Milk beyond essential nutrients: the metabolic food

• Published in: Australian Journal of Dairy Technology Vol. 60; no. 2; pp. 77 - 83
• Main Authors: Smilowitz, J.T, Dillard, C.J, German, J.B
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne Australian Society of Dairy Technology 01.07.2005; Dairy Industry Association of Australia
• Subjects: Amino acids; Analysis; Atherosclerosis; Biochemistry; Bioinformatics; Biological and medical sciences; Biology; Calcium; Diabetes; Diet; Energy regulation; Enzymes; Food; Food industries; functional foods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Genes; Genomes; Genomics; human nutrition; Hypertension; Mammals; metabolic syndrome; Metabolism; Metabolites; metabolomics; Milk; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Nutrition research; optimal nutrition; Organisms; Osteoporosis; Proteins; Proteomics; Spectrum analysis; Dairy product; Nutrient; Metabolism; Dairy industry; Milk
• ISSN: 0004-9433

Milk proteins are not only high in quality but contain the highest amount of branched-chain amino acids compared with all other dietary protein sources. The branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine not only serve as essential amino acids for protein synthesis, but they also participate in an array of metabolic processes (Layman 2003). In particular, leucine plays an important role in protein and glucose homeostasis by acting as a substrate and modulator of protein synthesis.