Milk and cream contain tryptophan, an excellent natural sedative that soothes the nervous system, refreshes the body and helps sleep. Ice cream originated in ancient China, was brought to Europe by Marco Polo, and since then, has swept the world.
   
Ice cream can claim a fairly long history. More than 3,000 years ago, well-off Chinese families treated their guests to sweet juices mixed with snow or ice. During his conquest of Persia and India, Alexander the Great received similar treatment.
   
Hippocrates also mentioned such refreshing delicacies in his writing. After Marco Polo, the famous Italian traveler from Venice, brought the formula for this cool juice beverage named "Xuebaite" (snow white delicacy) back to Italy, ice cream swept through all of Europe. Later, immigrants brought the recipe from the UK to the States. Then, in the 19th century, when the refrigerator was invented, people learned how to collect and preserve ice, and ice cream became available to all.

(Chinanews.cn April 30, 2005))