12 Powerful Health Benefits of Milk

A healthy diet, essential for overall well-being, is easier than you think by simply including three servings of dairy daily, including delicious and nutritious milk.

Boosts Your Immune System 

Drink more milk to strengthen your immune system. Nutrient-rich dairy milk is packed with immune-boosting vitamins and nutrients like protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, zinc, and more. Click here to learn 5 ways to boost your immune system. 

 

Improves Your Bone and Teeth Health

Calcium is essential for bone and teeth health and reducing stress fractures. An easy way to get more calcium in your diet is drinking more dairy milk and eating cheese, yogurt, and other dairy foods. As a matter of fact, dairy is the number one source of calcium for most Americans. 

 

Aids Your Digestive Health 

Focusing on your digestive health is a great way to get the most out of your diet. Start with getting three servings of dairy daily. Dairy is full of digestive aids like vitamin D for calcium absorption, the B vitamins that help convert food into energy, and selenium to stabilize the metabolism. Learn more about it here. 

 

Helps You Relax

Consider drinking a warm glass of milk before bed. Dairy milk has a small amount of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that triggers both melatonin (to help you sleep) and serotonin (to uplift your mood). The high-quality proteins in milk (including whey and casein) leave you feeling full and satisfied so you won’t go to bed feeling hungry. Check out these calming and cozy drink recipes to try before bed.  

 

Strengthens Your Heart Health 

Help keep your heart healthy with dairy milk. Multiple studies have linked including low-fat or fat-free dairy in your diet to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and lower blood pressure among adults. Learn more about your heart health here. 

 

Improves Your Skin and Hair Health

Enhance your skin and hair health with milk. Drinking a glass of nutrient-rich dairy milk means you're getting high-quality protein for hair health and vitamin A and zinc to help your skin glow. 

 

Benefits Your Emotional and Mental Health

Eating a nutritious and balanced diet is key to overall holistic health. Foods rich in vitamin D, C, and the B vitamins, like milk, help keep your digestive system – and your brain happy. This can lead to improved emotional and mental well-being. Learn 5 ways dairy improves your holistic health here. 

 

Aids in Post-Exercise Recovery 

Low-fat chocolate milk is an excellent choice for post-workout recovery. It’s a natural source of high-quality protein to build lean muscle, has proteins and carbs to refuel muscles, and provides fluids and electrolytes - like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium - to rehydrate. Learn more about how chocolate milk helps you recover from exercise here. 

 

Boosts Your Energy

Ever feel energized after drinking a glass of milk? There’s a reason for that. Dairy milk has lactose (unless it’s lactose-free milk), a naturally occurring sugar that provides energy. Protein might play a role too. While not directly related to providing energy, protein helps you feel satisfied and full and avoid sugar crashes. 

Helps You Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is critical to your overall health. Dairy milk can help. Milk is full of electrolytes like calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium that help you recover what’s lost in sweat and rehydrate. Learn more about how milk can help you stay hydrated here. 

 

Is Beneficial During Pregnancy

Dairy milk’s benefits start before you're even born. One of milk’s 13 essential vitamins and nutrients is iodine, which supports bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy. It’s also linked to cognitive function in childhood. 

Fills You With All-Natural Ingredients

When you drink dairy milk, you’re consuming all-natural ingredients like milk, vitamin D, and vitamin A. Milk alternatives like oat and almond milk often add ingredients and are fortified with nutrients to mimic milk. Depending on the brand you choose, you’re drinking different ingredients every time you choose a milk alternative, unlike dairy milk which is always the same and always natural. Read more about the differences between dairy milk and plant-based alternatives here.