Health Guide to Drinking Milk Scientifically and Eating Apples Wisely

Drinking Milk Scientifically for Better Results

With the improvement of living standards, the per capita milk consumption in my country is gradually increasing. Here are some points to note when drinking milk:

Milk is easily absorbed by the body, but it is also easily damaged by bacteria. Some people store leftover milk in a thermos to avoid the hassle of reheating it later. However, bacteria in the thermos act like a nutrient-rich incubator when they come into contact with the milk, multiplying within 20 minutes and spoiling the milk within hours.

Milk is sensitive to light. If fresh milk is exposed to direct sunlight for more than one minute, its B vitamins will be completely destroyed, and vitamin C will be minimal. Therefore, the best way to store milk is to refrigerate it away from light to maintain its freshness.

There is also a proper way to boil milk. Many people add sugar to milk while boiling. This causes the lysine in the milk to react with the sugar at high temperatures, producing fructose-lysine, a substance that is not digested and absorbed by the body and is actually harmful to health. Therefore, sugar should be added to milk only after it has boiled but is no longer too hot to handle.

Many people like to drink milk on an empty stomach in the morning, believing that an hungry stomach will absorb all the nutrients more quickly and effectively. However, the opposite is true. On an empty stomach, gastrointestinal motility is rapid, and the nutrients in milk often enter the large intestine hastily before being absorbed, wasting their time. Furthermore, consuming milk with sugar has a certain sleep-inducing effect, quickly producing L-tryptophan, which can cause fatigue or drowsiness, and morphine-like substances with sedative effects, inevitably affecting work efficiency. Therefore, it is best to drink milk before bed at night to eliminate the disadvantages and maximize its benefits. If you are already accustomed to drinking milk in the morning, be sure to eat something first to allow the milk to stay in the stomach and intestines for a while, allowing for better absorption.

Do not drink acidic beverages such as fruit juice immediately after drinking milk, because acidic beverages will cause the proteins in the milk to coagulate in the stomach, making them difficult for the body to absorb.

Eating more apples is good for your health.

As the proverb goes, "An apple after a meal makes an old man as strong as a young man." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that apples are sweet and have various effects such as promoting body fluid production, moistening the lungs, preventing dryness and relieving summer heat, and stimulating appetite and regulating the intestines. Apples are not only an important fruit in my country, but also one of the most widely cultivated and highest-yielding fruits in the world.

Apples have a sweet and sour taste and are rich in nutrients. It has been determined that every 100 grams of apple contains 1.2–6.5 grams of fructose, 2.5–3.5 grams of glucose, and 1.0–5.2 grams of sucrose. They also contain trace elements such as zinc, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium, as well as vitamins B₁, B₂, and C, and carotene. Nutritionists consider apples to be the "fruit of memory," and experiments have confirmed that the zinc in apples can significantly enhance memory. Apples also contain tannic acid and fruit acids, which are beneficial for digestion. The phosphorus and iron in apples are easily absorbed by the intestinal wall, and have the effects of nourishing the brain and blood, calming the mind, and promoting sleep. The potassium in apples participates in the metabolism of sugars and proteins, affects nerve excitability, prevents brain aging, and keeps cells youthful.

Apples also have a dual effect of relieving constipation and stopping diarrhea. The fiber in apples softens stool in the large intestine, and the abundant organic acids stimulate gastrointestinal motility, promoting smooth bowel movements. On the other hand, the pectin in apples inhibits abnormal intestinal peristalsis, slows down digestion, and suppresses diarrhea.

In traditional Chinese medicine, apples are often steamed with lean meat or rock sugar to nourish the heart and brain, moisten the lungs, and stimulate the appetite, with good results. Many overweight people also use the apple therapy for weight loss. This involves dividing 1 kilogram of apples into five or six portions and using them as food for two days, without eating any other food. Those who follow this method feel good and see significant results. However, it is important to note that apples contain a large amount of fructose, so people with diabetes or nephritis should not eat too many.