211
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
C. Egbuna, G. Dable-Tupas (eds.), Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42319-3_12
Chapter 12
Health Benefits of Milk and Milk Products
Muhammad Akram, Maliha Sami, Olatunde Ahmed,
Peculiar Feenna Onyekere, and Chukwuebuka Egbuna
12.1 Introduction
Besides the supply of basic nutrients for growth and development of the human
body, the relevance of nutrition has extended to maintenance of health and combating of diseases (Nicoleta-Maricica 2019). Foods that provide basic nutrition as well
as health-promoting benefits are known as functional foods. They contain biologically active compounds or phytochemicals that exert health beneficial effects and
help reduce risk of diseases. The introduction of probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics
into human diet is essential for the intestinal micro flora and the human health. They
may be taken in the form of dairy products, raw vegetables and fruit or fermented
pickles. A category of functional foods that have proven useful over time by virtue
of their health benefits are probiotics (Butnariu and Sarac 2019).
The relevance of functional food has led to the publication of several articles
describing studies on the constituents and biological functions of the various type of
food, of which milk and milk products hold great uniqueness (Siro et al. 2008).
M. Akram (*) · M. Sami
Department of Eastern Medicine and Surgery, Government College University Faisalabad,
Faisalabad, Pakistan
O. Ahmed
Department of Biochemistry, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria
P. F. Onyekere
Department of Pharmacognosy & Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
C. Egbuna
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria
Nutritional Biochemistry and Toxicology Unit, World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence,
Centre for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of PortHarcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
C. Egbuna, G. Dable-Tupas (eds.), Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42319-3_12
Chapter 12
Health Benefits of Milk and Milk Products
Muhammad Akram, Maliha Sami, Olatunde Ahmed,
Peculiar Feenna Onyekere, and Chukwuebuka Egbuna
12.1 Introduction
Besides the supply of basic nutrients for growth and development of the human
body, the relevance of nutrition has extended to maintenance of health and combating of diseases (Nicoleta-Maricica 2019). Foods that provide basic nutrition as well
as health-promoting benefits are known as functional foods. They contain biologically active compounds or phytochemicals that exert health beneficial effects and
help reduce risk of diseases. The introduction of probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics
into human diet is essential for the intestinal micro flora and the human health. They
may be taken in the form of dairy products, raw vegetables and fruit or fermented
pickles. A category of functional foods that have proven useful over time by virtue
of their health benefits are probiotics (Butnariu and Sarac 2019).
The relevance of functional food has led to the publication of several articles
describing studies on the constituents and biological functions of the various type of
food, of which milk and milk products hold great uniqueness (Siro et al. 2008).
M. Akram (*) · M. Sami
Department of Eastern Medicine and Surgery, Government College University Faisalabad,
Faisalabad, Pakistan
O. Ahmed
Department of Biochemistry, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria
P. F. Onyekere
Department of Pharmacognosy & Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
C. Egbuna
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu
Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria
Nutritional Biochemistry and Toxicology Unit, World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence,
Centre for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of PortHarcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria