What Are The Ingredients In Milk?

By drinking a glass of milk or eating a piece of cheese or some yogurt, you get your dose of B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin D, but unfortunately you also get antibiotics, anti-inflammatory compounds and hormones.

Milk is not as white as it seems. According to the Daily Mail, a group of Spanish and Moroccan scientists has recently concluded that the average glass of milk contains more than twenty substances, including painkillers, antibiotics and growth hormones. Even breast milk is affected. From samples of cow, goat and human milk, scientists have found a host of chemicals intended to treat diseases in animals and people.

This experiment shows that the presence of chemicals has become routine in the food chain. The largest quantity of drugs was found in cow's milk. According to the researchers, the origin of such a concentrated chemical is found in any growth hormones fed to cattle in the diet or due to contamination of the farm.

The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that cow's milk showed signs of anti-inflammatory drugs such as niflumic acid, ketoprofen and mefenamic, subdivision anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly used on animals or humans for its analgesic (pain-killing) and antipyretic (anti fever)properties. In addition, a form of estrogen (17-beta estradiol) was also detected. Tests have also found milk contained traces of ibuprofen and naproxen.

If you're concerned about chemicals in milk, you should know that there are some alternatives available. The first one that may come to your mind is organic milk. While this type of milk comes from cows that have not been treated with antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones, it is still processed at high temperatures to increase its life. In a regular pasteurization process, milk is heated from 145 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, but this does not guarantee the complete elimination of all bacteria.

Organic milk needs to stay fresh for long periods of time because in many cases it is not produced locally. Milk is packed and must travel long distances to stores in different cities across the country and sometimes even across borders.

A recent study showed that organic milk is rich in essential fatty acids omega-3, vitamin E and antioxidants to help fight against infections. Omega-3 is believed to protect against coronary heart disease. The study also indicated that organic milk is very rich in beta carotene and vitamin A. A major advantage of organic milk when compared to regular milk is that the grass that feeds the cows is not sprayed with fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore, people who consume organic milk are not at risk of being exposed to these harmful chemicals.

However, the pasteurization process may seriously compromise the quality of the milk, even if it is organic. For this reason, an even better alternative to regular milk is grass-fed RAW milk, which can be purchased from conscious farmers. In most of the cases it is better than organic milk, as it has basically the same properties, minus the pasteurization process, which is known to destroy part of the vitamin C in milk and for making the calcium in milk insoluble.

Raw milk has a range of good bacteria that offer protection from some diseases and are essential for a healthy digestive system. So, if you want to get the most out of the milk you drink, you should find a raw milk farm that you trust and make a habit from buying your milk there.

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How to Judge a Cookie Recipe Based on Ingredients and Ease of Use

The name is the first thing I notice on a new cookie recipe. Descriptive flavors entice me, especially if it is unusual. Flavors like coffee or rosemary interest me more than a sugar cookie. Not to say that you can't have a lot of fun flavoring up a plain sugar cookie with some interesting spices.

I like to read through the list of ingredients. If the recipe asks for something that I don't have on hand, I ask myself whether it is worth getting. I do try to see if I can make a substitution. I've been known to exchange cottage cheese for sour cream to cut back on the fat. I also like to make spice or extract substitutions. With cookies involving fruit I'll use one berry for another or use figs instead of dates to avoid running to the store. You can create a lot of happy accidents with well-placed substitutions.

If I don't understand the ingredient, I immediately dislike the recipe. For example, a recipe calling for caster sugar, could just as easily say very fine sugar or instruct you to grind up some regular sugar in your food processor. I think of these recipes as a bit snobby. (Caster sugar is used because it dissolves faster and more thoroughly.)

On the other hand, a recipe that asks for corn syrup or a box of cake mix or a can of frosting isn't likely to make the grade either. One reason I bake is to avoid man-made chemicals and overly sweet recipes. If there is a gooey icing involved, then I know they are selling sugar over any real flavor.

Ingredients aren't the only reason to select a cookie or bar recipe. I also like to read how long it takes to bake. Cookies that take longer than 20 minutes or bars that take longer than 35 minutes usually don't make the grade. I don't like using up a lot of electricity for a single recipe, nor do I like to spend a lot of time on just one item.

If the instructions are several pages long, I know I'm in trouble. A cookie most often involves creaming some form of sugar with some form of fat and then adding flour, flavoring and nuts or fruit. I used to avoid cookies that said, "chill overnight." Now I understand that chilling allows the flavorings to spread throughout the dough and solidify it for better baking results. I often make several recipes at once (since the ingredients are so similar) and bake them the next day. Or I will make larger quantities and freeze some of the batter for later use.

Like with anything, there are exceptions. I make cutout cookies at Christmas and over the years I've collected more do-dads for decorating than I'll ever use up. Decorating takes time and some of that sugary icing, but it's just once a year and it looks so festive. Finding a good cutout cookie can be challenging.

So the next time you go rummaging around in your cookbook or go browsing online for a good cookie recipe, ask yourself these questions. Do the ingredients include flavors (other than sugar) that you like? Is it worth going to the store to get special ingredients? Are you truly baking from scratch or just adding more ingredients to a cake mix? Are the instructions easy? How long does it need to bake? And does it require any special pans or tools you may not have? The answers will help you focus on flavor, healthier choices and convenience.

Ultimately, it is the taste of the cookie that determines whether the recipe is a keeper. Don't forget to jot down those that you like, not only for their flavor, but for their ease of use.

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