Does milk affect the absorption of any nutrient?
Milk decreases the absorption of iron into the body. Iron, which is deficient in the diet of many women athletes, is important for the health of blood cells. However, milk is one of the best sources of calcium, which is another essential nutrient. Calcium is critical for building strong bones and preventing bone loss (osteoporosis). Fortunately, the effect of milk on iron absorption is small. The nutritional benefits of milk far outweigh the slight inhibitory effect it has on iron absorption. Milk, particularly whole milk, will delay the rate that food leaves the stomach. For that reason, it is a poor athletic fluid replacement beverage during exercise. When you’re not working out, milk has little effect on the absorption of nutrients. Mixing the milk with chocolate may have a small effect on the rate that you digest it, if you have problems with lactose intolerance. However, if you don’t have that problem, the added chocolate will have little effect on how quickly you digest the milk.
