There are various kinds of milk, and it is difficult to choose one. Let’s think about which milk we should drink among cow milk, soy milk and almond milk when we have 6 specific health problems.
 
Q1. Which is the best milk for skin problems?
(A)  Cow milk
(B)  Soy milk
(C)  Almond milk
 
A1. (B) Soy Milk
 
Soy milk contains a lot of isoflavone that works for the skin. Isoflavone promotes the rebirth of collagen related to the elasticity and firmness of the skin, leading to the improvement and prevention of wrinkles. Isoflavone has the function to suppress the production of melanin that causes spots. Isoflavone is contained in neither cow milk nor almond milk.
 
Tofu is something that Nigari (concentrated solution of salts left over after the crystallization of seawater or brine) is added to Soy milk. Soy milk is easier to digest and absorb to the body than tofu because it is liquid.
 
It is recommended to take 40 mg of Isoflavone a day. If you drink 200 to 400 ml (7 to 14 fl oz.) of soy milk, you can take 40 mg of isoflavone.
 
Q2. When is the best time to drink soy milk to increase the absorption ratio of Isoflavone?
(A)  In the morning
(B)  At night
 
A2. (A) In the morning
Soy milk is liquid, so even if you don’t have appetite in the morning, it would be easier to take than solids.
 
Q3. What lowers the effect of Isoflavone to work for the skin when you use soy milk for cooking?
 
A3. Boiling soy milk
Isoflavone doesn’t decrease when soy milk is frozen.
 
Cow milk contains vitamin B2 that is also good for the skin.
Almond milk is rich in vitamin E that is called vitamin for rejuvenation and works for the skin.
 
Q4. Which is the best milk for the prevention of weight gain?
(A)  Cow milk
(B)  Soy milk
(C)  Almond milk
 
A4. (C) Almond milk
Almond milk contains less than half of calorie and sugar compared to Cow milk and Soy milk. Fat of Almond milk is less than Cow milk and Soy milk.
 
Why is Almond milk white?
Because more than 50 % of almond is fat and when the fat of almond and water are mixed, they are emulsified, that means changing into a milky white liquid.
 
Oleic acid contained in almond discharges excess fat stored in our body.
Oleic acid stimulates satiety center in the brain before you feel full and decreases the amount of your meal. So it is good to drink Almond milk 1 hour before your meal or between your meals.
 
Soy protein and saponin contained in Soy milk decrease excess fat in our body.
 
Q5. Which is the best milk to increase the quantity of the muscle?
(A)  Cow milk
(B)  Soy milk
(C)  Almond milk
 
A5. (A) Cow milk
The important substance to build and repair the muscle is protein. The quantity of protein contained in Soy milk is more than Cow milk, but the quality of the protein contained in cow milk is different from Soy milk. Cow milk contains 2 kinds of proteins that are Whey and Casein.
 
Whey is fast to be absorbed into the body.
Casein reacts to acid in the stomach and becomes solids and stays in the stomach for a long time. By that, protein is absorbed slowly and completely and building of the muscle lasts long.
 
Drinking cow milk helps maintaining the muscle even not after exercises.
 
Q6. When is the best timing to drink cow milk after exercises?
 
A6. It is recommended to drink cow milk within 30 minutes after exercises because essential amino acid to strengthen the muscle is efficiently absorbed into the muscle.
 
There is research that drinking more than a glass of cow milk almost every day decreases the fat ratio compared to not drinking cow milk. It is considered that drinking cow milk increases the muscle, leading to the increase of metabolism.
 
Q7.
People who complain headaches due to wearing a mask are increasing. When you wear a mask, you breathe CO2 filled inside the mask. CO2 expands the blood vessel in the brain and stimulates nerves, causing headaches.
 
Which is the best milk to prevent headaches?
(A)  Cow milk
(B)  Soy milk
(C)  Almond milk
 
A7. (B) Soy milk
 
Soy milk is rich in magnesium and iron.
Magnesium suppresses the function of the substance causing headaches. It is said that about 30 % of migraine headache is caused by lack of magnesium. It is recommended to drink 400 ml (14 fl oz.) of Soy milk a day to prevent headaches.
 
Iron causes anemia and hemoglobin that delivers oxygen to the brain doesn’t work, causing headaches.
 
Q8. Which increases the absorption ratio of iron by taking with Soy milk?
(A)  Tomato that has the effect of anti-oxidization
(B)  Kiwi that contains vitamin C
 
A8. (B) Kiwi.
The iron contained in Soy milk is not absorbed in the body very well, so taking Kiwi rich in vitamin C with Soy milk increases the absorption ratio of Iron.
 
Q9. Which is the best milk to prevent common cold?
(A)  Cow milk
(B)  Soy milk
(C)  Almond milk
 
A9. (C) Almond milk
Almond milk is rich in vitamin E expected to strengthen immune system. Almond milk contains more than 30 times of vitamin E compared to Cow and Soy milk.
 
One of the causes of the decrease of immune system is active oxygen. Vitamin E removes active oxygen, strengthening the immune system.
 
It is expected that drinking 200 ml (7 fl oz.) of Almond milk a day prevents common cold.
 
Q10. Which recovers the tiredness of the stomach and intestines by drinking continuously for 2 weeks and increasing good bacteria?
(A)  Cow milk
(B)  Soy milk
(C)  Almond milk
 
A10. (B) Soy milk
Normal foods are broken down and absorbed by the function of digestive enzyme, but Soy oligosaccharide is neither digested nor absorbed and reaches the large intestine and becomes bait of good bacteria (Bifidobacterium). The increase of good bacteria suppresses the activity of bad bacteria and improves the tiredness of the intestines.
 
Soy protein protects the membrane of the stomach.
 
Lactose contained in cow milk also becomes the bait of intestinal bacteria and increases good bacteria.

A survey to check what people with health and longevity eat in a town where was famous for longevity was conducted.
 
Muscle
 
101 years old male who actively does farm work walks a 3-mile round-trip. He eats 3 eggs that is good for the muscle for breakfast.
 
91 years old female who actively makes salt eats a lot of pork and eggs which is good for the muscle for breakfast.
 
95 years old male who actively takes care of horses and does farm work eats a lot of pork for breakfast.
 
Why does eating eggs and pork for breakfast lead to longevity?
 
Eggs and pork are rich in protein. A lot of people tend not to take sufficient protein for breakfast. That weakens muscles. That is why it is important to take sufficient protein for breakfast.
 
If you take protein, you can build muscles without exercise. That means, if you don’t take protein for breakfast, there is a risk of weakening muscles.
 
Recommended daily intake is 1 gram/1 kilogram. If your weight is 60 kilograms, you need 60 grams of protein per day.
 
1 egg contains about 7 grams of protein.
 
Bone
 
92 years old male who is an active dairy farmer has never had a fracture. His bone age is about 30s-40s years old which is -50 years old. He drinks a glass of milk 3 times a day.
 
91 years old female who makes salt also drinks a glass of milk 3 times a day.
 
101 years old male who does farm work also drinks milk every day.
 
A lot of people in this town often eat pork.
 
Collagen contained in pork strengthens the bone.
 
Two third of the bone is calcium and one third of the bone is collagen. Collagen makes the bone elastic and prevents fracture.
 
People with health and longevity in this town go outside after breakfast.
 
Why does going outside after breakfast makes the bone stronger?
 
By being exposed to sunlight, vitamin D3 that promotes the absorption of calcium is produced.
 
It is recommended to be exposed to sunlight about 15 minutes a day. If you are worried about sun burn, you can produce vitamin D3 by exposing only your palms.
 
Blood Vessel
 
Prevent high blood pressure. Stop the aging of blood vessels.
 
101 years old male who is an active farmer eats salty food without any worry, but his blood pressure is within the proper range. He eats some blocks of brown sugar (Fig. 1) as a snack.
 
Brown sugar containing a lot of potassium has the effect to discharge salt from the body.
 
Brown sugar contains 1100 mg of potassium within 100 grams, while white sugar contains only 2 mg.
 
Potassium is rich in banana, yam, natto, seaweed, etc.
 
91 years old female who makes natural salt takes a 30 minutes nap after lunch.
 
According to a research in the University of Athene, Greece (2007), people who took 30-minute nap more than 3 times a week have 37 % lower death ratio of heart diseases due to abnormal activity of the artery.
 
Why does taking a nap stop the aging of blood vessels?
 
The cause of all the cell damage including blood vessels is active oxygen.
 
Active oxygen decreases by sleeping.
 
Unexpected habit?
 
People with health and longevity in this town drink alcohol every day.
 
Alcohol makes the blood flow better.
 
It is recommended to drink a bottle of beer (500 ml) a day.

​Why is soy milk good for our body?
 
Soy milk contains more protein than cow’s milk, which produces muscles.
 
Soy isoflavone contained in soy milk is a type of polyphenol and has the effect like female hormone. It is said that excessive secretion of female hormone can be a cause of breast cancer. Soy isoflavone suppresses excessive action of female hormone and lowers the risk of breast cancer.
 
In the case of male, lowering the risk of prostate cancer can be expected.
 
Tofu and other soy products also contain soy isoflavone, but soy milk, which is liquid, has higher digesting and absorbing rates.
 
Soy milk for cooking
 
Soy isoflavone decreases at the temperature of more than 95 degrees C (203 degrees F) and soy protein solidifies at the temperature of more than 60 degrees C (140 degrees F). So it is important not to boil soy milk when you use for cooking.
 
When you cook a soup of soy milk, it is recommended to add Dried Shiitake mushrooms rich in vitamin D and carrots rich in Beta-carotene, which are insufficient in soy milk.
 
According to a recent research, taking 2 kinds of protein (animal and plant protein) at the same time suppresses the contract of the muscle.
 
Soy yogurt
 
Soy yogurt is a fermented product of soy milk. Fermentation reduces green smell, so soy yogurt is easier to eat for people who doesn’t like soy milk. Fermentation also makes the absorbing rate of minerals and isoflavone higher.

1. Rough skin
 
Magnesium moisturizes the skin. Magnesium has the effect to pull water into the skin, so if you take enough magnesium, your skin gets smoother.
 
2. Obesity
 
According to a research, people who take sufficient magnesium have 31 % lower risk of metabolic syndrome, compared to people who don’t take enough magnesium.
 
With every 100 mg of magnesium taken a day, the risk of metabolic syndrome decreases by 17 %.
 
Magnesium increases metabolism in the cell, so it is a nutrient that is expected to prevent obesity.
 
3. High blood sugar
 
Magnesium has the effect to strengthen insulin that attracts sugar accumulated in the blood vessel into the cells.
 
According to a research in 2010, it has turned out that people who take sufficient magnesium have 47 % less risk of diabetes development than people who take insufficient magnesium.
 
Food containing a lot of magnesium
 
Fruit: Banana (32 mg of magnesium per piece)
 
It is good to eat banana with yogurt because bifidobacterial and calcium contained in yogurt increase the absorption ratio of magnesium. Adding soy powder (Kinako) increases the absorption ratio more because of oligosaccharide contained in soy powder.
 
Vegetable: Spinach (40 mg of magnesium per 100 g)
 
Dark green vegetables are rich in magnesium such as spinach, broccoli, okra.
 
When you eat eggs with spinach, the absorption ration of magnesium increases because of vitamin D in egg yolk.
 
Sea Vegetable: Sea weed (41 mg of magnesium per 10 g)
​

​Heat Stroke
 
Which is better to prevent heat stroke, coffee or green tea?
 
Green tea is good to prevent heat stroke.
 
One of the causes of heat stroke is that the water in the body is lost by the raise of the body temperature.
 
According to a recent research, when drinking green tea, the amount of sweat was more than when drinking water in the heat, resulting in suppressing the raise of the body temperature.
 
However, barley tea is recommended to prevent heat stroke because barley tea is rich in minerals and doesn’t contain caffeine that promotes urination, so you can drink barley tea as much as you like.
​

​Summer Cold
 
Summer cold is stubborn and can cause respiratory disorders like prolonged cough, pneumonia. Summer cold is often accompanied with diarrhea and vomit, and we also sweat a lot in summer, so it can cause dehydration.
 
The temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor is extreme so that the immune is weakened.
 
Which is better to prevent summer cold, coffee or green tea?
 
Green tea is better to prevent summer cold.
 
Catechin contained in green tea attaches to viruses and prevents them from  attaching to the mucus membrane.
 
To make tasty green tea, the temperature of water should be 70-80 degrees C (158-176 degrees F), but to activate immune cells, the water to make green tea should be cold because more catechin can be extracted.
 
To prevent summer cold, about 500 cc (16.9 FL OZ) of green tea a day is recommended.
 
How about coffee?
 
Caffeine contained in coffee has the effect to widen the bronchial tube, so when you have cough, it is good to drink coffee.

​Damage to the skin
 
Which lowers the damage to the skin due to UV by about 25 %, drinking coffee or green tea?
 
According to a research in University Witten/Herdecke, Germany, drinking green tea lowers the damage to the skin due to UV by 25 %.
 
Spots and wrinkles are caused by active oxygen due to UV, but catechin contained in green tea removes active oxygen.
 
Catechin is a type of polyphenol, which is a substance protecting the plants from UV so that antioxidant action is expected.
 
Green tea contain vitamin C. 3 cups of green tea contains as much vitamin C as a piece of lemon.
 
Which is better to prevent the damage to the skin, drinking green tea before going out or after returning home?
 
Drinking green tea before going out is better to prevent the damage to the skin.
 
This is the same as you apply sunscreen before going out.

​Weight Gain
 
Which can make fat-burning amount about double, drinking 3 cups of coffee or green tea a day?
 
Drinking 3 cups of coffee a day makes fat-burning amount about double.
 
Chlorogenic acid contained in coffee suppresses the absorption of sugar and promotes the metabolism of fat.
 
Caffeine activates a type of enzyme called Lipase, which breaks down fat.
 
The effect of these two substances promotes fat-burning amount.
 
Which increases fat-burning amount, drinking iced coffee before exercise or after exercise?
 
Drinking iced coffee before exercise can be expected to increase fat-burning amount.
 
Chlorogenic acid and caffeine start to show the effect about 30 minutes after drinking coffee and the effect reaches a peak in 3 hours. That is why drinking coffee before exercise is more effective to burn fat.
 
How about green tea?
 
According to a research in UCLA, the metabolism of rats that were given green tea extract increased and the intestinal bacteria that gain weight turned into the ones that lose weight.

​​
Stroke
 
Which lowers the risk of stroke by 20 %, drinking a cup of Coffee or Green Tea every day?
 
If you feel dizzy when you are outside, you feel tingling sensation in the one side of your body or you can’t speak fluently, these symptoms can be a sign of stroke caused by the heat in summer.
 
Drinking a cup of coffee every day lowers the risk of stroke by 20 %.
 
When we sweat, the amount of water in the blood vessel decreases, the blood flow becomes bad and the blood vessel is raptured or blocked, resulting in stroke.
 
Caffeine contained in coffee widens the blood vessel and improves the blood flow.
 
Caffeine prevents the blockage of the blood vessel by promoting the metabolism of fat and other substances in the blood flow.
 
But taking large amount of caffeine at once contracts the blood vessel or can put a strain on the heart.
 
According to a research, drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day lowered the risk of heart diseases, but drinking more than that didn’t show any effect, drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day is the best for our blood vessels.
 
Which can control a rise in blood sugar levels, drinking a cup of coffee before a meal or after a meal?
 
Drinking a cup of coffee before a meal controls a rise in blood sugar levels.
 
Sugar and fat contained in a meal are absorbed in the blood vessel from the stomach and the intestine, but too much amount of sugar and fat raises blood sugar level rapidly and damages the blood vessel. Caffeine has the function to prevent the absorption of sugar and fat in the stomach and the intestine, so drinking a cup of coffee before a meal can be expected to prevent a rapid rise in blood sugar level.

Waste products like body cells are accumulated in the body with age. Then the immune cell which is supposed to protect our body attacks the cells that became waste products considered as the enemy, causing small inflammation.

This small inflammation is the cause of aging.
 
The small inflammation continues to increase all over the body with age.
 
It has turned out that there is a substance that slows aging. Administration of the substance prevents the cells that became waste from being attacked by the immune cells and inflammation is far less likely to happen.
 
The mice in Fig. 1 are the same age (80 years old if human). The left mouse, which looks young, was administered the substance and the right mouse, which looks old, was not administered the substance.
 
The substance that slows down aging is polyamine.
 
Polyamine exists in all the creatures and we can’t live without it. The amount of polyamine decreases with age, while the amount of inflammation increases with age in inverse proportion to the amount of polyamine.
 
Polyamine was known as the substance that increased the cell and was necessary when we grew up. It has recently turned out that polyamine slows down aging.
 
The food that is rich in polyamine is soy products and mushrooms.
 
It requires a few months to more than a year to show the effect by eating soy products and mushrooms, so it is important to eat them every day.