Is milk better for your health when it’s hot or cold? Let’s find out

When it comes to milk, most of us like to add certain ingredients to make it more nutritious – it could be haldi, almonds, pistachios, saffron and so much more. Milk is considered to be one of the best or healthier sources of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. 

Indrani Ghosh, chief dietician, Manipal Hospitals, Salt Lake, Kolkata, shares with HealthShots, “Milk is a rich source of quality protein that contains all nine essential amino acids.” And therefore, it can deliver a plethora of health benefits. 

But then the way people consume milk can also differ! Some like to drink it hot, while others prefer a chilled glass. Is a particular option healthier or does anything work?

Well, we looked into the matter, and found out that both hot and cold milk offer unique benefits! 

Drinking hot milk can keep you warm and promote sleep

One of the major benefits of consuming hot milk before heading to bed is good sleep. Ghosh explains, “Hot milk keeps the body warm and protects it from the cold.” 

Also, read: Having trouble with breastfeeding? Practice these yoga asanas to increase breast milk supply

She adds, “Drinking warm milk before sleeping promotes sound sleep, as an amino acid named tryptophan present in milk, produces serotonin and melatonin, both sleep-inducing chemicals, in the body.”

Hot milk offers some other benefits too:

• Helps to repair muscles
• Helps to regain bone density, because the heating process activates the enzymes present in milk. These are then better absorbed by the body
• Helps to manage blood sugar levels
• Improves satiety, which means it can also help with weight loss
• Last but not the least, it can also keep your oral health in check, because milk has a protective effect on your tooth enamel. It also reduces the risk of tooth decay
• Helps reduce age-related muscle loss and promotes muscle repair after exercise

Hot milk, when consumed at the wrong time and under unsuitable climate conditions, may produce mucus and various other health problems, warns Ghosh. 

Also, read: These 9 habits can create trouble for your baby’s milk teeth

On the other hand, cold milk is an acidity reliever and keeps the body supercharged

One may enjoy cold milk with cereals, but avoid drinking it chilled. Of course, we all know certain people who prefer drinking cold milk, especially during the summer season. 

Ghosh says, “The best known benefit of cold milk is that it is one of the best relievers for acidity. It also keeps dehydration at bay.” 

Here are the other benefits of cold milk that Ghosh mentions:

• The presence of calcium in cold milk improves your body’s metabolism, and thus burns more calories 
• Cold milk is packed with essential micronutrients and electrolytes, which keeps our bodies supercharged
• Cold milk prevents dehydration in the body, because of the electrolytes present in it
• It can also replace a snack, so you feel more satiated and can beat those hunger pangs
• Drinking cold milk keeps the stomach full for a long time

Plus, applying cold milk can also immensely improve the texture of your skin!

So, what’s your pick?