ABSTRACT
Dairy food intakes relative to bone health have been well-studied. Milk is a complex food and biological matrix that provides several nutrients important for promoting cardiometabolic and bone health and athletic performance. Lactose is the major disaccharide in milk and must be hydrolyzed to glucose and galactose for intestinal absorption. Dairy milk and milk-derived products have been consumed by humans for thousands of years as a dietary staple of many civilizations. The chapter discusses the role of milk as a functional food in relation to the health aspects. Milk is regarded as one of the most nutritious foods in the food supply, consistent with it containing carbohydrate, proteins, lipids, and essential micronutrients. Milk is not only the primary energy and nutrient source for newborns, but also delivers components necessary for host immunity. Immunoglobulins, or antibodies, are proteins produced by white blood cells that maintain host defense.
