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Nutrition & Product Information
Flavored Milk in Perspective
Other Issues Related to Flavored Milk Intake
Calcium Absorption
Chocolate milk contains a small amount of oxalic acid (0.5-0.6%), a compound occurring naturally in cocoa beans and other plants. Because oxalic acid can combine with calcium in the intestine to form calcium oxalate, which is fairly insoluble, calcium's availability from chocolate milk has been questioned. However, there is no scientific evidence that oxalic acid in chocolate milk impairs the absorption of calcium from this food (72,73). One study found that calcium absorption from chocolate milk was similar to that from unflavored milk and other calcium-containing foods (72). A reason why calcium absorption from chocolate milk is not decreased is that the cacao beans used in the production of chocolate milk are always fermented and processed, which reduces oxalate levels (63).
Lactose Intolerance
People with lactose maldigestion may tolerate chocolate milk more easily than unflavored milk (74,75). Lactose maldigestion is the limited ability to digest lactose, the main carbohydrate in milk, due to insufficient levels of the intestinal enzyme, lactase. Most individuals with lactose maldigestion can comfortably drink two cups of any type of milk a day when consumed in small servings with foods at separate meals (e.g., breakfast and dinner) (76,77). Because most individuals drink flavored milk such as chocolate milk with meals (2), this beverage is likely to be well tolerated by lactose maldigesters. Also, the cocoa in chocolate milk may slow gastric emptying (74,75). In one study of 16 individuals with lactose maldigestion who consumed chocolate and other milks, chocolate milk significantly reduced breath hydrogen production compared to fat- free unflavored milk (75).
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