Vitamin D in milk

All of the vitamins known to be essential to humans have been detected in milk. Vitamins A, D, E and K are associated with fat component of milk.

The amount of vitamin D secreted in milk is directly related to its supply in the feed and to the direct exposure of the animal to sunlight.

Vitamin D in milk is highest during the summer months and lowest in winter. Ultraviolet radiation offers another way of increasing vitamin D levels. It is the cow’s relatives exposure to the ultraviolet light of the sun that most determines the level of vitamin D in milk in the forts place.

Vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin which enhances the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus, is essential for the maintenance of a healthy skeleton throughout life.
Vitamin D in milk

Vitamin fortification of milk

Many milk are fortified with vitamins A and D. Vitamin D is found naturally in very few foods and was initially added to milk, a staple food, to reduce the incidence of rickets, a bone-softening condition in children that was at one time endemic in North America. Unfortified cow’s milk traditionally has been regarded as a poor source of vitamin D, supplying 5 to 35 IU/liter.

Before the fortification of milk was widely practice, many children grew up with severely bowed legs and other effects of vitamin D deficiency.

Another benefit of vitamin D supplementation is a lower rate of osteomalacia in the elderly, which is largely responsible for bone fractures. Studies showed that vitamin D might have other health benefits including improvement of the immune response.

The fortification of dried skim milk with vitamin A is viewed by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization was an important measure to combat vitamin A deficiency in developing countries, where 20, 000 to 100, 000 children yearly develop blindness from a lack of vitamin A in their diet.
Vitamin fortification of milk

Milk: Excellent source of vitamin B

Milk contains both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The nonfat portion of milk is especially plentiful in the B vitamin riboflavin, a greenish fluorescent-colored vitamin. It acts as a photosynthesizer and is readily destroyed upon exposure to sunlight.

Dairy milk contains more vitamin B than soy milk. It has 8 types of vitamin B, compared to soy milk which contains 7 types but lacking in vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is necessary for growth, maintenance of nerve tissues and normal blood formation, Milk provides 0.44 μg vitamin B12/100 g. Three glasses of milk would furnish all of the 2.4 μg vitamin B12 recommended for most adults.

Vitamin B12 content was measured in milk samples of 544 Dutch Holstein Friesian cows: content was 4.4 μg/L on average and varied between 1.0 and 12.9 μg/L. This variation between cows could to large extend be attributed to genetic factors.

Riboflavin or B2 vitamin is a yellow-green fluorescent compound and in addition to its role as a vitamin, it is responsible for the colour of milk serum.
Milk: Excellent source of vitamin B