your dairy needs.

There are bountiful health benefits for adults who drink three servings a day. Try out these simple ideas for making milk a regular part of your everyday meals and snacks.

• Make overnight oats with milk instead of water.
• Blend a green smoothie with spinach, milk, orange juice, strawberries, and flax seeds.
• Refuel with a glass of chocolate milk after exercise.
• Add milk to hot or iced coffee.
• Eat a bowl of whole-grain cereal with milk for an afternoon snack.