Can pregnant women drink milk on an empty stomach?

Milk has very high nutritional value and is a liquid that is easily absorbed. After pregnancy, the appetite of many pregnant women is affected and they don’t want to eat many things, but they still have to consider the needs of pregnancy, so milk becomes a good choice. However, there is a concern that drinking milk on an empty stomach may have adverse effects on the body. So, can pregnant women drink milk on an empty stomach? Let’s take a look below.

Is it good for pregnant women to drink milk on an empty stomach? Some pregnant women have the habit of drinking milk on an empty stomach in the morning, which is not scientific. After a night's sleep, the human stomach has long been emptied and is ready to digest food. However, milk, as a liquid breast milk, is excreted from the stomach very quickly. The nutrients are discharged into the intestines before they are fully digested and absorbed, which will cause the loss of nutrients.

Therefore, if pregnant women drink milk on an empty stomach, not only will they not fully obtain the nutrients in the milk, but it will also cause a certain burden on the body.

The harm of drinking milk on an empty stomach during pregnancy

1. Drinking milk on an empty stomach will cause the nutrients not to be fully absorbed: If you drink milk on an empty stomach, the milk cannot be fully enzymatically hydrolyzed, the protein in it will quickly be converted into energy and consumed, and the nutrients cannot be well digested and absorbed.

2. Symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea may occur: Because the body produces very little lactase, if you drink a lot of milk on an empty stomach, the lactose in the milk cannot be digested in time, and is instead broken down by bacteria in the intestines, producing a large amount of gas and acid, which stimulates intestinal contraction and causes abdominal pain and diarrhea.

The correct way for pregnant women to drink milk

1. Drink milk for breakfast: best with eggs, bread or other staple foods

If pregnant women like to drink milk for breakfast, they must eat something else before drinking the milk, so that the milk can stay in the gastrointestinal tract for a longer time. If you want to drink a bottle of milk for breakfast, you can eat 50 grams of rice or pasta first, then add an egg, and then drink the milk. This allows the milk to mix with other foods in the stomach, prolonging its residence time in the gastrointestinal tract, which is beneficial to the digestion and absorption of its nutrients. Because the food provides sufficient calories and is digested and absorbed slowly and fully, blood sugar levels remain high and you will feel energetic in the morning.

2. The correct time to drink milk: In fact, the best time to drink milk is at night. This is because milk contains tryptophan, a biochemical that can make people tired and sleepy. In addition, it also contains rich trace amounts of morphine-like substances. These substances all have good sedative and hypnotic effects. Drinking a glass of milk between 8 and 9 o'clock in the evening not only replenishes nutrition but also helps you sleep.

3. It is best not to boil it before drinking: just heat it before mixing with milk, but do not boil it, otherwise the calcium in the milk will precipitate and the vitamins will decompose, which is not conducive to the absorption of nutrients. If you drink yogurt, do not heat it.