Nutrients in Milk

Milk contains a variety of nutrients which can help to keep your body healthy. A glass (200ml) of milk can provide important nutrients such as protein, calcium and iodine, as well as the vitamins B2 and B12. The table below shows a summary of what each of the nutrients found in milk are needed for:

Nutrient	Needed for
Protein	Bone health Muscle maintenance
Calcium	Building strong bones Maintenance of teeth Normal blood clotting Releasing energy from food Muscle function
Iodine	Growth Releasing energy from food Skin health
Vitamin B2	Releasing energy from food Skin health
Vitamin B12	Releasing energy from food Healthy blood Cell division Immune system

The table below shows the percentage of an adult's nutrient needs* provided by one glass (200ml) of semi-skimmed milk:

Nutrient	Female	Male
Vitamin B2	45	38
Vitamin B12	100+	100+
Calcium	35	35
Phosphorus	35	35
Iodine	44	44
Protein	16	13

The table below shows the percentage of an adolescent's nutrient needs* provided by one glass (200ml) of semi-skimmed milk:

Nutrient	Female 11-14 years	Male 11-14 years	Female 15-18 years	Male 15-18 years
Vitamin B2	45	42	45	38
Vitamin B12	100+	100+	100+	100+
Calcium	31	25	31	25
Phosphorus	31	25	31	25
Iodine	48	48	44	44
Protein	17	17	16	13

The table below shows the percentage of a primary school child's nutrient needs* provided by a carton of school milk (189ml):

Nutrient	4-6 year old	7-10 year old
Vitamin B2	59	47
Vitamin B12	100+	100+
Calcium	52	43
Phosphorus	52	41
Protein	34	24