Written By Dr Muhammad Younas, Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences (IADS), Faculty of Animal Husbandry (FAH), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF)-PAKISTAN myounas07@gmail.com

Although we have been drinking milk from childhood but most of us are unaware of many virtues of milk till this day. Few facts are really amazing which one should know. However, many people often overlook some of these amazing facts about milk. Milk has been enjoyed by humans for an incredibly long time. Up until the early 20th century, people drank milk in its whole and non-homogenized form. With that shift came a significant loss of elements such as a rich flavor profile, until recently. In the ensuing lines we will review several facts about milk that show how amazing this drink is. Let’s take a few facts as we learnt from the ocean of knowledge. We’ve put together from A to Z some of these that showcase milk and it’s fascinating history.

Acidity: Milk is slightly acidic, its pH is very near to 7, it is often considered neutral. However, it mostly isn’t completely neutral because of the presence of lactic acid in milk. A quantitative determination of lactic acid would serve as an indication of the degree of souring. The titratable acidity of fresh milk usually falls between the limits of 0.12 and 0.20 %.
Amino Acids: All essential amino acids like: P (Phe, Phenylalanine), V (Val, Valine), T (Thr, Threonine), T (Trp, Tryptophan), I (Ile, Isoleucine), M (Met, Methionine), H (His, Histidine), L (Lys, Lysine) and L (Leu, Leucine) are present in the milk.
Amul Girl: The Amul girl is an advertising mascot used by the Indian dairy brand Amul. The mascot is a hand-drawn cartoon of a young Indian girl dressed in a polka-dotted frock with blue hair and a half-pony tied up. The Amul girl advertising has often been described as one of the best Indian advertising concepts because of its humor. It was designed by the DaCunha, the agency and his art director Eustace Fernandez.
Beverage: Milk is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. After all, it’s nutritious and tastes good, especially when you add it to your morning cup of coffee!
Bioplastic from Milk: Milk can be used to make bioplastic, which is biodegradable. It is also odorless, insoluble in water, antiallergenic, and antistatic. Moreover, it is virtually non-flammable, and thus, never catches fire. This is thanks to the interaction of casein, which is contained in milk, and formaldehyde.
Bottle: The first milk bottle was invented in 1884 in USA, that’s over 130 years ago!
Brazilian cow: A Brazilian cow called Marília FIV Teatro de Naylo surpassed a production record that lasted 39 years and was entered into the Book of Guinness World Records. Marília, a Gi Rolando breed cow, produced 127,570 kg of milk in three milkings on one day during the 34th Milk Sands Tournament in August 2019.
Calcium: One glass of milk gives you 30% of your requirement of daily calcium- a nutrient that growing kids need to form healthy teeth and bones. To get the same amount of calcium that’s in one cup of milk you would need to eat 12 servings of whole grains, 10 cups of raw spinach or 6 servings of legumes.
Calories and Carbohydrates: Out of all the kinds of plant-based milk, unflavored oat milk has the most calories and carbohydrates.
Casein: Casein and whey protein are the two types of protein found in cow’s milk. They’re considered high-quality proteins as they both contain amino acids. Drinking milk that has casein (most dairy-free milk doesn’t have any) reduces the burning sensation you feel after eating spicy food. Milk products like yogurt or cream also work wonders.
Check out our magic milk experiment here to see how milk interacts with other materials such as paint and soap.
Cheese: It takes 10 liters of milk to make half a kilogram of cheese.
Cleopatra: Cleopatra, an ancient Egyptian queen, use to took milk bath to keep her skin looking young, healthy and glowing.
Color of Milk: Milk is white due to the presence of fat and protein content in it. Even though around 87% of milk is water, the fat and protein molecules reflect light and give milk its white color.
Colored Milks: In Star Wars, there are two fictional milks that are colored blue and green. Recreations of both are available at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Florida’s Disney World and California’s Disneyland.
Dairy export: India’s largest dairy export is skimmed milk powder; they export very few other dairy products.

· Dairy Queen: The legacy of Ellen, Indian’s most famous cow brought the world to her box stall and appeared to be a cash cow for the small farm that owned her. Harold L. Beecher was the owner of the cow, who says that she didn’t feed anything special. Ellen broke the 50,000 pound a year barrier when she produced a record 55,660 pounds of milk in 1975 on the Beechers’ 350-acre dairy in farm in north central Indiana. She has kept the title of world’s champion milk producer every year since then, as verified by milk yield tests performed by the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. In Indiana, Purdue University agricultural extension agents measure the yields and determine the butterfat and protein contents. The yearly yield average is extrapolated from this.

Dense in Nutrition: Milk has 9 essential amino acids that humans need. It is also packed with calcium, protein, phosphorus, niacin, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamins like A, D, and B12. As a result, it is considered to be the only food on which humans can survive wholly. No other single food has every nutrient that adults need.
Donkey Milk: The world’s rarest cheese is made from donkey milk. It was long thought that it is impossible to make cheese out of donkey’s milk because the liquid doesn’t contain enough casein to coagulate. However, a Serbian cheese monger, Slobodan Simić found a roundabout way to make it. His cheese sells at USD1000 per kg.
Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is created by evaporating 60% of the water in milk. The same percentage of water is removed when making condensed milk, but the difference with this type of milk is the added sugar.
Family Farms: Almost all milk produced today in USA comes from family farms. Over 98% of all dairy farms in the United States are actually family farms. That means that if you are buying milk, it’s almost certain that you are putting your dollar back into the national economy. And if you buy local milk, it will directly support local families that work on those farms.
FDA: The FDA prohibited selling raw milk between states in 1987. Some states, such as California, Ohio, and Utah, have since legalized the sale of raw milk.
Fictional Milk: Its color can vary as well. Most milk drinks are white, while some are colored differently — the reason ranges from having less fat content to imitating fictional milk.
Food of the Gods: Milk is one of the world’s oldest foods. In many ancient cultures, throughout he ages and spanning the globe, the milk was considered the ‘food of the gods’ by Romans, Indians, Greeks, Egyptians, and many others. Therefore, milk has been highly valued since the old times and placed milk in their foundational myths and looked as “food from the god”. Even in the current times, milk is a part of many religious and cultural rituals and kept it highly valued.
Frog in Milk: In ancient Russia, and even more recently, a single frog was placed in a milk bucket in order to keep it from going sour. Oddly enough, it worked. What’s more, scientists who studied this preservation technique discovered several new antibiotics doing so.
Fuquay, J.W: has written an Encyclopedia of Dairy Sciences that contains a wealth of information on milk and milk products.
Galaphobia: The irrational fear of milk is referred to as galaphobia. An example of someone who has this strange phobia is NFL player Will Levis, who screams at the mere sight of milk.
Gatorade: Milk is a remarkably good alternative to sports drinks, like Gatorade, since milk is also high in electrolytes.
Goat Milk: Goat milk has more calories and is more nutrient-rich than cow’s milk. On top of that, there’s also less lactose in goat milk when compared to the most popular type of milk.
Greek Mythology: According to Greek mythology, the galaxy is formed out of the Queen of the Gods’ spilt milk. In the myth, Zeus’s wife, Hera, was pushing baby Hercules away when several drops of milk dropped from her breast and into the night sky. The name “Milky Way” is actually a translation of the Greek term for “milky circle,” the name ancient peoples gave to our corner of the universe.
Growing Weight: Drinking whole milk over low-fat milk helps you avoid gaining weight. While it may seem counter-intuitive, drinking high-fat whole milk has been found to help you avoid gaining weight. This is when it is compared with people drinking low-fat milk. It’s believed that whole milk is less likely to make us fat due to bioactive substances in it, which alter our metabolism to burn more fat.
Homogenization: Most milk is also homogenized which means that it has been treated so that the milk fats are spread evenly through the liquid and stops them rising to the top of the bottle.
Hydration: Milk provides exceptional hydration. It is known to be a better hydrator than water as it is retained for a longer time in the body. It contains electrolytes and carbohydrates that help in the effective hydration of the body. In fact, it will provide you with 1.5x more hydration than water.
Infants: Milk is the food of infants and the food of gods. It is shared between species across the globe and has been a staple in the human diet for centuries.
Jenny Milk: Jenny milk (donkey milk) is very expensive and is obtained from domestic donkey (Equus asinus). It has been sued since antiquity for cosmetic purposes.
K Vitamin: There are two major forms of vitamin K: vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and vitamin K2 (menaquinone). Vitamin K1 is found primarily in plant-based foods, while vitamin K2 is found primarily in animal-based foods such as milk, dairy foods and fermented foods.
Lactase Pills: When someone is lactose intolerant, it means that their body doesn’t produce enough lactase. Fortunately, there are lactase pills for when someone with lactose intolerance really wants to drink milk or eat some cheese.
Lactating Cows need more water: Since milk is 85-87% water, lactating cows need more water than usual to produce milk. For every liter of milk, a minimum of 2 and a half liters of water needs to be consumed by a dairy animal. Lactating cows usually need around 30-40 gallons of water per day.
Lactobacillus: Lactobacillus acidophilus, a so-called good bacterium due to its beneficial properties, is found in milk. It’s responsible for turning lactose into lactic acid, as well as causing the drink to taste sour.
Lactose: Lactose is a chemical naturally found in milk and other dairy products. Lactase, on the other hand, is an enzyme produced in the small intestine that helps break down lactose. People who chug large amounts of milk tend to puke because there’s too much lactose for the body’s lactase to break down.
Largest producer of Milk. In the World, India is the largest producer of milk globally. It contributes around 22% towards the global production of milk. It is known for mainly exporting skimmed milk powder. India is followed by the USA, China, Pakistan, and Brazil in terms of the highest milk production.
Liters/Lactation: On average, a cow produces 25 liters per day over a period of 10 months. During peak lactation, a high-yielding cow may produce as much as 60 liters per day and up to 12,000 liters over her entire lactation.
Magical drink: After learning all the facts about milk, it must be obvious that milk is more magical than we originally thought. It is also the cheapest source of whole nutrition available in the market. Therefore, making it a part of the daily diet can be highly beneficial for us in the long term.
Manthan: Literally mean “churning”. A Hindi language film and story of the movie evolves around the theme of the white revolution in India. It is a film based on real life incident inspired by cooperative movement of late Mr Verghese Kurien and is directed by Shyam Benegal.
Mastitis: A breast infection called mastitis can make breast milk taste salty rather than sweet.
Melatonin: Milk taken from cows at night has higher levels of tryptophan and melatonin — both substances that play a crucial role in promoting sleep.
Milk Allergy: There’s no denying that milk is nutritious. That’s why drinking it is a no-brainer, unless you have lactose intolerance or milk allergy, of course.
Milk and Cookies: To teach kids generosity (and gratefulness for the Christmas gifts they received) during the Great Depression, parents encouraged them to leave milk and cookies for Santa.
Milk Crates: Pennsylvania State made it illegal to use milk crates for anything other than milk. If you’re in Pennsylvania, be careful about using milk crates for carrying anything other than milk. If you use them for something else, it’s considered unauthorized use. Punishments include a $300 fine or even spending up to 90 days in jail.
Milk groups: Milk can be grouped into five different types: fresh, concentrated, long-life, raw and powder.
Milk in Coffee: Milk is able to cover coffee’s bitterness by binding the proteins in milk with the polyphenol compounds (like tannins) that cause its bitterness. Also, coffee becomes creamier thanks to the fats found in milk.
Milk is the first diet of all newborns including human child. Milk is healthy, wholesome and full of essential nutrients, the newborn will require. It is beneficial for both growing children, as well as for adults.
Milk needed for Cheese: In order to make 1 kg of cheese, we need around 10 liters of milk. The quantity may vary depending on the type of cheese that is being produced. The amount of butterfat present in the milk can also affect the quantity of milk required.
Milk Paints: Milk-based paint dries faster than oil-based paint and is used to make furniture look chipped or vintage. Some cave drawings done over 6,000 years ago used milk paint.
Mylk: All plant-based or nut-based milks are called Mylk.
Naming the Cows: Farmers who call their cows by name report higher milk yields than those that don’t. Compared to their nameless peers, cows with individual identities produce an average of 258 more liters of milk over a 10-month milking season, roughly an extra liter a day.
National Milk Day: National Milk Day in the US is celebrated on January 11. But for India, it’s celebrated on November 26, each year.
Nobel Prizes: Most Nobel prizes are won by countries that drink milk. According to a 2013 study, that the nations where the citizens consume the most dairy per capita win the most Nobel prizes. Sweden is at the top of this list as it wins 31.855 prizes for every 10 million citizens. On average, each Swede consumes 772 lbs of milk annually.
Nutrients: Milk is jam-packed with nutrients and is one of nature’s most nutrient-rich foods on the planet. Milk is one of the lowest-costing and more nutritionally-dense foods you can get today. It’s packed with nine essential nutrients (EAA) our bodies need, including protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, and niacin.
Official state beverage: Milk is the official state beverage of 21 states in America. If you live in one of the 28 US states that have an official beverage, then the chances are that it is milk. Out of those 28 states, 21 of them, including everywhere from New York to Oregon, have chosen milk.
Omukama: In western Uganda, the King of the Bunyoro kingdom is called the Omukama. This title means “superior milkman” and refers to the king’s role as feeder of his people.
Particles reflection: Some of the smaller things inside the milk, called particles, are white in color. Scientists who study chemistry understand all about how matter interacts with energy. One of the things we know from them, is that some particles reflect all light wavelengths.
Pasteurization: Any bad bacteria are removed from milk when it’s pasteurized. Pasteurization is the process of heating up milk (63°C (145°F) for 30 min, cooling 45°C for holding method or 72°C for 15 sec, cooling at 50° F, for high temperature method) and then quickly cooling it down killing any bugs. Raw milk is not pasteurized, but the other types of milk are.
Pilk: There’s a term used when you make a beverage out of Pepsi and milk. It’s called “Pilk,” and its taste is said to be identical to an ice cream float. Probably it refers to “doodh-soda”.
Plant based Milks: Two of the most popular plant-based milks are soy milk and almond milk. Neither of them contains lactose, making them great alternatives for people who are allergic to milk or are lactose intolerant. Other plant-based milks are cashew milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk, hemp milk, flax milk, oat milk, macadamia milk, pistachio milk, pea milk, rice milk and sesame milk, etc. etc.
Post work Recovery: Best drink for post-workout recovery is milk. After an intense workout session, drinking a glass of milk can help in recovery. Proteins, carbohydrates, micronutrients, and fats help in the recovery process better than the sports drinks sold on the market.
Powder: Milk powder is created when the water is taken out of the milk, a process called evaporation.
Quality of Milk: Quality standards for different types of standardized and reconstituted milks must have of 3.5-4.5% fat and not less than 8.5% of SNF.
Raw Milk: Raw milk can carry harmful bacteria, but it can be removed through a process called pasteurization.
Salt increases its shelf life: When you open a new packet of milk, add a pinch of salt and shake it thoroughly. Doing so increases its shelf life by a week. The salt slows down the souring of milk by preventing the active growth of bacteria in it.
Shelf Life: Fresh milk can last up to 10 days in the fridge. Long-life milk can last up to six months in a cupboard if unopened. And a sealed packet of milk powder can last up to one year.
Skim Milk: Though, appears bluish since there is less fat in it to create whole milk’s milky-white appearance.
Skin care: The lactic acid that’s produced by fermenting milk is used in skincare products, as it helps remove dead skin cells and moisturize the skin. Most skincare products use lactic acid from beet sugar or cornstarch.
Spirulina: There’s a blue-green-colored milk that’s made from algae called Spirulina, which is also high in protein and minerals.
Spoiled Milk: Don’t throw out your expired milk – it can be used for watering plants due to its calcium, a nutrient that’s crucial for plant growth. Spoiled milk can also be used in baking because it’s highly acidic -acidic ingredients make baked goods more flavorful.
Stains: Red wine stains can be removed with milk. All you need to do is soak the affected area with milk until the stain lifts away, then wash it as usual.
Survival: Milk is the only food that you can survive wholly on. No single vegetable, legume, or type of carbohydrate contains all nine essential amino acids that human require to build proteins, and a meat-only diet lacks the necessary Vitamin C. Milk, however, contains every nutrient we need—even as adults.
Teeth: Milk is beneficial for your teeth because it contains high amounts of calcium, which is known for strengthening your enamel and helping your teeth fight off cavities.
Tofu: Tofu is “cheese” made from soy milk, whereas normal cheese is made from animal milk.
Tree: Milk is the source of all dairy products! That’s why milk is called as Milk Tree as all branches of dairy products emerge from milk.
Trimethylamine: Soaking fish in milk can make it smell much less fishy. This miraculous reaction is down to the milk proteins binding to trimethylamine — the compound causing that unpleasant fishy smell.
Type of Milk: Cow’s milk is the most consumed type of milk since cows produce more milk daily than other mammals. Generally speaking, when it comes to dairy milk the four different types of milk are: whole milk (3.25% milk fat), reduced fat milk (2%), low fat milk (1%) and fate free or skimmed milk (<0.5% fat).
UHT: Long life ultra-high-temperature (UHT) processed milk packed in Tetra Pak cartons that undergo UHT treatment to remove all harmful micro-organisms while retaining nutrition in the milk.
US Dairy: The US dairy industry has repeatedly attempted to sue producers of dairy alternatives because they believe that only animal milk deserves the label “milk”. However, the word has been used for milk-like substances since 1200 AD, and in 2018, the court ruled that alternative milks like almond and soy milk are unlikely to be confused with dairy milk.
Vegan Milks: The milk most people drink usually comes from animals. But thankfully, there are many kinds of vegan-friendly milk in the market, which also offer the same nutrients.
Vitamin D: Some countries, such as Canada and Sweden, mandate that cow’s milk should be fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, especially when it comes to milk, as it helps your body absorb calcium.
Vitamins: Milk is an excellent source of vitamins A, D, and B12. These vitamins are important & essential for healthy eye-sight, nerves, blood and helps with digestion.
Water in Milk: Water in milk is transparent, too and it’s this magical combination of transparent and white particles that reflects the light and gives your glass of milk it’s special color. You may have noticed that different types of milk are slightly different colors. If the milk has less fat, it may have a slightly bluer tone.
Water: Lactating cows can drink as much as 200 liters of water daily, almost a bath full. This can almost double in the hotter months. Milk consists of 87% water. The remaining 13% is divided into protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
White: Milk is white because of its fat content. Although milk is composed of approximately 87% water, which is colorless, the fat and casein (rich in calcium) molecules floating inside it scatter/reflect all light wavelengths, making it appear white. Other than being a healthy beverage, though, there’s more to know about milk, like why it appears white and how a chemical compound found in fermented milk can benefit your skin!
Whole Milk vs low-fat Milk: Many believe that whole milk results in higher weight gain when compared to low-fat milk. However, it has been observed that whole milk helps in better weight management. It is because whole milk has a higher number of bioactive substances that increase your metabolism and burn more amount of fat.
World Milk Day: World Milk Day is an international day established by the FAO of the United Nations to recognize the importance of milk as a global food and to highlight the significance of milk and the dairy industry. It has been observed on June 1 each year since 2001.
X: Milk is a complex and nutritious liquid formed in the mammary glands of mammals offers a variety of health benefits. A single cup provides nearly every nutrient your body needs.
Yoghurt: Yogurt is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor. Milk from Cow and buffalo is most commonly used to make yogurt. Yogurt may contain added sugars, fruits, nuts and other elements.
Zebu Cows: The zebu (Bos indicus L.) is a domesticated bovine adapted to tropical countries. It is a calm, docile animal which requires little care. It is valued for its milk, meat, leather and horns. Its coat is usually light in color and it has a thick, ample hide which enables it to withstand the heat. Sahiwal is a zebu cow which is best milch breed of Pakistan.

Having read these some of the benefits of drinking milk, prepare to enrich your mind with all these useful facts about milk: Remember all these next times you drink milk, so you’ll know exactly why it benefits your health. And make sure to tell your family and friends about it, especially on National Milk Days.

Dr Muhammad YOUNAS , myounas07@gmail.com