The most important element in milk is calcium whose non- availability to an adequate degree in the body makes it progressively weak; the deleterious effects are seen in nerves, blood vessels and bones; and, on the intestine and the stomach. To keep the body strong and healthy, milk is essential on many other counts as well. For health, beauty and long life there is nothing like milk. It is advisible that every one should consume milk daily as much as possible.
But the.milk to be taken should be pure and hygienic; for, milk also happens to be an Important disease carying agent – all types of harmful organisms can thrive best in milk. Moreover, using a spoilt milk should be totally avoided, as it is nothing but poison. Great care is needed to keep milk clean and safe, for, it easily gets influenced by harmful substances kept near it. Some consider that keeping raw milk in a patient’s room is the best way to spread that disease, for, the disease germs flourish so well and readily in such a milk.
It has been calculated that In 16 drops of milk purchased from open container in bazaar, there occur 3 lakhs of bacteria in winter season; this becomes 10 lakhs in spring and goes upto 50 lakhs in summer – so nutritious a food is this milk to bacteria! It is because of this great susceptibility of milk to bacterial infection, modern dairy management takes utmost care at all levels beginning from milking upto delivering at home to ensure safe and hygienic milk to the consumers.
And, it is because of this reason milk Is always to be taken well boiled. However if full care is taken, consuming raw milk is fully healthy, and incomparably strengthening. Ayurvedists infact advise In some cases the using of fresh milk immediately as it comes from the udders; this Is frothy and warm and referred to as dharoshna which can be translated as udder hot.
How to heat milk? Milk should be kept boiling just for five minutes and then taken out and cooled. Heating them even a little further is harmful; this will destroy the vitamins. Some persons like to drink milk which is being cooked for a long time; khova is one product of such a practice. It is necessary to note that boiling milk continously over a long time is likely to destroy many of its valuable substances.
How to drink milk? Since milk is not easy to digest, a simple and useful method to drink milk is not to drink it at a single bout but to take it in small quantities, move it about in the mouth a little so that it is well mixed with saliva of the mouth and then gulp in. The digestive efficacy of saliva aids here much. It still happens however that specially in some persons milk remains hard for digestion; they infact need the assistance of special digestives. Some develop actually a tendency to feel like purging as soon as they consume milk.
For them, take 5 tolas of borax, cook in half a ser of water (if possible mixed with green chirayata) till it evaporates; the residual borax is to be finely powdered and stored in bottle. When the occasion arises take 2 rattis of this powder, mix it with half a ser of milk and use. This digests the milk well and also increases hunger. It is a highly digestive powder. Some get a tendency to vomit immediately after milk or complain of indigestion or stomach upset. They should mix gas filled soda water in one forth proportion to milk and then drink. Another simple procedure is to soak lime in water, take out the superficial liquid secured thereby, add it in little quantity to milk and then drink. Difficulty in digesting milk can be easily overcome in this way also.