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The Percent of Protein in Milk

Jun 14, 2011 | By Nicholas Bragg
The Percent of Protein in Milk
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Milk has become a massive pillar in the American diet. Cereal, chocolate drinks, baked goods and even macaroni and cheese would be much different if it weren't for milk. Milk contains several nutrients essential to the human body, none of which is quite as essential as protein. According to nutrition expert Dr. Janice Hermann, protein makes up several key components of the human body, including all enzymes and hormones. What many people don't know, however, is that milk contains several kinds of proteins in varying amounts.

Casein and Whey

A trip into your local nutrition store will show that whey and casein protein have become popular on a massive scale to weight lifters and fitness buffs. These two protein powders are, in fact, derivatives of milk, each one being extracted from milk before it reaches the shelf at your local supermarket. Casein protein makes up approximately 80 percent of the protein in milk, with whey making up the remaining 20 percent. Casein is immensely popular due to its slow digesting properties, and tendencies to build lean muscle. Whey is equally popular thanks to its ability to digest extremely quickly, sometimes in as little as 45 minutes.

Soy

Though you won't find soy protein naturally in milk, soy is nonetheless found in a wide varieties of milk in your local supermarket dairy section. Whether you're lactose intolerant or just partial to the taste, soy milk has grown in popularity exponentially and now shares a rather large section of the dairy aisle. One cup of Silk Soy Milk contains 7 g of protein, which equals roughly 28 calories of the 100 total calories in each cup. In comparison to a single cup of vitamin D milk, 8 g of protein, or 32 calories, are found in every 160-calorie cup.

Muscle Growth

Protein is a major catalyst in the maintenance and growth of muscle tissue in the body. When your body goes through an intense bout of resistance training, the muscle fibers are torn and damaged afterward. To repair the tissue, the body sends satellite cells from between the basal lamina and plasma membrane of the muscle to the site of the torn fibers. These cells reproduce and fuse onto the torn fibers, ultimately becoming one with them. As the fibers heal and new cells form, the muscles grow back larger and stronger than before. For this process to work efficiently, your body requires a certain amount of protein each day. The daily United States Department of Agriculture recommendation for adults who lift weights is to eat as much as 0.8 g of protein for every pound of body weight.

Weight Control

Milk, if consumed with regularity, has many body-centric benefits, other than just strong bones thanks to high amounts of calcium. A 2003 study headed by Dr. Daniel Layman at the University of Illinois found that diets rich in luceine, a nutrient found in whey in large quantities, have been found to assist with the development of lean body mass and reduction of body fat. Daily servings of milk would do a lot of people's bodies good, considering that in 2008, 34 percent of Americans were obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Warning

Milk contains a large number of essential nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D. However, milk may not be the best option for everyone to get these nutrients. According to the University of Harvard School of Public Health, a high percentage of the world is intolerant to lactose, a sugar found in milk. Lactose can cause gas, cramping, bloating and diarrhea. As many as 90 percent of Asians, 70 percent of blacks and 50 percent of Hispanics are naturally lactose intolerant. Instead of milk, those who are lactose intolerant can get these essential nutrients from spinach, chard, beans and supplements.

References

Article reviewed by demand53656 Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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