Are BHA & Vitamin A in Milk?

Are BHA & Vitamin A in Milk?
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Milk is a dairy product that is a good source of calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients, including vitamin A. It's available as nonfat, low-fat, or whole fat liquid or in dried form as powdered milk, which may contain BHA as a preservative.

BHA

Butylated hydroxyanisole, abbreviated to BHA, is an antioxidant used to preserve foods. Antioxidants can prevent processed foods from spoiling when they come in contact with oxygen. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, BHA does not cause cancer and may interfere with the synthesis of natural cancer-causing chemicals and suppresses tumor growth. The FDA also states BHA is safe to consume at the levels of a normal diet.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that's needed for vision, bone growth, reproduction and cell growth, and it helps regulate the immune system. Vitamin A from plants occurs as a pro-vitamin form that needs to be transformed to active vitamin A in your body. The form of vitamin A found in animal sources of food, such as milk, is an active form called preformed vitamin A. Since vitamin A is fat-soluble, non-fat and low-fat milk need to be fortified with vitamin A to match the levels of whole milk.

Powdered Milk

Powdered milk is milk that has had the cream and water removed. It can be stored at room temperature for several months, and reconstituted with water and consumed like regular fluid milk. Powdered milk may contain BHA as a preservative and may be fortified with vitamin A. One cup of reconstituted powdered milk contains 163 mcg retinol, which is the active form of vitamin A.

Milk Nutrition

Both powdered and liquid milk are excellent sources of calcium, vitamins A and D, and protein. The number of calories ranges from 90 calories for a cup of nonfat milk to 150 calories for 1 cup of whole milk.

References

Article reviewed by Tad Cronn Last updated on: Jul 26, 2011

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