Milk has long been associated with good health and is one of the most consumed beverages throughout the US and Europe. It is thought that the ability to digest the milk sugar lactose beyond infancy first evolved in dairy farming communities in central Europe around 7500 years ago.
Popular sayings and slogans such as "Milk: it does a body good" and "Got Milk?" have brought milk into the mainstream media and further propelled the notion of milk being a healthful choice.
Milk can come from many different species of animal, with cow, sheep, and goat milk being the most popularly consumed. There are also many "milk alternatives" available now, such as soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk and more. Even cow's milk comes in many varieties including flavored varieties like strawberry or chocolate, lactose-free milks, milk with added omega-3s, hormone free or organic milks and reduced fat milk.
This MNT Knowledge Center feature will focus solely on cow's milk and is part of a collection of articles on the health benefits of popular foods. If you have an allergy or intolerance to cow's milk, we have an article covering some of the milk alternatives that you may want to consider.