Indians Unaware That Boiling Milk Depletes Nutrition (2024)

Indian mothers are blissfully unaware that prolonged and repeated boiling of milk depletes nutrition that is vital for children, a survey released Friday stated.The survey by Tetra Pak reveals that "around 59 percent of mothers felt boiling (milk) increases its nutritional value and 24 percent felt that it does not impact its nutritional properties. Only 17 percent of mothers surveyed believed that boiling milk affects its nutritional properties"."It is surprising that most households are unaware that prolonged and repeated boiling of milk leads to loss in nutrition. In a majority of Indian households, milk is boiled more than thrice, skimmed and hence devoid of most of the essential vitamins, proteins, amino acids and minerals," said Sanjeev Bagai, paediatrician and nephrologist.

Vitamins and proteins are denatured and destroyed when milk is boiled at temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius for over 15 minutes. Milk is a vital source for Vitamin D and Vitamin B 12, which help in calcium absorption. Both these vitamins are highly heat sensitive and boiling milk destroys both substantially."Any loss of vital ingredients in milk, especially proteins and vitamins, could cause growth deficiency, weak bones, poor muscle development and neurological impact, among other long-term effects. Mothers need to be sensitised regarding improper boiling practices as it depletes milk of nutrients. At the same time, they should be aware about technologies that best protect milk," added Bagai.

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Indians Unaware That Boiling Milk Depletes Nutrition (2024)

FAQs

Do you lose nutrients when you boil milk? ›

Nutrition Effects of Boiling Milk

Studies have found that while boiling milk eliminated bacteria from raw milk, it also greatly reduced its whey protein levels. Other tests have shown lower levels of vitamins and minerals in boiled milk, including vitamin B2, B3, B6, and folic acid -- in some cases by as much as 36%.

Why milk should not be boiled? ›

Milk is made up of water, fats, carbs, and protein. When you heat it, the water starts to evaporate, and the other components begin to separate. Bringing it to a boil too quickly can burn the sugars and curdle the whey protein. That causes scorching on the bottom of your pan and a skin to form on top.

Does boiling milk destroy Vitamin B 12? ›

Vitamins and proteins are denatured and destroyed when milk is boiled at temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius for over 15 minutes. Milk is a vital source for Vitamin D and Vitamin B 12, which help in calcium absorption. Both these vitamins are highly heat sensitive and boiling milk destroys both substantially.

How do you boil milk without losing nutrients? ›

In case of milk packets, the content is already pasteurised and there is no need to boil it at high temperature and heat it for less than for 6 to 8 minutes at 100 degree Celsius. This will retain the nutrients," Nair said.

Does boiling milk destroy Vitamin D? ›

Vitamins and proteins are denatured and destroyed when milk is boiled at temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius for over 15 minutes. Milk is a vital source for Vitamin D and Vitamin B 12, which help in calcium absorption. Both these vitamins are highly heat sensitive and boiling milk destroys both substantially.

What nutrients are destroyed by boiling? ›

The following nutrients are often reduced during cooking: water-soluble vitamins: vitamin C and the B vitamins — thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12)

Why do Indians boil milk? ›

There is another traditional habit associated with milk. We boil the raw milk, cool it and then use it for various purposes. This is done to make it free from micro-organisms and increase its shelf life as raw milk can get spoilt in hot, humid Indian weather.

Which milk need not be boiled? ›

Pasteurized milk does not need to be boiled.

Can we drink milk directly without boiling? ›

Pasteurized milk does not contain any enzymes or microbes so they do not require to undergo boiling. This is because, during the pasteurization, the milk has already undergone boiling.

Does boiling milk destroy hormones? ›

Boiling milk can help eliminate traces of oxytocin. Oxytocin is one such injection that not only affects the cattle but also humans. The injected oxytocin reaches the human body through consumption of milk or any other dairy product causing several side effects on all.

What happens if we boil milk too much? ›

In fact, it has been revealed in many pieces of research that by boiling milk for a long time or boiling it repeatedly, the nutrients are destroyed. Due to this, your body does not get all the benefits of milk.

Which vitamin is destroyed during boiling? ›

Vitamin C is a water-soluble and temperature-sensitive vitamin, so is easily degraded during cooking, and elevated temperatures and long cooking times have been found to cause particularly severe losses of vitamin C [12].

Is it OK to boil milk for long time? ›

Experts say milk should ideally be boiled not more than twice and not for more than 2-3 minutes.

Why milk should be boiled? ›

Now the question is: why do you boil milk? Some do it out of habit, some know that boiling kills germs and some to make it last longer. Boiling milk is an effective way of dealing with disease-causing organisms. Although it does not remove all impurities, it does kill most of the dangerous bacteria and other organisms.

Is boiling milk same as pasteurized? ›

Boiling of milk certainly destroys all the pathogenic organisms and makes it safe for human consumption, but there is no need for heating the milk for such a higher temperature when the same objective is fulfilled by pasteurization process.

Does boiling destroy calcium in milk? ›

When non-processed milk was boiled, it was observed that the Calcium content reduced by 10-14%. The Calcium content reduced by 6-7% when pasteurized packaged milk was boiled. The decrease in Calcium content after boiling is associated to the change in ionic and soluble Calcium in the milk sample.

Does milk lose calcium when boiled? ›

Reduction in calcium content

A 2016 study found that the calcium content of non-processed milk was reduced by 10-14% when it was boiled. It also found that the calcium content of pasteurized milk was reduced by 6-7% when boiled.

Does heating milk reduce calcium? ›

Fortunately I can put your mind at rest here, as the calcium in milk is actually very stable and unaffected by heating or processing.

What 3 things destroy nutrients in produce? ›

It's always better to consume nutrient-dense foods than to not consume them out of fear of nutrient loss.
...
3 Ways Fruits & Veggies Lose Nutrients
  • Exposure to oxygen. ...
  • Exposure to light. ...
  • Old & over-ripe produce.

At what temperature is vitamin D destroyed? ›

High temperatures of 180 and 230°C caused the highest loss of vitamin D3 being up to 90%. Reaction rate of vitamin D3 degradation ranged from 2.01 to 6.80 × 10–2 sec–1. BHT and TBHQ had the highest antioxidant activity (> 50 %) to decrease the degradation of vitamin D3 at 230°C.

Is protein lost during boiling? ›

Studies of the effects of cooking and other methods of processing report no significant alterations in the protein value of meat. However, cooking at too high a temperature for long periods of time can slightly decrease the biological value of meat proteins.

Do we need to boil milk in India? ›

According to Dr Saurabh Arora, founder, food safety helpline.com, there is no need to boil pasteurized milk at all. “As it has already been given heat treatment during pasteurization, milk is microbe free.

Why do Hindus boil milk in new homes? ›

Hindu tradition has us boiling milk on our new stove in an open pot until it boils over the sides. This symbolizes the abundance of prosperity and food which will bless the new home. After it has boiled over and you offer some to the deities of your choice, serve the milk with a bit of sugar to the guests in your home.

Why do East Indians bathe in milk? ›

Hindus use milk and its products for religious purposes because it is believed to have purifying qualities: ghee, or clarified butter, is used in lamps for rituals; milk is used to bathe Hindu idols on special occasions; sweets made from milk or ghee are used as offerings to gods.

Is boiled milk better than cold milk? ›

Be it hot milk or cold milk, both are equally healthy and nutritious. Generally, people make their preferences based on the weather and season. While it is your personal choice to decide if you like your milk hot or cold, we advise you drink at least a glass of milk every day.

Is British milk boiled? ›

The majority of the milk we drink in the UK is heat-treated to kill off harmful bacteria. Raw milk isn't – it goes straight from the cow to the bottle.

Can we drink raw milk? ›

Raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and others that cause foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.” These bacteria can seriously injure the health of anyone who drinks raw milk or eats products made from raw milk.

Is it safe to drink milk in India? ›

You won't have a problem at all. yes you can enjoy ur this good habit in india also and You can easily find tetra packs of pasteurized milk at almost any department store. The AMUL is really a famous brand in india. few local brands also you will find,so no problem at all to enjoy ur this habit in india also.

Is the heating of milk to destroy harmful bacteria? ›

This process was named “pasteurization” after its brilliant designer. Pasteurization involves heating liquids at high temperatures for short amounts of time. Pasteurization kills harmful microbes in milk without affecting the taste or nutritional value (sterilization= all bacteria are destroyed).

Should we boil milk in USA? ›

It is safe to warm up the packaged milk a bit before drinking it but avoid boiling it for more than 10 minutes. Ideally a glass of milk gets warm enough within 4-5 minutes on medium flame and becomes fit for drinking. This will ensure that the essential nutrients in milk remain intact.

Does boiling destroy estrogen? ›

Boiling your tap water will not get rid of hormones and other pharmaceuticals.

Does steaming milk change nutrition? ›

As it turns out, frothing milk only physically changes the structure of the milk. Its nutritional qualities will remain unchanged through the frothing process. Any changes that the milk undergoes after it's been frothed, will have a minimal impact on its overall nutritional value.

How long should we boil milk? ›

Boil for two or three minutes, stirring constantly.

This is long enough to make your milk safe to drink. Further boiling will just destroy nutrients in the milk.

How does heat affect the nutritional value of milk? ›

Pasteurization and ultra-high temperature processes altered the composition of the milk slightly, decreasing total fat and total solids and increasing urea [15]. The fat, fat-soluble vitamins, carbohydrates and mineral' of milk are essentially unaffected by heal treatment.

What are the two cooking methods that destroy nutrients in food? ›

The two cooking methods that destroy nutrients in food are: Cooking food in excess water dissolves many nutrients, particularly water soluble vitamins, in the the water. When the extra water is thrown away, the nutrients dissolved in the water are also lost. Cooking food at high heat can destroy vitamin C.

Which vitamin is completely destroyed by cooking? ›

Complete Step By Step Answer:

The vitamin that gets destroyed by heat during cooking is vitamin-C.

Do you lose minerals when you boil water? ›

Does Boiling Water Remove Minerals? No. Generally speaking, boiling water can help to kill the harmful bacteria in drinking water. Other than that, even if the water's temperature rises over 100 degree Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), it doesn't remove any minerals.

Do we need to boil pasteurized milk in India? ›

According to Dr Saurabh Arora, founder, food safety helpline.com, there is no need to boil pasteurized milk at all. “As it has already been given heat treatment during pasteurization, milk is microbe free.

Is milk in India pasteurized? ›

In India, Milk generally undergoes High Temperature Short Time (HTST) pasteurization or Ultra High Temperature (UHT) sterilization.

Is raw milk illegal in India? ›

Raw milk is legally sold in the entire country, and the same goes for raw milk cheeses, which are especially sought out and promoted by the health food and slow food movements.

What happens when milk is boiled? ›

Minerals like Calcium and vitamins like Vitamin A, D, B1, B2, B12 and K are found in good quantities in milk. Boiling affects many of these vital nutrients in your milk, depriving you of the nutrition they provide. Particularly vulnerable to destruction are the B group of vitamins.

What happens to protein in milk when boiled? ›

When milk is boiled, soluble milk proteins are denatured and then coagulate with milk's fat and form a sticky film across the top of the liquid, which then dries by evaporation. The layer does not need to be discarded and can be consumed, as protein's nutritional value is unaffected by the denaturation process.

Does boiling milk remove calcium? ›

Reduction in calcium content

A 2016 study found that the calcium content of non-processed milk was reduced by 10-14% when it was boiled. It also found that the calcium content of pasteurized milk was reduced by 6-7% when boiled.

Does cooking destroy milk protein? ›

Casein is heat stable and is not destroyed through cooking. On the other hand, the proteins beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin are heat sensitive. Therefore patients who only react to these heat-sensitive proteins may be able to tolerate products containing milk that has been cooked or baked.

Does boiling milk destroy lactose? ›

8) Does cooking destroy lactose? No, lactose does not disappear during cooking.

What happens if you drink milk daily without boiling? ›

Raw milk may harbour E. coli, salmonella and other harmful bacteria.

Does heating milk damage protein? ›

Heat treatment of milk aims to inhibit the growth of microbes, extend the shelf-life of products and improve the quality of the products. Heat treatment also leads to denaturation of whey protein and the formation of whey protein-casein polymer, which has negative effects on milk product.

Can we drink Amul milk without boiling? ›

Pasteurised milk can be consumed without boiling as it is free from harmful microbes. The milk is heated and the suddenly chilled and stored.

Should I boil raw milk? ›

"Raw milk from the farm should always be boiled prior to consumption, because it may be contaminated with pathogens such as campylobacter or EHEC", explains Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel, President of the BfR .

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