Did you know that in Medieval England parents would tie rabbits' feet around their babies’ necks to ward off illness? Doctors would also spit on wounds because saliva was believed to have healing properties.
Indeed, history is replete with unfounded health beliefs, and to everyone’s detriment, the milk myth is among the most tenacious.
Milk is much more than just a drink; it’s a cultural phenomenon that can be traced back thousands of years. And still today, the milk myth resonates loud and clear: in 2001, the average American child consumed 104 quarts of cow’s milk.
Milk depletes the calcium from your bones
The milk myth has spread around the world based on the flawed belief that this protein and calcium-rich drink is essential to support good overall health and bone health in particular at any age. It is easy to understand that the confusion about milk's imaginary benefits stems from the fact that it contains calcium – around 300 mg per cup.
But many scientific studies have shown an assortment of detrimental health effects directly linked to milk consumption. And the most surprising link is that not only do we barely absorb the calcium in cow’s milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones. What an irony this is!
Here’s how it happens. Like all animal protein, milk acidifies the body pH which in turn triggers a biological correction. You see, calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer and the biggest storage of calcium in the body is – you guessed it… in the bones. So the very same calcium that our bones need to stay strong is utilized to neutralize the acidifying effect of milk. Once calcium is pulled out of the bones, it leaves the body via the urine, so that the surprising net result after this is an actual calcium deficit.
Knowing this, you’ll understand why statistics show that countries with the lowest consumption of dairy products also have the lowest fracture incidence in their population (there’s more on this later).
But the sad truth is that most mainstream health practitioners ignore these proven facts. I know it firsthand because when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, my doctor recommended that I drink lots of milk in addition to taking Fosamax.
Fortunately, I did neither, because I knew that…
Cow’s milk is custom-designed for calves
Thanks to our creative ingenuity and perhaps related to our ancient survival needs, we adopted the dubious habit of drinking another species’ milk. Nobody can dispute that cow’s milk is an excellent food source for calves. Weighing around 100 pounds at birth, a calf typically gains approximately eight times its weight by the time it is weaned. But unlike humans, once calves are weaned, they never drink milk again. And the same applies to every mammalian species on this planet.
Also, each mammalian species has its own “designer” milk, and cow’s milk is no exception. For example, cow’s milk contains on average three times the amount of protein than human milk which creates metabolic disturbances in humans that have detrimental bone health consequences.
It's important to bear in mind that mother’s milk is excellent nourishment for human babies, but its composition is very different from cow’s milk.
Scientific studies show that milk increases fracture risk
Many scientific studies contradict the conventional wisdom that milk and dairy consumption help reduce osteoporotic fractures. Surprisingly, studies demonstrating that milk and dairy products actually fail to protect bones from fractures outnumber studies that prove otherwise. Even drinking milk from a young age does not protect against future fracture risk but actually increases it. Shattering the “savings account” calcium theory, Cumming and Klineberg report their study findings as follows:
“Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age 20 years, was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in old age. (“Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Hip Fractures in the Elderly”. American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 139, No. 5, 1994).1
And the 12 year long Harvard Nurses' Health Study found that those who consumed the most calcium from dairy foods broke more bones than those who rarely drank milk. This is a broad study based on 77,761 women aged 34 through 59 years of age.
In the authors’ own words:
“These data do not support the hypothesis that higher consumption of milk or other food sources of calcium by adult women protects against hip or forearm fractures.” (Source: Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. American Journal of Public Health. 1997).2
Shocking statistics ignored by mainstream medicine
In the Osteoporosis Reversal Program one of the topics I discuss is the complete disregard of scientific evidence that discredits milk and dairy products as the best source of calcium.
One exception is Amy Lanou Ph.D., nutrition director for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., who states that:
“The countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis are the ones where people drink the most milk and have the most calcium in their diets. The connection between calcium consumption and bone health is actually very weak, and the connection between dairy consumption and bone health is almost nonexistent.”
Surprised? You shouldn’t be, because as I mentioned earlier in this article…
Milk is an acidifying animal protein
Like any other animal derived protein-rich food, milk has a positive potential renal acid load (PRAL) which triggers a protective biological reaction to neutralize all the damaging acidic protein before it reaches the kidneys.
The body is designed for survival, so it sacrifices bone density to protect the kidneys and urinary tract because the latter are essential to survival. And the most readily available source of acid neutralizer is in the bones. So even though milk contains calcium, it ends up sapping your bones of that crucial mineral. But that’s not all because…
Today’s milk is a processed food
Until the end of the 19th century in Europe and the beginning of the 20th century in the US, milk was consumed unpasteurized or raw. Later on, homogenization became the industry’s standard. These processes further alter milk’s chemistry and actually increase its detrimental acidifying effects.
Raw milk advocates claim that if cow’s milk is left “as is” it is a healthy and wholesome drink. It is true that raw milk is less acidifying than processed milk and that pasteurization and homogenization may cause a long list of digestive and other health problems, but I still don’t recommend drinking any kind of cow’s milk.
Nowadays, milking cows are given antibiotics and most are also injected with a genetically engineered form of bovine growth hormone (rBGH). A man-made or synthetic hormone used to artificially increase milk production, rBGH also increases blood levels of the insulin-growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in those who drink it. And higher levels of IGF-1 are linked to several cancers.
This should not be ignored, especially in view of recent information by Samuel Epstein, MD, Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. In a press release titled “Monsanto's Hormonal Milk Poses Serious Risks of Breast Cancer, Besides Other Cancers” (June 21, 1998) Dr. Epstein concludes that:
“Drinking rBGH milk would thus be expected to significantly increase IGF-1 blood levels and consequently to increase risks of developing breast cancer and promoting its invasiveness.”
Even though organic milk is from cows that are not given antibiotics or rBHG, if you truly care about your bone health and your overall health, you should…
Avoid drinking cow’s milk
As I explain in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program and contrary to mainstream recommendations, drinking milk and eating lots of dairy products are not the answer to reversing osteoporosis. And while in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program no food is completely off limits, I strongly recommend that you explore the different milk substitute options that I will list for you here.
But first, I’d like to clarify that unsweetened fermented or cultured dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, and sour cream are acid neutral. Yogurt in particular is chock-full of beneficial qualities. As is the case with milk, organic yogurt does not have rBGH, but even several of the most well-known yogurt brands have stopped using the bovine growth hormone (rBGH). You should call your favorite yogurt company to confirm. One more clarification: when I say unsweetened I mean without sugar or any artificial sweetener. However, you can add honey or stevia, a zero calorie plant-derived sweetener that is delicious and alkalizing as well. I like to carry around stevia packets in my purse so that I'm always able to sweeten food or drinks when I'm on the go.
The best milk substitutes
My favorite milk substitute is unsweetened almond milk, not only because it is alkalizing (as almonds are), but also because it's delicious and tastes very similar to milk. I even cook with it!
If almond milk is hard to get, you can also try rice or soy milk. I strongly suggest consuming only organic soy milk to insure it’s not made with genetically modified soy. There is also some controversy about unfermented soy products, so try to use it in moderation.
What Else Haven't They Told You?
What else have you been told about bone health by your doctor or other “experts” that is flat out wrong? What other “facts” (like drinking milk does a body good) are keeping you from optimal health?
Myths like these are a big reason I created the Osteoporosis Reversal Program. To give you the straight scoop on how to deal with osteoporosis the natural way.
I can help you take control of your future.
Learn more about the Osteoporosis Reversal Program here →
And remember, if you ever hear someone ask “Got milk?” smile and think to yourself “No, because I know better!”
And as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Share them with me and the rest of our community by leaving a comment below.
References
1 Cumming RG, Klineberg RJ. “Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Hip Fractures in the Elderly”. American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 139, No. 5, 1994
2 Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. American Journal of Public Health. 1997
So if we can’t get calcium from milk, where are we supposed to get it from?
Re-read the article. It explains where to get it from.
Cow’s milk calcium , known as re4 calcium is unable to assimilate into the body but it has to go somewhere so it ends up depositing into the joints which causes various forms of arthritis. There are several forms of calcium, calcium carbonate, calcium chloride and calcium citrate. Calcium citrate is absorbable into the body. Along with the calcium you also need D3 and magnesium to help absorb the calcium. D3 is what helps to make the bones strong, and they’re finding many multiple uses of D3 throughout the body. The more science finds D3 in the body the more they increase the body’s basic need of it in amounts of 25000 to 30,000 IU.
Have just read an article about Carrgeenen being in Almond milk which I use instead of cows milk.This can have an effect on glucose, insulin resistant,and Diabetes. Can anyone share a light on the subject,as I am pre-diabetes,and concerned about this.Thanks
Carrageenan is not good for your body. When I buy almond milk or the few times I buy heavy cream I always check the ingredients. Whole Foods brand has never had carrageenan as an ingredient and I thought Silk was going to remove it after there was pressure placed on them years ago. Good luck.
The article looses me when the author becomes the authority concerning the contents of milk and the products used towards a dairy cow on a modern day dairy farm. Antibiotics are not allowed in any cow whose milk is being shipped off the farm, period. Milk containing medications is a HUGE no no. The receiving milk/cheese plant is checking for this constantly and you don’t want to get caught violating this rule. Also, rBST is no longer used in my area of Wisconsin as well as many other areas of the country mainly due to America’s largest grocery retailer, Walmart, NOT having rBST milk on their shelves. All the milk in my area of the world goes to cheese plants and it’s all rBST free milk. So the author’s two big scare tactics of medications and rBST are bogus. With that said, how do I believe any other part of the article.
I also grew up on a Dairy Farm. (See above March comment by Bill D. Casteel). Many people have problems with lots of foods. I can’t drink either rice,soy or almond milk as I get bad headaches and body pain after drinking those. I also get super clogged sinuses from all kinds of yogurt including plain. Goat milk upsets my stomach. I can consume about a quarter or half cup of cow’s milk a day without getting the aforementioned problems. I do this, even with thin bones at age 67, because a person has to live a little and have something to drink. I think it is wise to set limits on things you know cause you problems, but a person has to eat or drink something. Most grains also cause troubles for me, so except for the Brown Rice Farina Cereal I eat , I can only have about 1 slice of rye or mixed grain bread a day. I know that rice should be limited as well, because it contains arsenic, but I’ve eaten it every day for years, because there is no alternative, if I don’t want to hurt terribly all over. So just use your head, and find what you can drink that causes the least problems.
I have just been reading some of the comments posted and am shocked at the swearing and foul language in several of them. Surely human beings should be able to disagree without using abusive language. After all, we are supposed to be ‘homo sapiens’ – thinking or wise mankind. I would emphasise the ‘kind’ element too.
I take exception to promoting almond milk. I had to stop eating dairy and switched to almond milk. After one month I was getting very constipated. At one point I started having back and right leg pain and wondered if it was the constipation. Sure enough, almond milk contains CALCIUM CARBONATE, the hardest to digest form of calcium. I thought I was getting calcium from almonds! I stopped drinking it and after a week, when the constipation resolved, the pain went away. My distended intestines were pressing against the sciatic nerve! I now take Algae calcium.
Buying organic soy milk does not mean it will not be genetically modified. They are two separate continuums. Soy presents another set of hormonal impacts, as it is a big source of phytoestrogens.
The phyto estrogen’s contained in soy milk are super weak compared to the estrogen contained in cows milk. Those estrogens will bind to the receptor but have very little action on it. cows milk estrogen is very active at the receptor.
Boy, judging by the comments, do you think you could’ve picked a more ‘hot button’ subject?
You mention almond milk being a better choice- but are you aware how much water is wasted making almond milk? A lot…I agree there are other animal milks that may be a better choice than cow’s milk, of course all the cultured dairy is good for you..but I think people have a right to make informed choices about they eat and drink. I have to have full fat dairy since I can’t tolerate osteoporosis drugs. I need the calcium, can’t tolerate calcium supplements either.
Well if the acid is the problem, what about fruits and vegetables. If your trying to prove milk is bad for you, make a comparison. Sorry but this is as dumb as flat Earth
What happens here, FireFreakd, is that some acidic foods -when metabolized- have an alkaline impact on your body (including vegetables and fruits). The pH of the actual food does not dictate the net effect on the body. However, your body can’t metabolize certain acids, so that impacts the pH of your body (blood, especially). So, the blood actually has a response mechanism to equilibrate itself, but if there’s a high acid load over time, the kidneys signal the release of “buffering” mineral–which you can guess who has an alkaline reservoir: the bones. Meaning that calcium, magnesium, and even phosphate, are being sucked out of your bone’s density to compensate the acid intake. Finally, what you have to do is supply yourself with alkaline foods; if your body doesn’t has the sufficient amount of buffering minerals, the depletion of such happens. Osteoporosis and even kidney stones are the result of a bad nurtured diet (which most of the American diet is).
This is complete BS because of 90% of the US would have osteoporosis… so your dumb and should probably stop your program because here the thing why would doctors who strive to makes us better tell us to have something that would harm us.
because a lot of them get paid to do just that… stay woke my friend
Doctors only know what they have been told(taught). Unless they do their own research. Big Pharma actually pays them big bucks to not research but pan out their drugs etc. I do know doctors who have done research and agree with Vivian.
Humans do not even drink their own human milk when they wean so why even drink other mammal’s milk? If you think nature intended you to drink milk up to old age, then your mamas should still have breasts full of milk until they die of old age..
What the hell are people supposed to eat if it’s not from other things in nature? Also, did you know that women who have given birth can lactate until menopause, given that they continue to stimulate the lactation? Google what a “wetnurse” is.
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Fantastic aticle. The connection between cow’s milk / cow dairy products and breast and prostate cancers has been,known for decades. https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy
I just read a very convincing article that sites many studies saying that the problem with milk and bone loss is the lactose. It is the lactose in the milk that is the problem , not the milk itself .
Please comment
Lynn, who was it wrote the article? I suspect it was someone without a medical background.
Lactose in milk is a problem for a lot of people because their bodies no longer make the enzyme that breaks it down, lactase. This means that they can’t digest milk. Generally that causes gastrointestinal problems like bloating and wind, and sometimes abdominal pain.
You say that milk is acidifying and leads to bone loss because of the protein. Well, our bodies require protein to survive so what difference does it make if we get it from milk or other sources? At least milk contains calcium which helps to alkalize. I fail to see the logic in your argument.
Because to process the mass amount of protein that a calve needs in milk, our body needs to take out some calcium out of our bones!
There are many sources of protein which are not exclusive to meat and dairy–even fruits and vegetables have a certain amount of it. Yes, certain grains, meat, dairy and nuts have a certain acidic effect in your body, but the important thing is how is your mineral intake. If you supply yourself only with milk as your sole intake of calcium, you’ll end up having a bone loss on the long-run (the acid on milk -and even the sugar that is added to it- has a greater effect than the calcium on itself). You can drink milk if you like, but remember that pasteurized is more acidic than “natural” milk. Consuming more vegetables and fruits with these minerals can help you counterpart acid formation.
i have good experiance with Milk. I would say raw milk is better than pasterized or homogenized. When I was a kid I used to get fresh milk from farmers. I had good teeth and strong big bones. I also noticed this on people that I work with in construction. I can see a man that grew up on farm just by looking at his bone structure. Usually those man have huge bones compared to man from citys. I think it is combination of physical work and natural food wich include milk, that gives that strong physics . I used to drink at least a half gallon a day. The problems started with my teeth when I stopped drinking milk and stopped eating dary products. I am back on yogurt and milk it looks my teeth stopped rotting. So be carefull what you change in your diet. It is naturally possible that there is no one size fits all diets. It is quite possible that what is healty to one is a poison to other!
Well, if calcium is what’s needed to reduce the acidity in milk, why doesn’t the calcium that’s already in the milk do that? It doesn’t make sense to me that we would have to pull calcium out of our bones when there’s calcium in the milk already.
In the third to last paragraph, after writing quite a convincing essay, you kind of messed up. You mentioned that “[…] Yogurt in particular is chock-full of beneficial qualities”. Isn’t that a complete contradiction to what you said earlier about humans not being supposed to drink milk from other mammals. You even said that ” cow’s milk contains on average three times the amount of protein than human milk which creates metabolic disturbances in humans that have detrimental bone health consequences.” So I am really confused as to whether or not you have any idea of what you are talking about or not.
As to your opinion on milk consumption, I fully agree.
I feel like it wasn’t the calcium but the enzymes and probiotics in yogurt. Possibly intended to imply goats milk or even better, a plant based yogurt.
I didn’t write the article so I can be wrong here.
The mechanism for how the body gets its calcium is so follows.
When the body needs calcium it is first taken from the bones. You then eat calcium rich foods and calcium is deposited back into the bones. If there is any disruption in the calcium replacement yo the bones then osteoporosis will occur.
This is necessary for the body to remove calcium from your bones because the form of calcium found in cow’s milk isn’t able to be used by the human body, this is by nature’s design and so is NOT meant to be. Proteins and nutrients designed for use by an animal’s body will never be efficiently nor healthily utilized by our own bodies.
Human breast milk is the ONLY type of naturally produced milk that can be healthily used by our bodies, very much so in fact. These are known proven scientific facts. Please feel free to research on your own. I suggest the several issues of studies found within the Harvard book of medicine. This is where I myself found vital information pertaining to the health risks associated with consuming other animals’ milk.
I couldnt stand milk as a kid. Found it slimy and putrid. Refused to drink it after i was big enough to physically refuse it (about 4 years old). Back in the early 70s when i was a little one virtually everyone believed the “kids must have milk” propaganda and my elders claimed my bones would fall apart, etc. Fact is, no one needs milk after they are weaned. Oh, and i am still alive some 50 years later and my bones have yet to shatter. Milk is brainwashing.
Ha, me too! I was forced to choke down a half glass of milk st meals in girl scout camp. Child abuse!!!
Thank you for this article!
there was no relationship between usual milk intake and fracture risk. The researchers observed a slight (three percent) increase in death from any cause for each additional glass of milk men consumed.
You can get all milk and dairy products at : https://www.exporthub.com/
when I was born I was allergic to milk, actually alert you sent almost everything under the sun along with having asthma. I was never breastfed I was given a soy milk supplement today I believe it is called ProSobee. At the age of 4 my wrist broke age of five it broke again then my right arm broke, since then I have had countless bone fractures, spinal stenosis, have had 8 back surgeries do the fractures, and have thoracic syringomyleia. Yes the most painful death known to man, because my vertebrae are fractured and they are on inoperable my cerebral brain fluid is pouring into my spinal cord and it is ripped in half and I’ll be dead in 18 months.
My brother and sister always drink milk neither one of them has ever had a bone fracture or any type of osteoporosis or spinal problems and they are both in their 50s. All I’m saying is don’t believe everything you read. Drink milk it does a body good. More than anything the fact that it may deplete the body of some calcium and the fact that it may raise your human growth hormone level is nothing compared to all of the wonderful benefits and a glass of milk. Because of our environment so many people have hypothyroidism and a very low or non-existent igf level. I am a living example my igf level is 8! At my age it should be 75 to a hundred. My testosterone level is almost non-existent it should be over 1200 I have to give myself a shot and eat ass every Monday of 150 ml of testosterone cypionate.
And to the person who wrote this, what are your credentials? I don’t care if you’re published or even have a website I can have a website in fact not to be vain but I guarantee you my intelligence quotient is W Wars and I have forgotten more than you’ll ever know….
Sorry for all the typos I’m using the voice option as I have no use of my hands. The condition I am dying for gives you the wonderful opportunity of total paralysis before you die. It’s supposed to say my intelligence quotient is double what yours is. Let’s just say this it’s 40 points above insanity I make Einstein look like Forrest Gump. Try me. I’m the smartest person I’ve ever met ever red I’ve never gotten less than a 98 on any exam.
I went to Arizona State University I was in economics major everybody hated me because I ruined the bell curve. I never got less than 98 on any college exam. I never studied I never went to class. I graduated with Straight A’s on the Dean’s List. Another example the series 7, to become a stockbroker/financial advisor, is the most difficult government-issued exam. 6 hours, 300 questions, one needs a 70% to pass, less than 15% pass this exam. I finished it and less than 45 minutes I missed question ,number 38 and it was because it didn’t have a right answer. That’s never been done ever in history in the world. No I’m not in the Guinness Book of World Records. I had to take this when I took a position with Morgan Stanley.
In my training class there was a guy named John, he was a Harvard MBA graduate he never finished the exam. We were in the same training class.
I am Rain Man to the infinite power.
I loved rain man. Was going to lecture you about food because at least its a step up from the world of medicine stamping an illness in stone. But Iv been down that road and believe me it has as end. Since you’re so smart, really, lets see if you can play with the big boys. Rather than going with that sentence, go against it. Say to yourself, even without belief or understanding, there is no physical cause. God never brought you sickness, and he is all powerful. No other power but him. Not milk. Not soy. Not your mother. Not food. God is the only cause and sickness is not of him, or brought by him. Try it. Even without the slightest belief in it, something will happen. The stone budges. I double dog dare you. No. I triple dog dare you to say it out loud, and then silently.