BIOLOGY PROJECT

Is Milk Truly Healthy?

BY-Sparsh Kenwal
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that SPARSH KENWAL of Class
XII-B has successfully completed this Biology
investigatory project based on the Topic “IS MILK
TRULY HEALTHY” prescribed Ms. Sumita Hazra ,
during academic session 2022-2023 as per the
guidelines issued by Central Board of Secondary
Education.

Teacher’s Signature
Ms. Sumita
(P.G.T BIOLOGY)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I Sparsh Kenwal of class XII-B acknowledge the
valuable contribution of individuals involved in the
successful completion of this investigatory
project “IS MILK TRULY HEALTHY”.
I sincerely thanks my biology teacher Ms. Sumita
Hazra for the valuable guidance and instructions.
I would also like to thank my parents for the
precious help during the research of this project. I
am also very grateful to the lab attendants who’d
let me perform the experiments in the lab. It is
the cooperation and hardwork of these people
only who enhanced my performance and led to
successful completion of this project within the
time limit

SPARSH KENWAL
XII-B
 Is milk as healthy as we think?
What is MILK?
Milk is a liquid produced by the mammary glands of
mammals, including humans. Breast milk is the best food
for babies because it is more tolerable as the digestive tract
develops and matures. Dairy Milk can be introduced later if it
is well tolerated.

Origin and history of milk.

Milk originated as a cutaneous secretion in synapsids (the
lineage ancestral to mammals), as early as the Pennsylvanian
period, that is, approximately 310 million years ago,Mammary
glands probably evolved from apocrine-like glands that
combined multiple modes of secretion and developed in
association with hair follicles Comparative analysis of
milk composition shows that it was produced long before
the emergence of mammals.
10,000 years ago, early humans spent much of their time,
Obtaining food as it was the dominant preoccupation of their
lives. People observed animals in the wild nursing their young
just as they nursed their own young. As milk was a good
source of nutrition for young ones, By capturing goats and
aurochs, the people were able to collect their milk in pottery
vessels, and thus milk was originally a food substitute for
 Different types of milks.

 Raw milk—milk straight from the cow—is not pasteurized.

 flavored milk, is also a tasty protein food for kids, but its
more close to a beverage than to a nutritional drink.
 Lactose-free milk is real cow’s milk—but with one
difference. The natural sugar in milk, called lactose, has been
broken down. This makes it great option for people who are
lactose intolerant. It still contains the same essential nutrients
 Skim milk is a good choice, if someone is looking for the
same nutition value but with less calories and fat.
 whole milk—which is actually 3.25% milkfat by weight—not
as much as many people think.
 Soy milk—it is a nondairy milk alternative that’s higher in
protein and nutritionally closer to cow’s milk, Drinking it
may also help reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, and breast
cancer risk.
 Almond milk—its a good nondairy milk alternative, but
nutritionally, it’s quite different from cow’s milk, but it’s not
safe if you have a tree nut allergy.
 Oat milk— higher in carbs than most other plant milks, also
boasts extra fiber which is soluble fiber, which offers several
 health benefits, such as reducing your cholesterol levels and
keeping you full for longer.
 Coconut milk—has a light, tropical flavor and is a safe
dairy-free milk alternative for those who have a tree nut
allergy. Because coconuts are a source of healthy MCTs,
drinking coconut milk might boost your HDL (good)
cholesterol.
 Hemp milk—made from ground, soaked hemp seeds, which
do not contain the psychoactive component of the Cannabis
sativa plant. The seeds are high in protein and healthy
unsaturated fats.
 Cashew milk—it is lactose-free and loaded with heart-
healthy unsaturated fats, protein, and several vitamins and
minerals.Drinking this type of milk may boost heart health,
improve blood sugar control, promote eye health, and more.

Milk and diseases

Some older studies found a connection between milk and
a higher risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer. But
Meta analyses found no impact on your cancer risk,
instead Some studies even suggest that milk and dairy
intake decreases cancer-risk mainly colorectal and
bladder cancer. And consumption of dairy products as a
whole reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Only studies on prostate cancer showed an increased risk
for people who consumed more than 1.25 liters of milk a
day, but the association is inconsistent and other studies
didn't find any effect.

The results are given as below:-

Lactose intolerance.
It is a digestive disorder caused by the inability to digest
lactose, the main carbohydrate in dairy products. It’s
very common, affecting around two-thirds of the world’s
adult population at minimum
This condition occurs if your body doesn’t make enough
of the enzyme lactase, which you need to digest lactose
People with lactose intolerance experience digestive
problems when they consume dairy, which can
negatively affect their quality of life.
These symptoms include bloating, diarrhea, and
abdominal cramps.
Lactose is found in breast milk, and almost everyone is
born with the ability to digest it. However,as the body’s
requirement for it ends it slowly stops the production of
the enzyme lactase.
Thus, humans are genetically made to be lactose
intolerant after the age of 30.
But due to our ancestors’ domestication of cattle 10,000
years ago, their generations slowly developed a genetic
mutation that doesn’t stop the production of lactase.
This was not in every place as the ones who never
developed the mutation also do exist making them
lactose intolerant.
 Milk allergies.
Milk allergies have been studied more than any other
food allergy. A milk allergy is a reaction to whey or
casein, the proteins found in cow’s milk. It’s not the
same as lactose intolerance.

Often, children with a milk allergy will have a slow

reaction. This means symptoms will develop over
time, from several hours to days later. Symptoms
associated with a slow reaction include:

 abdominal cramps
 loose stool (which may contain blood or mucus)
 diarrhea
 skin rash
 intermittent coughing
 runny nose or sinus infection
 failure to thrive (slow to gain weight or height)

Symptoms that occur quickly (within seconds to

hours) may include:

 wheezing
 vomiting
 hives

Although rare, it’s possible for a child with a milk

allergy to have a serious reaction known as
anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock may cause
swelling of the throat and mouth, a drop in blood
pressure, and trouble breathing. It can also lead to
cardiac arrest.

Treatments
In people with lactose intolerance caused by an
underlying condition, treating the condition might
restore the body's ability to digest lactose, although
that process can take months. For other causes, you
might avoid the discomfort of lactose intolerance by
following a low-lactose diet.
 To lower the amount of lactose in your diet:

 Limit milk and other dairy products

 Include small servings of dairy products in your
regular meals
 Eat and drink lactose-reduced ice cream and milk
 Add a liquid or powder lactase enzyme to milk to
break down the lactose

The only way to prevent an allergic reaction is to

avoid milk and milk proteins. This can be difficult
because milk is a common ingredient in many foods.
Also, some people with milk allergy can tolerate milk
in some forms, such as milk that's heated in baked
goods, or in some processed foods, such as yogurt.
Talk to your doctor about what to avoid.

Despite your best efforts, if you or your child

accidentally consumes milk, medications such as
antihistamines may reduce a mild allergic reaction.

In some cases, casein allergies may even cause an

anaphylactic shock, which results in swelling of the
area around the wind pipe resulting in difficulty in
breathing or even complete blockage of the wind
pipe, if not treated instantly it may result in the death
of the individual
An anaphylactic shock can be treated by an injection
of epinephrine either through a “Epi-pen” or by a
syringe in prescribed quantity.

If epinephrine isn’t available it can treated by poking

the individual’s affected part of the throat ,only in
severe emergency and preferably by a trained
professional, as this will provide enough time to get
to a clinic.

Conclusion
Milk isn’t a harmful food neither is it a super healthy
food, although it is a really good source of nutrition as
it is easily available and has good nutritional value, it
is necessary for growth of children but as we grow
older it can be taken as a supplement but isn’t
essential, over 65% of the population is lactose
intolerant and most individuals lose their ability to
breakdown lactose by the age of 30, excessive
consumption of milk may even lead to digestive
problems and even colo-rectal cancer. Along with this
there are allergies associated to many components
of milk, but overall milk is healthy for consumption
and its downsides don’t compare to the benefits it
provides.

Milk isn’t a superfood as its made out to be, rather its

consumption and effects are associated with the
individual consuming it.