What milk is best??
Posted , 3 users are following.
I am very confused with all the different varieties of milk... there's pasteurized and homogenised and ones with lactic enzymes added... there's semi skimmed and UTH...
I am trying to gain weight but I have a very sensitive stomach.
I was wondering if anyone had any advice on which milk would be best to add to hot chocolate that will helpful to my weight gain but easy to digest... is lacto free milk the easiest to digest? Even if it isn't homogenised?
P.s. I also would like to know if lactose free milk has more whey in it then normal cows milk...
Thank you
0 likes, 3 replies
EileenH memimck
Posted
Pasteurised means it has been heat-treated to kill bacteria, particularly those that would cause TB.
Homogenised has been treated so that the cream is evenly spread throughout and doesn't rise to the top when it is left to stand (don't suppose you are old enough to remember milk delivered in bottles with cream on the top!).
emiskimmed milk has had about half its natural fat content removed to make it lower fat. Skim milk has had all the fat removed.
UTH milk has been ultra-high temperature treated and that makes it keep for months rather than just days without going sour and it doesn't need to be refrigerated.
The milk with the lactic enzymes added is for people who are intolerant of lactose, the sugar that is found in milk. It is thought that a high proportion of adults do not have the enzyme present in their guts which is needed to digest lactose - and it causes upset stomachs, bloating and even diarrhoea.
I assume you mean the whey proteins - whey is what is left after making cheese. I don't think the whey proteins would be any different whatever the type of milk but I'm not sure..
For info maybe:
"Milk is a colloid. A colloid is a mixture of substances that do not settle out over time (like a mixture of sand and water would for example). Unlike a suspension (sand and water or orange juice and pulp) that mixes together when stirred or shaken then settles into separate parts when left at rest, a colloid does not settle because the particles that make it up are extremely tiny.
Looking at a glass of milk, one would not be able to see the particles that make it up, namely the curds (solid casein protein particles) and whey (liquid particles) because they are so small. (Interestingly, milk appears white even though the particles that make it up are mostly clear, because light is scattered by the tiny particles as it passes through the colloid.)"
If your digestive problems are due to lactose (and it isn't impossible) then the lactose-free stuff may be useful for you. There is a blood/breath test the doctor can order that would show if you are lactose intolerant. If you want to gain weight then full cream milk is probably better than skimmed - more fat and calories in it though I don't know whether lactose-free milk comes in different fat levels.
Hope this helps.
memimck EileenH
Posted
Thank you so much for all this information it is really helpful... I am only 19 and so no I don't remember milk coming with cream on top 😲
Do you know whether it matters (digestive system wise) if the milk is homogenised or not?
I was thinking maybe full fat lactose free milk might be best...
Just want to gain weight but done want to cause myself to feel really unwell 😔
EileenH memimck
Posted
No, homogenisation makes no difference to digesting the milk. Apart from the lactose aspect nothing is different about the milks.
Not often someone your age wants to gain weight - are you very underweight? If you speak to your doctor - they can often help with ideas or send you to a dietician who will help you understand nutrition. And if you are very underweight - have they checked you out to be sure there isn't a medical reason for it?
All the best