Whether you’re talking about keeping your skin, or your whole body, healthy, a critical place to start is hydration. Your skin is an organ (the largest one in our bodies, in fact) and to look and perform its best it needs to stay hydrated. Giving your skin all the liquid it needs can help slow the aging process, eliminate toxins and prevent skin from looking dry, flaky or drawn. Real milk , as it turns out, does all this and more. A recent British study looked at the hydration index (the amount of water still remaining in subjects’ bodies two hours later) of 13 common beverages. Two of the top three finishers? Skim milk and whole milk. The study discovered that milk is so efficient at rehydration because its nutrients and electrolytes help the stomach empty more slowly, so your kidneys don’t have to work as hard.

One other thing: you’ve no doubt heard it said that milk causes acne. In actuality, the culprit is dehydrated skin signaling the glands to produce more oil. And while the latest research does not show a specific cause and effect relationship between any particular food and acne, milk is more likely to help acne than to worsen it. To keep skin healthy, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a balanced, nutrient-rich eating plan. And dairy foods like low-fat and skim milk, cheese and yogurt, with their unique package of nine essential nutrients, are an important part of a healthy eating routine.