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
Just would like to point out something. I’m in a Current Events class, and we quickly went over bias. And one of them was motivation. This person is trying to sell a book. Keep this in mind.
Please read perhaps the most important book written to date about our future survival as a species, Dr. Oppenlander’s Food Choice and Sustainability–and then inspire others to do the same.
The articles, which we may see, in the coming future:
Don’t drink WATER. It contains solar radiation. (If that kills microorganisms in water, imagine what it will do to us)
Don’t eat any food (for the exact same reason).
Don’t go out in sun. It causes cancer.
Don’t exercise. It causes production of lactic acid, which is very bad for bones.
Don’t use electricity. Its magnetic field affects the hemoglobin in our RBCs.
Don’t wear clothes. Or you will get skin disease.
Don’t breathe. Or you will have cancer from the smoke of automobiles/factories.
Don’t live. Or you will die.
I am most certain no matter how poisonous the bovine milk may be for us, it is of much lesser concern than the polluted environment we are living in today.
Please try and keep your morale opinions separate from spreading WRONG SCIENCE in public places. Bicarbonate buffers acidic changes in the blood not Calcium. So when the article says ”And the most readily available source of acid neutralizer is in the bones” – THIS IS JUST PLAIN WRONG. Bicarbonate levels can be increased both by the kidneys and the respiratory system – nothing to do with the bones.
99% of the calcium that is filtered by the kidneys is also reabsorbed by the kidneys, and the body can up-regulate absorption to 100% if it needs to. I studied medicine at the University of Cambridge, don’t try and brainwash me (or anyone else) with bullshit science. The paper you have quoted is very shady to say the least – not exactly unbiased! Sure, don’t drink milk yourself, but don’t convince others to do the same based on lies.
Cows milk has always been made for calves not humans. A calf’s brain is different from a human. Human milk is made for humans. I don’t think that anyone should drink milk bought from a shop. Too processed. High heat would severely affect the nutrients in the milk. You should try to keep away from processed food if possible.
The same beta-casein proteins that are in cow’s milk are also found in human milk.
That’s true, but there are so many other things in cows milk that aren’t in humans milk.
Nice Simone
THANK YOU! I am so tired of reading about “alkalizing” and “acidic” foods. The body keeps its pH at a very specific level and it has nothing to do with food. Stomach acid is much more acidic than any foods we eat.
Do peaple know what plaque is,so what is it, pasterized milk is use less there are no amino, no magniseum period, there is not other mamal on earth.Eight year to 10 year eight year’ old’s have low bone density becase they think the milk is helping bone getting to bone, when it’s not ,sen top line again
Your point would be more convincing if you could spell better than a 2nd grader.
Exactly Kelly. That was very hard to read, therefore to understand also.
I’m guessing that most of you that are commenting on this have never stepped foot on a dairy farm, or have had the proper information of what milk can do for your body. Milk is the easiest way for you to get the calcium and eight other essential nutrients your whole body needs in order to nourish it, not just your bones. And yes, studies have shown that consuming dairy products at a young age has helped a person to develop a healthy lifestyle drinking milk, and has proven to reduce the risk of Osteoporosis. I agree with getting the calcium your body needs, but ever know of a child that has severely broken a bone in their body? Lack of calcium intake can have a huge role in that, but you aren’t going to force a child to take calcium pills when you can give then a glass of milk and make sure they are getting their three a day. I just believe that this article has a poor understanding of what milk does for you and your body.
The pasterized is only good for ,plaque raw milk is okay HAVE YOU EVEN HEARD WHAT IS ARTERIAL PLAQUE,YOU NEVER HEAR WHAT IT IS. PASTERIZED UNDIGEST’ED DAIRY CHUNKS, IT CLOG’S THE VILLI SO SO THE PANCREUS CANT GET ENOUGH ENSYME’S IT NEED’S, FIRST SIGN IS ADULT ON SET DIABETES LEARN.
Typing in all caps doesn’t help to prove your crazy nonsense point. It just makes you look like an asshole.
Not really seeing as his comment caught my attention before any of yours, not to mention he’s just trying to make people aware of a potentially bad thing, there’s nothing about that that makes him an asshole.
What a load of utter tosh! Open up any physiology and pathology book – you will find exactly what makes up arterial plaques, how they form and why.
Whoever wrote this ridiculous post needs to learn the process of reviewing and critiquing scientific studies, before using them to support their theory. And this whole nonsense of “acidifying foods”??? If your body’s pH changed even just a little bit, you would die. Very quickly. Our physiology revolver around maintaining homeostasis and manages it pretty well!
Of course, one piece of fiction is that calcium can only be obtained from dairy products or calcium pills. Calcium is not limited to dairy! It is plentiful in a lot of vegetables, meat and seafood. Vegans are even able to get enough, and they eat no dairy at all! Just get get the kids off the processed junk foods and onto real foods and their nutritional intake will improve.
Correct Victor. We can blame the media and misinformed medical staff who should know better for that. I only discovered that myself quite recently.
Blood tests prove how well you are doing nutritionally. I must be doing the right thing as my Calcium hasn’t been low and I certainly don’t consume dairy products in the quantities that are recommended. I never have.
Oh dear Mary, go back to bed.
Well I must be different as I had no where near three glasses of milk a day as my father couldn’t afford to buy our family that much milk. In fact, only one cup of milk for me was normal in my childhood as my family of four had to share just 1 and a half litres of milk per day. I use to think I was being deprived as I was getting well under what was recommended for a growing child.
Even so I didn’t break any bones as a child, even though I had my share of falling off horses from the age of 15, including a particularly bad fall during a horse race when I was 32. I must have concussed as I woke in the ambulance and I couldn’t walk as my hip was very painful. X-rays showed no fractures so I must have had just internal bruising. In addition, when I took part in an exercise study when I was 37 years old my bone density was as good as a 20 year old’s so I was pleasantly surprised. My dad had been doing me a favour without realising it. But my mum does have thinning of the bones now at 76 years old and is taking Calcium tablets, as advised by her doctor. I can’t really compare her to myself yet as she has reached menopause but I haven’t. It will be interesting to see if my bones are still good when I’m over 60 because my diet is different to my mum’s, considering I now drink brown rice milk at home instead of cows milk.
Excellent article. Me and my entire family do not consume animal secretions. This has been most beneficial to our health. We rarely even get the sniffles. Humans are not meant to consume another animals mammary fluids, especially from a bovine, which is engineered with enough hormones to grow a 400 lb calf. We find it optimally healthy to get our calcium from greens, but enjoy plant based milks also. Ethically, we are happy with our decision, as we are not only respecting our own bodies but also respecting those of other sentient beings. Baby calves should not have to die, so humans can greedily consume what doesn’t belong to them.
Should zebra die so lions can eat? Should mice die so eagles can eat?
Should seals die so killer whales can eat? Should fish die so bears can eat?
All through nature we see carnivorous behaviour from animals who don’t have the benefit of internet access to learn how bad their shocking murderous ways are.
Pre-historic man naturally hunted and ate animals long before they had developed the intelligence to think about what they were doing. I appreciate that mass animal production and farming is different to good old fashioned hunting, but that is purely a matter of evolution.
So, feel free to live how you like, but don’t try and suggest that the way other people live is anything other than what nature intended.
Bravo.
I consume bovine mammary gland excretions, animal muscle fibre and wear animal skin on my feet. I too rarely get sniffles. And so do my children … Does that make me right?
ShelleyVegan I am glad you are a caring human being who doesn’t just eat to satisfy your taste buds. You are rewarded with good health at the same time. Xx
The dairy industry has never given anyone scientific proof of HOW exactly milk is good for your bones. You know why not? Because there doesn’t exist any since milk is NOT good for the bones. Don’t believe everything commercials tell you! Cows’ milk isn’t just linked to osteoporosis but also to cancer and heart attacks. But no, the stupid ones among us keep consuming it and that’s why I do not feel sorry for most people with cancer or heart attacks; they have brought this on themselves.
About the cancer, that’s pretty much a lost cause. You can’t really avoid things that can cause cancer. In the end, all you can do is make sure you get enough fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Just about everything in our daily lives can cause cancer. A lot of times, it’s not even your own choice to be exposed to it or not.
Who the fuk are you to call all people that drink milk stupid?
Since it’s late, and I’m tired, I’ll put this simply.
This article may be true, however, every person is different. Therefore, milk may effect some people less while it effects others more. Even though you don’t see immediate, or drastic consequences doesn’t mean they’re not occurring. By all means, drink milk for the rest of your life. But for those that develop bone conditions should look into the effects of milk on their body. If milk is ruled out, then it must be something else.
Another possibility is that those that drink lots of milk may eat something to counter the loss of calcium, thus hiding the effect of milk. Everyone here should do research on this topic. Just try not to be biased.
Smoking also affects one more than the other. That doesn’t make smoking healthy. Same for dairy. Both are poison.
I never said it was healthy. In fact, I said it wasn’t and I was attacking the comments of those claiming nothing happened to them from drinking milk.
You are suggesting that drinking milk is equally as bad for us as smoking?
Are you out of your mind?
Haha! oh dear you’re reaching on this comparison! The extent to which people will go to be right!
My grandfather never drank milk and never broke a bone in his body. My uncle who drinks milk every day is also healthy and never broke a bone… seems like everything is going to kill us, maybe we should all just kill ourselves.
Some smokers get old and others don’t. Doesn’t make smoking healthy. Same argument.
Same argument? So in other words…some people drink milk and have bad bones, while others drink milk and have good bones. Doesnt make milk unhealthy.
Faulty logic doesnt correct itself with repetition.
It doesn’t make it healthy either, did you ever think that there are other factors at play in all of our diets? It’s not natural to put your baby on a cows teet instead of the baby’s mothers breast, so why would we switch it to cows? If the cows milk was healthier in the first place we would give it to the baby immediately. On the other hand of the breast milk was healthier, why aren’t there human milk options on the shelves? Is this starting to make sense yet? Why do you think there are so many advertisements for milk that involve celebrities? It’s not because noone is drinking it, that’s for sure… I don’t see any vegetable commercials telling me how good they are for me, when we all can agree they are.
Why not try a strict diet of cows milk and beef, nothing else, and tell me how you feel. Then try vegetables and water only and learn to agree with logic.
As a pregnant woman I am reluctant to reinvent the wheel after my mom and hers drank milk, and I’m surprised that ppl are willing to advocate for such radical changes with such limited knowledge. The acidic theory may be true but an oversimplification of how our body reaps it’s benefits of food.
This is BS. I drink almost a gallon of milk a week and I am extremely healthy. I do many sports and I am a huge adrenilene junky and I have only broken two bones and that was when I was 4 and 7. So all of you should not be afraid to drink milk. Milk rocks.
I’ll join your burial once you die of cancer and heart attacks because of the damage animal products did to your body on the long run. May you rest in peace.
Are you mentally retarded or just a troll? Do you realize that this gentleman probably exercises much more than you do and is therefore probably *less* likely than you to die of either of those things. Maybe people should move their bodies more rather than moan on and on about drinking milk.
I have been consuming a lot of milk for 4 years and at this time my nippers have been broken. even I didnt realize why they were broken. before I start to consume so much milk I didn’t use to have a problem like this. I thought that it may be related with milk after reading this article and I decided to avoid milk and observe my teeth.
Let everybody believe what there want. My grandfather hat osteoporosis. His doc told him to stope drinking milk and take calcium from green source. Some how it got so much better over the year and he is still doing long walks that he was not able to do in his 50s, i know now prove for disbelievers. How could it by. Just drink you milk i will live happy and long
Your comment is not credible. Look at all your spelling and grammar mistakes. Go back to school.
What the heck is wrong with you? Do you think putting someone down for how they choose to type in an INFORMAL chat area makes you any better? Would you do this to someone in person? You are a cynical, stuck up, jerk. Do you have any knowledgeable input other than to put people down? Toni actually had something useful to input, that goes along with the article, that actually uses credible sources. Your comment was mean, useless, and rude. It makes you look like an uneducated, poorly mannered fuck.
You are a fucking hipocrit, your comment has nothing to do with the article EITHER. AND it’s very rude too.
The person you’re calling a hypocrite had every right to say what he/she did. You offended a person, and this ‘hypocrite’ defended that person.
Anyway. Back to the topic. No need to continue this any further.
P.S. Check your spelling.
cow milk is presious gift of the God don’t believe on this stupid articles
Cows milk is for calves. When they are weaned they no longer need it. Breast milk is for babies and when they are weaned, they no longer need it.
I forgot to add that all animal products – meat and dairy are acidic and acid takes the calcium from the bones eventually causing osteoporosis.
Grass-fed dairy is not acidic in the body
Will you please stop reiterating that bullshit fact? Animal products are nowhere near as bad as some people think they are. How would you react if I told you that tribes in the north whom eat only animal products have some of the lowest rates of cancer and heart disease.
You are right Marilyn. I believe this is the reason my dad suffered from gout as that is linked to an acidic body. His dad also had it so it is probably hereditary like many conditions, but only if you have a similar lifestyle.
You make it all sound so simple, and it is as it makes brilliant sense. Well done!
What do you expect to accomplish with that terrible spelling and grammar. You tell people not to believe this article yet you can’t even spell precious. Go back to school you piece of shit
You are one precious piece of shit from God.
I like milk because it tastes good.
Although after having milk i feel a boost of energy.
Such a stupid article.
So if something tastes good, that must mean its good for me. If something gives me a boost of energy, then that means its good for me. Ok retard. First of all, taste is a preference. Second, it is the calories that are giving you the energy, as with all food that has calories. Seems like you didn’t even read the whole article. Keep drinking that expensive milk. I hope your body thanks you later when you rot
Why dont you shut your fucking mouth, not anyone on this milk producing earth gives a shit about what think or claim to know. I will drink a gallon of milk and then take a shit on your kitchen floor. What do you think about that?
I’m not the person who commented before, but I think you should calm down, and act mature. This article is backed by science, and looking at this with an un-biased perspective, it seems as though this is correct. Cows milk is ‘cows’ milk. Not human milk. However, I’m going to continue to drink milk, since it’s already a part of my diet.
P.S. Consuming large amounts of milk for years has shown to cause lactose intolerance in some individuals. It also ‘may’ be the cause of some other conditions. However, they’re temporary, and it usually happens to people 40+. Just keep in mind that something that’s believed to be healthy one day can be a killer the next. One example: cigarettes.
As a moderate consumer of cows milk, I’m happy in the knowledge that the supporters of this conspiracy ridden, unreasearched, incorrect nonsense, are doing a fantastic job of discrediting the article, with their crazed, misinformed, juvenile comments. Well done.
This “article” is trying to sell you something.
Your right…..
It’s all in your head, Billy. Just like drug addicts
“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”
Dear Miss Goldschmidt,
your knowledge in biology seems to be poor when you claim that Ca2+ (calcium) is used to buffer the body pH value. Ca2+ changes due to slight pH-changes are more slight byproduct, since the solubility of calcium changes with dropping pH-values. This effect can be observed in every flowstone cave. But since even slight changes in the pH-value result in a major health risk this effect shouldn’t be so drastic.
If you really whant to learn about our bodies pH management read this: https://dwb4.unl.edu/Chem/CHEM869R/CHEM869RLinks/www.usyd.edu.au/su/anaes/lectures/acidbase_mjb/control.html
Here is more to the so called china study:
https://www.westonaprice.org/vegetarianism-and-plant-foods/the-china-study-myth
Shut the fuck up you nerd!!!
Im glad people are out there trying to expose the truth, eevrything about what we are told about nutrition is a lie. Does it not concern you that the organization devoted to Agriculture, dairy and meat is the one who is deciding what is healthy? They guile millions of people into eating horrible diets in order to line their pockets. This isnt a conspiracy, its been proven on countless occasions.
Now, small thing I should note, while cultured dairy has a neutral ph and isnt bad for your bones, over 83% of the protein in dairy is cacein, a protein that has been proven time and time again to GREATLY increase your risk of several different cancers.
The thing about dairy is that if you are gling to choose what you want..heart disease (from whole milk) or cancer (from skim milk)
Did you forget that casein is also present in mother’s milk?
So since million of years we feed our youngest with carcinogenic stuff??
Evolution and me say: No we don’t
We dont drink breast milk after age 2 really and cows milk has 80% casein while humans milk has about 40%.. no one is saying dont drink it ever…. just not as much as we’re told to by ever government run health organization.
Soy milk is bad too…
oh please..!! if you are a pure vegan or if you hate the taste of milk, just say that in a line.. saves the time spend reading this pointless and baseless article of “calcium depletion” and “fracture statistics”.
Save us the time with wasting our lives by reading your comment. Idiot.
I’m taking a dump reading your comment and feel like I just wasted time reading your comment, too ;(
Read the china study by , Dr. T. Colin Campbell. A doctor who spent 20 + years studying exactly this is enough proof for me.
Or watch forks over knives for a few facts on this matter.
The reason humans are the only ones to keep drinking milk (and from another species) is because we have a more develop brain and 4 figures with opposing thumb. WE CAN MILK COWS and the other species cannot. You think the other species stop drinking milk after infancy or not from other species because it is bad for them? How silly. Put a bold of cow’s milk in front of your cat, dog, bear or lion and see what they do with it. They will lick the bowl clean.
We drink cow’s milk and then we might just eat the cow. On top of that, we will eat a lot of the foods the cow will eat. One of the reasons the human species has excelled on this planet is we are the most diversified in what we can eat giving us the greatest chance of survival in the most diverse places. Sources of nutrients are not custom designed for just one species at all which is why we have things called food chains. If grows or moves on this planet, you will probably find someone somewhere who will eat it. Our species has adapted to consume a huge array of foods from both animal and plant sources. Milk just happens to be one of those sources. The key is to keep our food sources in balance and moderation.
Ignorants that refuse to learn……(well i discovered this page for you https://goo.gl/p5dgwy ) and pasted a little bit here,
Chosen Ignorance vs Lack of Knowledge? One Is Better Than The Other!
The time has come to discuss a very critical matter, for which, seems to be destroying humanity, slowly but surely. Many people have made an interesting choice in their life and some may have not made the same choice, but do not have proper access to learning material, so as to improve.
Is it “chosen” ignorance or a lack of knowledge, that which plagues humanity? Well, to be honest, it’s a little bit of both actually. Some “choose” to be ignorant in their actions and some just lack the knowledge to enable themselves more power. Both are hurting themselves, but the one who chooses ignorance is actually damaging themselves more than those who are without knowledge.
Chosen Ignorance vs Lack of Knowledge? One Is Better Than The Other!
Source: Yvonne Spence
Choose to be ignorant? Or Lack Knowledge?
Choosing to be ignorant, simply means that you stop yourself from learning and nothing more. You have already made up your mind, reinforced with your faith and belief, so as to ignore new knowledge from being learned. This only happens when one has no control of ego or do not realize their ego is more than they can handle.
It is really sad, when someone decides to choose ignorance over learning, because they believe they already have the knowledge they need for their entire life. This is false, foolish and human nature misunderstood by them.
They make decisions or choices, solely based on old knowledge and past experiences, without imagination or fore-sight. Their individual limited scope for awareness is limited by their own ego, yet do not see it for what it is truly. A problem!
Lloyd,
Did you read the article above?! There is an enormous amount of modern, scientific evidence that proves milk is bad. What don’t you understand? The acidic effect milk causes forces our body to produce stomach acid in excess. The only way our body neutralizes the acid is through extracting calcium from our bones. If you want weak bones…keep eating dairy. It’s no wonder America is at record obese rates…we eat the most processed calories in the world, milk and cheese being among them. I call this junk…SLUDGE.
Scott
An this claim is total scientific nonsense
This just in, the definition of the word “enormous” has just been changed to a synonym of a “few”, a “handful”, a “couple”.
Cats aren’t supposed to drink cow’s milk. it makes them sick. They will do it, just as a rat will eat rat poison. Rethink your logic.
Shizuo Heiwajima begs to differ…
Just so you know, the resources and studies quoted in this article were not read in full. It looks to me like she just read the abstract, otherwise she might have thought twice. The article linking milk consumption to increased fracture rate went on to say, “Some of the results of this study were unanticipated and may be due to chance or bias.” Therefore making the study itself unreliable. Milk is a healthy resource. Yes, cows’ milk is tailored for cows, but that increased protein is good for the human body, too.
No its not, animal protein is extremely detrimental to our bodys, please I urge you to take of the blindfold and hear me out, you need to read the China Study. Everything you think you know about nutrition is disproven. Dairy protein severely increases your risk of amultitude of cancers
Ohmygawd. The “China Study”, which by the way, wasn’t a study, has been so thoroughly discredited, it’s ridiculous. Just as one example out of many, check out Joseph DeMarinis’ review on Amazon, for just some of the dozens of flaws in that book.
OK. Calcium is a mineral, where does minerals come from?… the ground. Cows get there calcium from grass, wheat, soy and corn. Wake up people, stop filtering your minerals through another animal. Try eating some greens! there is more beneficial calcium in greens and also the dietary fiber required. If you are an adult and you still drink milk, well… you need to change your diaper or nappy you big baby lol!
Guess I should go change my diaper then because it turns out I am a baby. Yum milk!
Anyway, maybe you should read more about anti nutrients because they are present in vegetables and legumes with a high calcium content. Have fun!
Lol. Brilliant! I think the main reason people are so ignorant about the unnaturalness of milk and other dairy products is just because they don’t want to give them up because they are addictive. Certain foods are like drugs to many people and it is hard for them to get off them.
There’s a sucker born every minute.
Actually there is more value in cats milk then cow milk.. People believe anything but if you do your research you will find that cows milk is bad for you more then it is good.. Also take an elephant and a giraffe and they only nurse their young as babies. Adult animals do not drink it at all and they are huge animals …hmmm think about it..
Vegen Taliban. Wants us to not eat any animal products because she thinks it’s morally wrong. So she says that they are all unhealthy even though the human race has survived off animal proteins since we the beginning of our existence. And cures a bunch of studies from twenty years ago?? Bs I say.
i am totes way smarter to NOT drink milk, dudes. 🙁
i fell bad for the people that are vegatirain….
i am looking at you cara…
I drank a glass of 2% milk yesterday and when I stood up from the table, all my bones shattered. I’m going to eat some yogurt and hopefully they will all come back together.
I had a bowl of cereal yesterday and this morning when I woke up, I stepped out of bed and broke my hip! Really painful, I believe that if I eat yogurt maybe my hip will heal itself overnight, say no to milk! 🙂
Wow, those stories echo with mine. Two days ago I added a spoonful of milk to my coffee, although I usually don
for those who prefer some scientific info.. and yes dairy is one of the cruelest industries in the world, and then there is of course the allowable somatic cell count in your milk – yes pus that is allowed in your milk..
https://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/health-concerns-about-dairy-products
This article makes me wanna have a tall glass of milk with some cheese.
great……
mhmm puss milk yea !!!
My Uncle had a dairy farm is retired now.. Would never drink what he sold for profit.
Haha after reading this article and some comments, I drank a glass of milk. I am lactose intolerant but I never would stop drinking milk or eat yoghurt and cheese. Some people really are easy to convince.
I love milk and milk products but I know my sinuses get blocked if I over do it. I started using soy in my tea thinking it would be healthier and after a year of having 3 or 4 cups of tea a day with soy in, some of my teeth feel (rough) no matter how much I brush. I think the soy consumption maybe leaching the calcium from my teeth, don’t know, bit of a concern, so have gone back to cows milk.
FACT: All proteins are made up of Amino Acids. All proteins are acidic regardless of their source. This article is totally bogus.
Sigh. Don’t you wish you could make an off the cuff remark and that make it automatically true? Do your research. Milk is loaded with protien. You might think that is good but you body cannot process protien or amino acids without magnesium. So as you are loading you body full of useless protien the acid is damaging your bones.
I agree with you. Magnesium is rarely mentioned in articles explaining milk myth.
Sigh…Seems you didn’t do any research. Who told you that magnesium is needed to process proteins? Proteins are processed into peptides by the pepsin protease in our stomach WITHOUT the use of magnesium. Further cleavage is done by a bunch of pankreas enzymes. So your claims are totally bogus.
There are indeed some metalloproteases but I think they play a minority role in the digestion system.
Boom. Here is a new study that shows no correlation between animal protein and calcium loss. Do better research please. If you are an strength base athlete, you are gonna eat a lot of meat to built muscle yet powerlifters, bodybuilders, and Oly lifters are lifting huge amount of weights and their bone can support. Weight training helps support healthy bones. Those studies from the 90’s that you listed only prove that people are living sedentary lifestyles.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16373952
My response to this article:
In response to your article:
1. The burden of proof is on the one making the crazy claim, which is “Milk leaches calcium from bones.” -The author says there are many studies, yet hasn’t provided a link to even one.
2. The second point doesn’t really say why it’s bad for you or your bones. It just says that cow’s milk is really good for calves – nobody’s arguing that.
3. Regarding the increased fracture risk: Correlation does not imply causation. Just because two variables are statistically associated, doesn’t mean one of them causes the other. It could be that people that drink a lot of milk also drink a lot of soda and eat a lot of cookies – both sweet, acidic foods that could be causing the brittle bones. Also, just because milk doesn’t prevent fractures does not mean that it’s bad or unnatural to drink it.
4. More statistics that attempt to imply causation – But they do not account for confounding factors, such as countries that drink less milk, have a lower GDP, and thus die of other bacterial and viral illnesses before developing chronic conditions such as osteoporosis. Or perhaps countries drinking more milk get less vitamin D, which is important for absorption of the calcium.
5. Something about a Positive Renal Acid Load – No proof or link to study making such claim, and a quick google search on PRAL and dairy only showed a study done on infants – aka people who haven’t developed a complete acid-base buffering system. Moreover, I’m running into a lot of studies that claim “high protein intake” (eating lots of meat) is causing the metabolic acidosis and calcium leaching, not dairy protein (casein/whey) specifically.
6. Yogurt, the super beneficial food, comes from milk, and why is yogurt “good” according to the author? Because it’s acid-netural. And so the entire beef (no pun intended) the author has with milk boils down to the fact that it is an acidic substance. Yes, milk is very slightly acidic (pH = 6.7), but it is still not clear whether this slight acidity is directly linked to calcium leakage from bones.
I have not drunk milk since I was twelve y.o.
I have had any number of falls on ice, snow, dog poop and other wet surfaces over the years.
I have never broken any bones. When I took calcium pills, my legs cramped.
I drink lots of water and my bone density tests show that my bones have post-menopausal syndrome which is because I am over seventy. The Doctor says I am in no danger of breaking bones.
I drink milk all the time and have never broken a bone. I have had very physical jobs and fallen off a ladder. I’ve smacked my fingers with a hammer. Never broken a bone. Correlation is not necessarily causation. 🙂
Your bones have “post menopausal syndrome”? Just your bones, right?
Sheesh.
The dairy industry has never given us scientific proof that milk is good for the bones and therefore it is just sellerstalk.
Then why aren’t the 100’s of millions of people, who drank milk their entire lives, all suffering from Osteoporosis ? You say that they are losing calcium when they drink milk and yet most people have been drinking milk every day. By your logic they should all have extremely brittle bones by the time they are 20 years old. The people of Wisconsin should have the most fragile bones in the world…but they don’t.
I’m 44 now and I drank a ton of milk from the time I was 9 years old up until last year when I went vegan. I drank more milk when I was growing up than 99% of the boys in the world. When I was a teenager I was drinking 3/4 to 1 gallon of milk every day. My bones are very strong, I’ve led a very active life with sports, including football and the martial arts, and being in the military for 3 years and I’ve never broken a single bone.
There are more lies and half-truths in this article than there are facts.
Nearly a third of Americans over 65 years old has, or will have, osteoporosis. Countries with low dairy intake have fare lower rates of osteoporosis. Countries with higher per captia rates of dairy consumption also have far higher rates of osteoporosis and cancer.
Think about it… a mother’s breast secretions are designed to make babies grow as fast as possible. It is designed to stimulate fast, aggressive growth for a limited period during infancy. As you age, the LAST thing you want is a substance that accelerates growth in your body, hence the tumor and cancer connection with decades of drinking dairy.
You might try reading the China Study for more information on this topic and the dangerous effects on humans, especially adult humans, consuming a cow’s breast secretions. Or watch the movie Forks over Knives.
Michael, the osteoporosis statistic has been linked to the massive consumption of cola based drinks (Coca Cola) which actively prevents calcium from being absorbed. Yes, overconsumption of milk is bad. As is the overconsumption of any other product. Moderate amounts of milk are quite beneficial to the human body.
You say its biased but what gives you the authority to say that. As a matter of fact the best studies ever conducted about animal products and its effects on the human body were done by Dr. Campbell. He was a dairy farmer he went into all of his studies biased, and left enlightened. Stop trying to justify your habits by dissing our facts. Until you have devoted your life to unveiling all the myths associated with modern food industry, then you can talk
Dr. Campbell found out he could make a lot more money selling books to fools than as a dairy farmer. His book is a joke.
Sorry, no sale. I lived in Asia, where recent generations’ dairy intake has gone up – as has their height, strength, and posture. I had never seen so many older adults with osteoporosis, and am betting it’s because dairy wasn’t huge there when they were young. Sick of made-up scary facts about food. Most of them can only be verified through “sources” already advocating some kind of alternative lifestyle. All the healthiest people I know consume dairy. Nice try, though.
Just want to put this out there… I’ve always been naturally very thin, but had cellulite on thighs and butt.. even as a 106 lb active teenager on swim team. I was raised to drink a glass of milk with every meal. At almost 30 now.. I’ve been avoiding milk and all dairy for about a year. My cellulite disappeared. It was like magic. I have no proof except for my own body, but fat cells seem to sit a bit different when you cut out milk. Just saying..
Studies that “prove” that milk is a bad source of calcium are biased, like most researches trying to discredit animal proteins in general.
You do not need just calcium to make bones, you also need fat soluble vitamins. Those researches have been done in the US, where milk is skimmed because fats are sssso bad! Cultures who drink full fat milk (northern Europe, Greece, nomad herder tribes all over the world, etc) do pretty fine.
That said, milk has other issues (caseins, lactose) that’s why I rarely have diary and in those cases I have full fermented yoghurt or kefir and aged cheeses.
Then there are ethical concerns, too, of course.
Agree. I lived in Asia, where recent generations’ dairy intake has gone up – as has their height, strength, and posture. I had never seen so many older adults with osteoporosis, and am betting it’s because dairy wasn’t huge there when they were young. Sick of made-up scary facts about food. Most of them can only be verified through “sources” already advocating some kind of alternative lifestyle. All the healthiest people I know consume dairy.
Wonderful, wonderful info!! I knew milk was generally unhealthy, but now I know why. In recent years, I completely omit milk and milk products from my diet since I have asthma – heard it was terrible for respiratory conditions. I am amazed at how much better I feel (not sluggish) and I have fewer asthma attacks and URI’s after making this dietary change! And also to learn I’m doing the right thing for my bones is even better reason to never go back.
The changes you are experiencing are most likely attributed to other factors that you have changed along with cutting milk and milk products out of your diet. While reducing cheese or butter intake is a great way to lose weight, cutting milk does not carry the same load at all.
Milk will not exacerbate your asthma, and I challenge you to find the actual vetted study that showed a correlation. This article is unbelievably bias and it is due to people “sounding smart” that we have public health issues such as the stigma against vaccinations. When reading articles such as this, ask yourself the following:
1) Is this a valid source on its own (a vetted journal article/review)
2) Is this article from a governmental regulator/site (aka a .gov site)
3) If none of the above are present, then are the references to the facts and claims they making present; if not then do not take it seriously because more often than not: It is not true.
If you follow the source of this article, the actual studies are not cited anywhere. In fact, the proper rebuttal to each point is made in the comments by a gentleman named Alan, with a Harvard source that counter the issues made against milk.
Continue the good work that has reduced your asthmatic exacerbation, I presume the reduction in milk product consumption was accompanied with exercise and overall better eating/lifestyle habits. However, do not criminalize a Vitamin/Mineral powerhouse such as milk.
For some power to my opinion, I have a Bacherlor’s in Honours Biochemistry from Concordia University, MSc in Protein Chemistry from Concordia University and am currently in my 2nd year of Medical School (McGill University) in Canada.
You sound smart and you claim to have credentials that would indicate that is the case, but the potential that this is not the case is greatly increased by the fact you would claim governmental regulators or sites lend credence to any argument. Then again, maybe I’m just too cynical 🙂
Hey, look! It’s another anti-gubment person who’s afraid of real science. You’re welcome for all those eradicated diseases, by the way. 😉
It’s hard to believe, so it seems like ill continue to drink milk 🙂
I never knew what a scam milk was! Wow! I used to drink a lot, but now my bones are safe.
Chrism: The writing is on the wall. Open your mind.