Milk is a store house of nutrients. It is a rich source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Minerals like Calcium and vitamins like Vitamin A, D, B1, B2, B12 and K are found in good quantities in milk.Everybody knows that boiling milk is necessary to destroy harmful bacterias presented in milk and to make it safe for consuming. But do you know how should milk be boiled so that the nutrients do not get destroyed along with harmful Bacterias?
The study, conducted by Indian Medical Academy, on women aged 25-40 in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Chandigarh discovered that people are not following correct milk boiling practices.
"They are boiling and reboiling milk on high flame for extended periods and that too without stirring it," the study says. About 49% of Indians boil milk more than thrice before consumption. Around 56% boil it for more than five minutes, and 73% do not stir it while boiling. Most Indians are not following the correct procedure in boiling milk.
"Chances are high that it won't be consuming quality milk," says Dr Pawan Gupta of IMA. He also said, "Boiling and reboiling milk at high temperature for a long time affects the nutritional content of the milk, particularly the B group (B1, B2, B12) of vitamins. They evaporate as heat rises. Ideally, milk should be boiled not more than twice and not for more than two-three minutes."
Boiling milk several times before drinking and that too at high temperatures, which reduces its high temperatures is highly prevalent among Indian women (also may be around world.)A first-of-its-kind Milk Boiling Habits study that involved 2, 400 women across eight major cities has found that Chandigarh leads , boiling milk more than three times a day. While, 84% of women surveyed in Kolkata always boiled milk for over five minutes. About 46% of women in Pune preferred to boil milk in high temperatures.
However, the best way to consume milk is by boiling it for not more than two minutes once. “In case of pasteurized milk, boiling it for a minute or two increases its shelf life. However, every time before consuming the milk, there is no need to boil it. Rather boiling it once and heating the milk till a certain temperature is just fine. Moreover, tetra pack milk doesn’t require boiling at all,” said Dr Priyanka Rohatgi, chief clinical nutritionist, Apollo Hospital.
What should be done?
1. Never boil milk at very high temperature for a long time.
2. Don't leave your milk out in the open after boiling. Refrigerate it immediately.
3.Don't forget to stir your milk while boiling.
4.Don't use microwave-ovens to heat and re-heat milk.
5.Don't heat your milk repeatedly.
References and more information:1.The Hindu
2.Times of India
3.DNA India
