Martinezv

Yet the higher processing temperatures may adversely affect the nutritional and sensory properties of the milk.Ultimately, that choice lies in the consumer's taste and need for convenience.Fortunately, there are many choices available in an industry that produces in excess of 840 million tons of products each year.

Another version, called ultra-high temperature processing,or ultra pasteurization,blasts the milk with considerably higher temperatures over just a few seconds.UHT milk boasts a much longer shelf life,up to twelve months unrefrigerated,compared to pasteurized milk's two weeks in the fridge.That's because the higher temperatures of UHT processing inactivate far more microbes.

And the byproducts of the microbes' consumption are compounds that taste and smell nasty.But there's a bigger problem.Raw milk can carry microbes that are the sources of deadly diseases,so in order to kill as many of those microbes as possible,and keep milk fresh longer,we use a technique called pasteurization.One version of this process involves exposing milk to about 30 seconds of high heat.

To stop reseparation of the fat from the water, or creaming,the mixture undergoes the high-energy pressurized process of homogenization.Before milk hits the shelves, it's also typically heat treated to reduce its level of microbes,a government-sanctioned process that raw milk enthusiasts argue may reduce milk's nutritional worth.Milk spoilage is started by microbes,which consume and break down the nutrients in milk.That process causes butterfat to clump together,leading to a visually unpleasant product.

In the dairy, centrifugation machines spin milk at high speeds,forcing less dense fats to separate from the liquid and float up.After being skimmed off,this fat, known as butterfat,can be used in dairy products like butter,cream,and cheese.Or it can be later added back to the liquid in varying proportions to yield different fat content milks.Full fat milk, sometimes referred to as whole milk, has 3.25% butterfat added compared to 1-2% for low and reduced fat milk,and less than half a percent for skim milk.

Of these, cows were the most easily domesticated and produce a milk that is both easily separated into cream and liquid and has a similar fat content to human milk.In their natural environment,mammals secrete milk on call for immediate consumption by their young.But with the demands of thirsty consumers,the dairy industry has enlisted methods to step up production,enhance shelf life,and provide a variety of milk products.

Although this process is typically reserved for females,in some species, like dayak fruit bats,goats,and even cats,males can also lactate.Milk drinkers worldwide consume dairy from buffalo,goats,sheeps,camels,yaks,horses,and cows.Almost all of these species are ruminants,a type of mammal with four-chambered stomachs that yield large quantities of milk.

In the uniquely mammalian process of lactation,a special class of milk-secreting cells known as mammocytes line up in a single layer around pear-shaped alveoli.Those cells absorb all of the building blocks of milk,then synthesize tiny droplets of fat on structures called smooth endoplasmic reticula.The droplets combine with each other and other molecules and are then expelled and stored in spaces between cells.Mammary glands eventually secrete the milk through the breasts, udders,or, in the rare case of the platypus, through ducts in the abdomen.

In fact, since it has all of the vital nutrients for development and growth,proteins,carbohydrates,fats,vitamins and minerals,and water,milk is the only thing a baby even needs to ingest for the first six months of life.The unique makeup of milk can vary depending on factors like species,diet,and location.Reindeer of the Arctic Circle, for example,make energy-dense milk that's about 20% fat,roughly five times more than human or cow's milk,to help their young survive the harsh,freezing climate.So how is milk made?

Why do humans drink so much milk?And given that all mammals lactate,why do we favor certain types of milk over others?Milk is the first thing we drink,and thanks to developments in the production and variety of dairy products,it can take on countless forms for our dietary and sensory well-being.Milk's primary function is as a complete source of nutrition for newborns.

So, think back to all those different kinds of sugar.Each one is unique,but every time any sugar is consumed,it kickstarts a domino effect in the brain that sparks a rewarding feeling.Too much, too often,and things can go into overdrive.So, yes, overconsumption of sugar can have addictive effects on the brain,but a wedge of cake once in a while won't hurt you.

Now, back to that meal.What happens if in place of the healthy, balanced dish,you eat sugar-rich food instead?If you rarely eat sugar or don't eat much at a time,the effect is similar to that of the balanced meal.But if you eat too much,the dopamine response does not level out.In other words, eating lots of sugar will continue to feel rewarding.In this way, sugar behaves a little bit like a drug.It's one reason people seem to be hooked on sugary foods.

That's because when it comes to food,the brain evolved to pay special attention to new or different tastes.Why?Two reasons:first, to detect food that's gone bad.And second, because the more variety we have in our diet,the more likely we are to get all the nutrients we need.To keep that variety up,we need to be able to recognize a new food,and more importantly, we need to want to keep eating new foods.And that's why the dopamine levels off when a food becomes boring.

Drugs like alcohol, nicotine, or heroin send dopamine into overdrive,leading some people to constantly seek that high,in other words, to be addicted.Sugar also causes dopamine to be released,though not as violently as drugs.And sugar is rare among dopamine-inducing foods.Broccoli, for example, has no effect,which probably explains why it's so hard to get kids to eat their veggies.Speaking of healthy foods,let's say you're hungry and decide to eat a balanced meal.You do, and dopamine levels spike in the reward system hot spots.But if you eat that same dish many days in a row,dopamine levels will spike less and less,eventually leveling out.

And guess what?There are sugar receptors here, too.They are not taste buds,but they do send signals telling your brain that you're full or that your body should produce more insulin to deal with the extra sugar you're eating.The major currency of our reward system is dopamine,an important chemical or neurotransmitter.There are many dopamine receptors in the forebrain,but they're not evenly distributed.Certain areas contain dense clusters of receptors,and these dopamine hot spots are a part of our reward system.

And it's not just activated by food.Socializing, sexual behavior, and drugs are just a few examples of things and experiences that also activate the reward system.But overactivating this reward system kickstarts a series of unfortunate events:loss of control, craving,and increased tolerance to sugar.Let's get back to our bite of cereal.It travels down into your stomach and eventually into your gut.

From here, the signal activates the brain's reward system.This reward system is a series of electrical and chemical pathways across several different regions of the brain.It's a complicated network,but it helps answer a single,subconscious question:should I do that again?That warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you taste Grandma's chocolate cake?That's your reward system saying,Mmm, yes!

What happens when sugar hits your tongue?And does eating a little bit of sugar make you crave more?You take a bite of cereal.The sugars it contains activate the sweet-taste receptors,part of the taste buds on the tongue.These receptors send a signal up to the brain stem,and from there, it forks off into many areas of the forebrain,one of which is the cerebral cortex.Different sections of the cerebral cortex process different tastes:bitter, salty, umami,and, in our case, sweet.

Just check the labels on sweet products you buy.Glucose, fructose, sucrose,maltose, lactose, dextrose, and starch are all forms of sugar.So are high-fructose corn syrup,fruit juice, raw sugar, and honey.And sugar isn't just in candies and desserts,it's also added to tomato sauce,yogurt, dried fruit,flavored waters, or granola bars.Since sugar is everywhere,it's important to understand how it affects the brain.

Picture warm, gooey cookies,crunchy candies, velvety cakes,waffle cones piled high with ice cream.Is your mouth watering?Are you craving dessert?Why?What happens in the brain that makes sugary foods so hard to resist?Sugar is a general term used to describe a class of molecules called carbohydrates,and it's found in a wide variety of food and drink.