Thirsty? Skip Water and Grab a Glass of Milk – Here’s Why!

While any drink can provide hydration, what if you need proper hydration? Most people think the best thirst-quenching drink is water, but in reality, milk is excellent for hydration. It may seem strange since milk isn’t a beverage we drink regularly, but why is milk more suitable for hydration than water?

Effective for maintaining body hydration for a long time

Milk is packed with nutrients like lactose, proteins, fats, and abundant hydration. Thanks to these diverse nutrients, it slows down the speed at which it leaves the stomach, allowing the body to maintain hydration for a longer time. To maintain the balance of body hydration, electrolytes are needed, and milk is a suitable source as it contains all of these in abundance.

Infuses vitality into a tired body

Milk also contains plenty of vitamins that can infuse vitality into our bodies, tired from the heat. It contains almost all the vitamins we know, as well as proteins, calcium, and essential fatty acids, which are good for health. It is also rich in tryptophan, which is effective for a good night’s sleep.

Helps with dieting

Milk, known to be effective in preventing obesity and muscle loss, is rich in calcium, which aids in fat excretion, and protein, essential for muscle formation. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) in milk provides a sense of fullness, preventing overeating and making it a beneficial food during diets, especially in alleviating the challenging hunger pangs during fasting. Additionally, being a low-glycemic-index food, it slowly raises blood sugar, delaying insulin secretion and ensuring prolonged satiety.

More effective when consumed after intense exercise

Even after intense exercise that makes you sweat, it is more effective to consume milk than water. After working out replenishing calories, electrolytes, proteins, and carbohydrates through milk can help muscle recovery and maximize exercise effects. It also helps reduce muscle soreness.

Helps regulate sleep rhythm

A good night’s sleep is important to reset a disrupted body rhythm, but it is not easy to fall asleep in the hot summer. Experts advise that lifestyle habits for a good night’s sleep include maintaining appropriate temperature and humidity, getting enough sunlight, taking short naps, refraining from alcohol and cigarettes, and drinking milk. Milk contains the essential amino acid ‘tryptophan’ that regulates sleep rhythm, so drinking warm milk can help with sleep.

It’s better not to drink on an empty stomach

It’s known that drinking coffee first thing in the morning is not good for an empty stomach, and it’s also important to avoid drinking milk on an empty stomach as much as possible. Especially, if a person with digestive problems or an unhealthy stomach habitually drinks milk on an empty stomach, it can further deteriorate stomach health.

What if you are lactose intolerant?

For patients with lactose intolerance, symptoms such as diarrhea or abdominal bloating may occur after drinking milk in the morning. If you want to drink coffee or milk in the morning, drink it after breakfast, and if you want to drink it frequently instead of water, consuming lactose-free milk or easily digestible milk can be helpful.

Stay away from fruit juices and carbonated drinks

It’s advisable to steer clear of sugary fruit juices or carbonated drinks like cola. While a moderate amount of sugar and electrolytes can aid in hydration, it doesn’t mean that juices or carbonated beverages are beneficial in that regard. The issue arises when there is an excessive amount of sugar. Once sugar enters the small intestine, it undergoes dilution due to osmotic pressure, and the small intestine draws water from the body to utilize internally. Consequently, this can lead to a decrease in overall body hydration, resulting in a feeling of thirst.

What about coffee and beer?

What about a cold beer and coffee then? Generally, alcohol stimulates diuresis, causing urine to be excreted quickly. The urine excreted after drinking alcohol is almost like water, so the body’s hydration decreases and the concentration of sodium and potassium increases, making you feel thirsty. The effect of coffee varies depending on the amount of caffeine. If you consume more than 300mg of caffeine, it stimulates diuresis, and hydration quickly leaves the body.

Can chocolate and strawberry milk help?

The chocolate milk or strawberry milk we often consume is ‘processed milk’, not raw milk (white milk). Although it is processed milk without raw milk, it is marked as milk, which can be confusing, but strictly speaking, it is a different product from white milk. Strawberry milk and chocolate milk are not good for health because they are made by mixing flavorings and liquid fructose, and it is not recommended to consume them frequently.

By. Jeon Shin Young