So how good is milk for you?

Whole cow’s milk: It is packed with a range of nutrients, including protein, calcium, zinc, vitamins A and B, and iodine. The National Osteoporosis Society recommends that adults consume 800mg of calcium each day to protect their bones, while growing teenagers should have 1,000mg. For many people, milk is as good a source as any of the mineral — one glass of milk contains 300mg. Only tinned pilchards and sardines eaten with their bones provide more calcium weight for weight than milk does.

However, cow's milk has been linked to a number of health conditions. A research says women who have more than 90gm of fat a day from sources such as full cream milk are at an increased risk of breast cancer. This could be because pregnant cows produce oestrogen, which goes into the milk. Excess oestrogen has been linked to breast cancer. This could also explain Japan's low rates of breast cancer — they prefer Soya milk.

Because whole cow's milk is high in saturated fat, it can lead to heart disease, high cholesterol and even cancer. Milk is also considered a trigger for eczema. Anecdotal evidence links drinking milk to increased phlegm production. It therefore should be avoided by those with respiratory conditions such as asthma. Another study linked high consumption of full-fat milk to increased risk of coronary heart disease in women. Again, this could be because of its high fat content, which is linked to elevated cholesterol.

Meanwhile, a study in Finland has suggested that children may be vulnerable to insulin-dependent diabetes later in life after exposure to cow's milk - as opposed to breast milk - while very young. The evidence has not been regarded as conclusive, however. Milk needs to be avoided by those who have lactose intolerance — a deficiency in the body of the enzyme lactose which is needed to break down and digest dairy products.

Skimmed cow’s milk: It contains 0.1 per cent fat and about half the calories of the full-fat version. However, even though fat is removed, it still retains most of its nutrients. In fact, it contains slightly more calcium than full-fat milk because calcium is found in the watery part, not the creamy part. It also contains more water-soluble B vitamins.