'Drinking Milk, Malt Mixture Won’t Boost Blood Volume' – Nutritionist

Prof. Ogunba said that the claim that consuming milk and malt increases blood in the body is not scientific.

'Drinking Milk, Malt Mixture Won’t Boost Blood Volume' – Nutritionist
Milk and Malt Mixture

A Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Beatrice Ogunba, reveals there is no scientific evidence to the claim by some Nigerians that drinking malt and milk mixed together increases blood volume.

According to her, many people believe that drinking malt and peak milk increase blood volume, insisting that the assertion has no evidence in medicine.

Prof. Ogunba, however, said consuming milk and malt could deliver nutrients to the body because they are fortified with iron, calcium and vitamins.

Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise in an interview, the nutritionist said that the claim that consuming milk and malt increases blood in the body is not scientific.

Prof. Ogunba said, “Milk is protein and we have fortified milk with iron and calcium. Some malts are also fortified with vitamins, so consuming all these will deliver nutrients to the body.

''But mixing milk and malt with the notion that it will increase blood volume is unrealistic. There is no scientific evidence for that. I have heard about the mixture and it is mostly consumed by women. But in terms of delivering iron, I am sure of that because milk has iron.”

She, however, urged Nigerians to diversify the foods they consume to get all the nutrients they need to be healthy.

She also noted that people who are vulnerable to anaemia should consume foods rich in iron such as vegetables and liver.

According to her, poor eating habits can lead to malnutrition and its attendant health consequences, adding that malnutrition in children and adults is either caused by underconsumption of appropriate foods or overconsumption of appropriate foods.

She noted that pregnant women, people living with HIV and those with chronic kidney disease could suffer from anaemia while urging them to eat well and from different food groups.