10 Jaw-Dropping Facts You Didn’t Know About Milk

2/17/2022

You’ve sloshed it on your Weet-Bix, poured it in your coffee and used it in a million recipes, but how much do you really know about the creamy liquid goodness that is milk? We’ve done some digging to find 10 facts about milk that’ll knock your socks off…

10 facts about milk you definitely didn’t know

1. Mammoth milker

The record for the most milk from by a single cow in a year is held by the grandly-named Robtham Suzette Paddy, who produced a staggering 25,800 litres – an average of over 70 litres every day – at a family farm in Springfield, Missouri.

At the Barambah Organics farms, our cows produce a much more healthy 20 litres a day.

2. Milkman king

Kings in Uganda are known as ‘Omukama’, which means ‘superior milkman’. The title dates from ancient times when rulers came from Hema tribes who kept cattle.

3. The one and only

In the unlikely event that someone says you can only eat one thing for the rest of your life, make sure you choose milk! It’s the only food that contains all the nutrients that humans need to survive. If you can ferment some of it into yoghurt, then the bacteria produced make it even better for you. Don’t make the mistake that British teenager Stacey Irvine made and only eat chicken nuggets for 15 years. She ended up collapsing and being rushed to hospital where doctors politely suggested she try a slightly more balanced diet.

4. Better for longer

Organic milk will last several days longer in your fridge than conventional milk as it’s pasteurised at a higher temperature.

5. Galactic Dairy

We couldn’t do 10 facts about milk without mentioning that the entire galaxy is made of the stuff! Well, according to Greek mythology, that is. The name ‘Milky Way’ comes from the Greek word for milk, and legend has it that all the stars and planets were created when Hercules was breastfeeding from the Goddess of Women, Hera, and some of the milk was spilt. Instead of being licked up by a godly dog, it formed into our galaxy.

6. It makes you brainy!

Well, that’s one explanation for why countries that consume the most milk also win the most Nobel Prizes!

That was the conclusion of a study by the British Journal of Practical Neurology that found in Sweden, where people drink an average of 350kg of milk a year, they’ve won 32 Nobel Prizes for every 10 million people.

By comparison, in China, where they gulp down less than 50kgs, they’ve only won 0.06 Nobels per 10 million citizens. OK, so it’s a bit tenuous – and apparently chocolate is an even better indicator – but a hearty glass of Barambah Organics’ finest might be setting you on track for a prestigious physics prize! Order an extra couple of litres, just in case.

7. Milking a win

The winner of the Indianapolis 500 speedway race drinks milk on the podium instead of champagne. The tradition started in 1936 when full-fat fan Louis Meyer downed a bottle and has continued ever since. The first placed driver even sprays it over the other drivers!

8. Holy cow!

There are 75 million dairy farms in India, five times as many as in the next placed country, Pakistan. Australia has just short of 6,000.

9. Goodness in a glass

To get the same amount of calcium that’s in a 30ml glass of milk, you’d have to eat four broccoli florets, seven large oranges or six slices of wholemeal bread. Milk’s also packed with zinc – a single glass contains three times as much as a serving of kale or green beans, and twice as much as an egg. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, it contains more powerful antioxidants than blueberries, kale and quinoa! Find out about more health benefits of organic milk here.

10. Protect those milk teeth

If you’re ever stuck somewhere with no toothbrush or toothpaste, then reach for the milk and cheese! The Victorian government’s Better Health Channel advises that they can protect against tooth decay as they reduce the acidity in your mouth, stimulate saliva production and reduce plaque.

And you can even buy cheese-flavoured toothpaste…but only for cats, sadly.

Whatever you do, don’t eat a packet of chips – they’re worse for your teeth than chocolate!

But, unless the place where you’re stranded only serves milk and cheese, we still recommend the traditional, mint-based approach to teeth cleaning.

That’s our 10 facts about milk, but if you know some then tell us all about them on our Facebook page.