Minerals in Milk

About 87% of the weight of milk is water. The water carries in solution milk sugar, mineral, and water soluble vitamin.

Suspended in the milk are the fat, casein and certain mineral.

Milk contains about 30 different minerals, but only a few of them are represent in greater than trace amounts.

The major portion of the mineral is composed of the chloride and oxides of potassium, calcium, and phosphorus.

It is interest to note that these three elements are in greater concentration in milk than in blood; thus, the mammary gland exerts a selective action to concentrate these elements.

A fact frequently overlooked is the greater weight percentage of the potassium over that of calcium. Calcium constitutes about 30 percent of the total minerals in milk.

This kind of information can be used to detect injured udders because in the injured udder the composition of the milk becomes more like that of the blood.

Milk from cows suffering from mastitis contains a higher sodium and chloride than normal milk.

A chloride content in milk excess of .14% suggests the possibility of mastitic milk. All cases of high chloride content in milk are not due to disease.

Milk secreted toward the end of lactation and colostrums secreted at the beginning of lactation contain more sodium and chloride than normal milk.

Phosphorus constitutes about 15% of the total minerals in milk, about 50% of the total phosphorus is associated with the casein micelles which serve as a major carrier for calcium and phosphorus.

However, milk is lacking of magnesium. Magnesium is the protector of kidneys.

Milk also low in mineral of iron.

There are calcium, magnesium and iron enriched milks available in the market. These types of milk are designed to supply the mineral necessity of mothers during breastfeeding and pregnancy or infants.

Calcium and magnesium are involved in bone development and maintenance and iron can help prevent and eradicate iron deficiency anemia.
Minerals in Milk