No two things are the same, at least according to Leibniz's law. But we have to concede, it does have a grain of truth to it; There's a diverse group of people in this world with different attributes and characteristics that renders them unique. We might not agree on the same thing, but Milk is a universal binder. Consumed ubiquitously across the world, its drink has copious health benefits and assessed as part of our daily diet.  However, lately, the opinion on the alleged health factors has been widely polarized and disputed with people now discovering that consuming it on a daily basis might not be that ideal.  On World Milk Day 2021, let's learn a few interesting facts about milk.

  • World Milk Day celebrated on 1 June. The day was chosen by The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to raise awareness about the benefits of drinking milk and celebrate the dairy industry and their contribution to the economy,

  • India is the largest producer of milk followed by the US, China, Pakistan and Brazil. The country accounts for 22 percent of global milk production.

  • Lately,  the benefits of drinking animal milk have been widely disputed in adults since people experience flatulence and stomach aches after having milk. People are also wary about the contamination with the presence of antibiotics and hormones in milk, from injected cows. However, in kids, a 250 ml glass of milk,  can provide  48 percent of their dietary protein requirement, 9 percent of calories and key micro-nutrients like calcium, magnesium, selenium and B vitamins. Seven Nutritional Facts About Dairy That Will Make You Believe in 'Doodh Ki Shakti'.

  • In 1908, then US President Theodore Roosevelt’s Surgeon General released a 600-page report that “attributed most childhood deaths to impure milk and argued that pasteurization was the best way to address the ongoing public health crisis”. Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization, making milk a safe drink for everyone.

  • While milk rich in nutrients, vitamins and calcium, there are certain vitamins that are not present in milk. Vitamin C for example cannot be found in milk. Vitamin C is mostly found in citrus fruits. However, milk is rich in  Vitamin A, B12, Calcium and thiamin, riboflavin. Vitamin A contributes toward the good vision, immune health and normal growth and development of body tissues.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 31, 2021 02:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).