Will it really waste the nutrients in milk, soy milk and yogurt if you drink them on an empty stomach?

In the parent group of the child, someone forwarded a message saying that children should not drink milk or soy milk on an empty stomach, otherwise it will not only hurt the stomach, but the body will also convert the high-quality protein in them into heat energy instead of using them as nutrients. Seeing this message, Huazi remembered an incident in the past. More than 20 years have passed, and the "legend" that drinking milk on an empty stomach will waste nutrients is still there.

It was more than 20 years ago, when Huazi was in junior high school, one day the teacher asked how many students in the class drank milk for breakfast, and Huazi raised his hand along with most of the students. Then the teacher told us that we must eat bread or steamed buns when drinking milk, otherwise the stomach will feel uncomfortable, and the nutrients in the milk will be converted into heat energy and will not be absorbed by the human body.

For a long time, Huazi believed in the "truth" that his teacher told him. Every morning when he drank milk for breakfast, he would try to eat more bread so as to "save" the milk for his body.

1. Drinking milk and soy milk on an empty stomach does not hurt the stomach. It was not until many years later that Huazi learned relevant knowledge and realized that what his junior high school teacher said was not the whole truth. Drinking milk and soy milk on an empty stomach does not hurt the stomach. Some people experience bloating after drinking milk on an empty stomach because they are intolerant to the lactose in milk. Drinking low-lactose milk or yogurt instead will not be a problem.

Some people have stomachaches after drinking soy milk because the soy milk is not cooked, causing poisoning. As long as the soy milk is boiled for more than 5 minutes, the toxic substances that irritate the digestive tract can be destroyed, and there is no problem drinking it at this time.

2. Will it waste high-quality protein? When the human body is supplying energy, it will first break down carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are insufficient, it will break down fat and protein. However, milk and soy milk do not only contain protein, but also carbohydrates. Therefore, when drinking on an empty stomach, the priority energy supply is the carbohydrates in them, especially the milk and soy milk with added sugar, which have a higher carbohydrate content, and the fat contained in them is also an energy supply substance, and will not cause protein waste.

When the human body is hungry, if carbohydrates are insufficient, it will break down its own fat and protein for energy. Breaking down fat is a good thing, but the main source of protein is your own muscles. So drinking milk and soy milk at this time will save your precious muscle protein. So when you are fasting, if you only have milk and soy milk, you should drink them. Otherwise, you will save milk protein and waste your own muscles.

3. Can I drink yogurt on an empty stomach? Someone asked Huazi if I can drink yogurt on an empty stomach. Huazi said that it depends on the type of yogurt. If it is yogurt that needs to be stored at low temperatures, it is better to drink it after a meal. If it is yogurt stored at room temperature, you can drink it at any time. The determining factor is whether the yogurt contains beneficial bacteria.

Human stomach acid is a strong acid with a pH value of about 2, while the beneficial bacteria in yogurt can only survive in an environment with a pH value of more than 5. Yogurt stored at low temperatures contains live bacteria, which will be killed by stomach acid when consumed on an empty stomach, and will not have a health-promoting effect, so it is best to drink it after a meal. Yogurt stored at room temperature is sterilized during processing and does not contain live bacteria, so it can be consumed at any time.

But in fact, even low-temperature yogurt has very limited intervention on the human intestinal microecology. If someone has an imbalance in intestinal flora, they need to use special live bacteria preparations to adjust, and cannot rely on yogurt. However, yogurt does not contain lactose, so people who are lactose intolerant and cannot drink milk can drink yogurt without worry.

In fact, most people drink yogurt just for the sake of "tasting good". Because neither low-temperature yogurt nor room-temperature yogurt can help digestion. And most yogurts add a lot of sugar for a good taste. So drinking yogurt after a meal does not help digestion, but "gains weight".

In summary, there is no strict time limit for drinking milk, soy milk, and yogurt. You can drink them whenever you want. Just pay attention to nutritional balance in your daily diet. I am pharmacist Huazi. Welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.