Upon finishing eating or drinking, prophet Mohammed used to say "May Allah bless it for us and provide us better", but upon finishing drinking milk he used to say "May Allah bless it for us and provide us more of it". The indication of this is that there is nothing better than milk as a food, whether for elders or children. It is for this reason that milk is used as the sole full diet for two years of the age of all humans. Milk is rich with proteins, vitamins and minerals, but the most important ingredient of milk is calcium, which is important in the formation of bones and teeth. Therefore, deficiency of calcium leads to teeth weakness, osteocampsia, muscle weakness, and spasms.
The body daily need of calcium is about 800gm for children and about (1200-1500)gm for elders, an amount obtained form about 1-3 cups of milk per day.
Calcium is normally stored in bones during the growth of the body till the age of 35, then the body starts to loose it, a matter which leads to weakening of bones.
The most important vitamins contained in milk are vitamin A, which is important for eye safety and vision, vitamin D, which assists in absorbing calcium, and vitamin B, which is important for safety of tissues and nerves.
Though human body needs calcium throughout life, there are certain periods in which the body needs more of it, especially at the early stage of growth during childhood and adolescence. The need to calcium decreases at the ages extending from 30 to 40 years, but it once more increases at old ages.
Milk also contains lactose and some fats, which provide the body with the energy required for body functions.
Children can be trained to acquire the habit of drinking milk through the following:
- Parents initiative to drink milk in front of their children.
- Selecting milk derivatives preferable to children.
- Continuity in drinking milk for convincing children.
- Distribution of healthy diets containing milk to school children.
- Offering incentives for drinking milk.
- Always keeping milk in home for use of children.
- Reminding children of the importance of milk.
- Urging mothers to follow natural suckling.
Prepared by:
Dr. Munira Baraja