Question
On winter mornings, due to time constraints, sometimes I drink milk on an empty stomach while walking. But I’ve heard that drinking milk on an empty stomach is bad, is that true?
Answer
Milk has a high water content, and drinking a large amount of milk on an empty stomach can dilute stomach acid, which is beneficial for the digestion and absorption of food. However, when the intestines move faster on an empty stomach, milk stays in the gastrointestinal tract for a shorter period of time, and the nutrients may not be fully absorbed before being excreted from the body. The protein in milk is broken down by pepsin in the stomach and absorbed into amino acids in the small intestine before it can be utilized by the body. Drinking milk on an empty stomach can cause the stomach to empty faster, with many undigested proteins and amino acids entering the large intestine directly, which may produce harmful substances and increase the body’s burden. Therefore, drinking milk on an empty stomach may reduce the utilization of protein and have an adverse effect on health.