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
Hi, Did anyone in this lengthy discussion who wanted “scientific articles” discussing the harms of pastuerized, homogenized milk ever produce their own articles about the health benefits of milk? I took a long time reading through many, many comments and only noticed commenters requesting articls proving the health consequences of milk but not providing their own research articles that they studied showing that it is helpful. But I’d really like to know!
My daughter sometime after age two was consistently having very foul smelling gas and diarrhea – practically every day and with every #2. We are hippy-dippy kind of people, we already knew about issues with milk and we didn’t use it as a drink for our kids, but did consume it regularly in the form of butter/cheese or for treats (i.e. ice cream). We went to our mainstream pediatrician and mentioned these symptoms and she said it sounded like a classic case of…lactose intolerance! She suggested we could take her off the milk and see what happens. We didn’t do it right away, but later when my son was having mild/moderate sleep apnea and we were trying to avoid surgery if at all possible, we took both of the kids off of diary.
Voila! Of course, she is lactose intolerant and my family still wants to have debates with me about milk because they can’t understand a simple food intolerance let alone whether a food is or isn’t okay in general to consume. They apparently don’t trust that I was advised by the pediatrician that her symptoms were classic symptoms of lactose intolerance and that the best way to determine it is to eliminate the food from your diet and see if your symptoms go away.
I want to add about my son with sleep apnea – after eliminating gluten and dairy and significantly cutting back on sugars along with attention to daytime mouth breathing and reducing stress stimulators (parents arguing, yelling, being too strict) and increasing relaxing and therapeutic activities, we have helped his apnea.
Again, we also consulted four doctors about this. Two doctors (a heart specialist and a sleep doctor) did not feel surgery to remove adenoids/tonsils was necessary, one doctor (the ENT) thought it was, and our pediatrician is supportive of seeking out alternative measures to such a drastic surgery.
Again, I want to point out that all of the doctors had varying opinions. And basically, we are able to confidently feel that we are not risking anything by not having a surgery (strain on the heart due to OSA was a big concern that the very learned and elderly heart doctor said simply wouldn’t happen in my son’s case and that we don’t need to worry should we forgo the surgery. This is the very same heart murmur that concerned our pediatrician and made the ENT try to guilt/shame us into getting the surgery to help.
Anyway, no, doctors don’t know everything. Licensed electricians get electrecuted. Licensed plumbers can have leaks, and licensed mechanics can over charge. Hey, what about those doctors and nurses who leave medical gauze inside a body cavity during a surgery? There is a reason medical malpractice is so high. God bless doctors, you have to love them! But do they know everything? No. I have been told on more than one occassion by doctors themselves that they are going to go look something up on the internet regarding my condition or question. They are just like you and me. Their medical studies are founded on the same information and research that we have access to as “civilians.”
I am happy to know that in an emergency a doctor could really help (though, sometimes not!), and that for long term health situations, I depend on my own person and God to seek out the correct medical doctors, advice, and education as best as I see fit. Anyone who turns their medical agency completely over to their doctor’s care…well, I don’t know why that person isn’t taking their Nyquil right now so they can get up, eat their Wheaties, and get to their cubicle for the day…
Hello Tabetha,
You stated, “My daughter sometime after the age of two was consistently having fowl smelling of gas and diarrhea” I have found when I drink or have any dairy products, I have that issue too! I found out from my doctor I am allergic to what ever it is in the dairy products! There is no harm in asking your doctor to check it out?
More sickly kids from parents with bad genes. STOP REPRODUCING PLEASE. You are dilouting the breeding stock with your sicknesses.
And BESIDES YOURSELF, who are you citing from a medical journal that calcium is depleted from your bones?! Yeah. Thought so.
God you vegan fuckers piss me off,
no cholesterol and no fat = no testosterone, anxiety, weakness, stupor, no libido, insomina, bad breath.
no protein and sugar = you will not grow and will not stimulate basal functions in your body, lowered growth hormone and igf factors as well as a shitty thyroid and fucked up liver.
no minerals or vitamins = mental retardation, high blood sugar and inability to dispense glucose, fat gain, brain fog, weak bones, and all together a much much shortened life span.
eating your shitty fucking soy, quinoa, mushrooms = oxalic acid blocks zinc calcium magnesium amino acids, phytic acid in grains and legumes = liver and kidney damage over time and blocking of absorption of nutrients and expression of vitamin and minerals, soy = the worst of all, grow tits, smaller balls, smaller loads, no adams apple or voice development and small skinny weak pale fuckwit.
soo guys you wanna be vegan now,??
DRINK YOUR MILK EAT YOUR LIVER 8-9 HOURS OF SLEEP A DAY LOTS OF EGGS AND BUTTER AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY AND HEALTHY! I GUARANTEE YOU! NOTHINGS BETTER THEN GOOD ‘OL SIMPLICTY.
Wow that’s an amazing amount of dumb you just ranted off. Does your brain hurt now? It is probably used to it huh?
Cholesterol causes heart attacks and is really bad for you so forgive me if I’m glad I don’t get much. Fat, I eat fat where did you get that vegans don’t eat fat? There are plenty of fat vegans. In fact there is just as wide variety of vegan sizes as their are meat eaters just in general less fatties because our diet is healthier and more varied.
Symptoms according to you. My libido is amazing thanks, I suffered from horrible insomnia before I went vegan now I sleep like a baby 7-8 hours a night most nights, I have way more energy then I used to have and don’t get that afternoon drowsy feeling anymore, my breath (and sweat btw) smell better not worse and my poo never smells like something crawled in me and died because I don’t have rotting flesh in me, and finally no anxiety again I have less then when I wasn’t vegan.
White sugar has absolutely no health value at all. Raw cane sugar while slightly better still not much. The idea is the kind you get naturally through things like fruit which I, and most vegans, eat plenty of. Protein there are a lot of things that have more protein then flesh and it is directly through the source then instead of through a “third party” which means I get more and it is more complex. Example, broccoli has more protein then steak.
Symptoms; I grow fine thanks and am doing quite well on my new weight training gaining muscle now that I have more energy to do it. I get a check-up regularly for vitamins, thyroid, hormones, ext. and all is perfect! Thanks again for your concern on this though 😛
This last one is even more left field then the others. I get way more vitamins and minerals then you get. That’s what comes from eating healthy, varied, plant-based diet. Everything I eat has multiple layers of vitamins and minerals and benefits to it. All the good none of the bad. I have very strong bones, never broken one in my life and I have had plenty of close calls, I’ve lost weight and have stopped at my healthy weight point, my concentration is up, my brain function is up, I think clearer everyday, and studies have shown people who eat majority or all plant-based lives live longer not shorter.
My fiancee has been on this diet also and we eat soy. No moobs, his libido is up even more also, and definitely no decrease in the male parts department ;). We are both more active then the majority and both very fit. We go on regular backpacking trips every year lift weights and go to the gym. So frankly my fiancee could take you on with a hand tied behind his back and I’m betting I could also.
You do have me on the pale thing but I’m a ginger so I was born that way, can’t help it 😛
Hello Alexis,
Jim Morris looks real good for his age, but I am sure he would not appreciate you telling others, he would Kick your &^%# and he is not 61 he is 78. Do your homework before stating uninformed information! Yes he is a vegan, but really do you have to up-play? lets be real here, and not put tension where it does not need to be. This is a forum and we should respect the forum and others comments without fowl language! I don’t care who wants to kick who you know what, just do it outside!
Thank you,
‘Fowl’ I see what you did there 🙂
Also you don’t believe me that vegans can kick your ass. Check out Jim Morris. He is a well known vegan bodybuilder who at 61 could take you one with both hands behind his back and a blindfold on.
Wow what great language is used in this forum! Please when replying to others, do not use fowl language, it is not appreciated! We all are adults here, well at least I think we are, and we must be respectful to others!!
Thank you!
Lol, i dont know about you guys but meat and dairy are a big part of my diet lol, i dont think i would ever be able to not eat/drink meat or dairy products as meat and dairy are in basically all my meals(balanced out with the other food groups dont worry) and well milk and water are my main drinks, not tap water though lol. but yeah… i dont know just thought id share that lol
Hello Her,
Good for you and at least you know the rules and benefits and how they interact with each other! KUDOS to you!
You donr need a bunch of meat and dairy… just because others drink milk doesnt mean you have to. Water keeps you hidrated more than anything else. Worried about getting calcium? Eat a calcium bar. Theres many other things besides milk to get calcium from. I fully agree with this because it makes obvious sense to drink your mothers milk at infancy of coarse, and not calves mothers milk. Its meant for them not you.
You guys have NO CLUE what nonsense you are spewing, Milk, at least Raw MILK, is the best kind of food you can put inside your bodies
Whether it’s from cow, goat, human, pig or even rat.
However it must be cleaned regularly and live in a lush green sunny environment, allowed to pasture and eat as much as it likes to with no pesticides, antibiotics or hormonal treatment.
Where I’m from we drink Raw horse milk after it gives it’s birth to medical conditions and so many other things.
It truly is a wonder food. Full of enzymes, healthy bacteria, growth factors, immunoglobins, rich in easily absorbed protein and lactose, high in CLA Fat and cholesterol (which is good for you), perfect ratio of muscle driving insulin stimulating sugars and not to even mention the highly absorbable vitamins and minerals.
Their point is that the processed milk isnt good for you. Yeah if you dont do anything to milk straight out of a cow then yeah thats ok ish but your body isnt designed to drink the milk .your body doesnt rely on it so just think and maybe itll make sense to you.
My theory is very dated – but changed my perception on the product (being a keen body builder)
“Milk is for babies” (Schwarzenegger, 1977)
I only have it in my cappuccino now – in moderation I have not noticed any bone issues, failing to break anything (with several attempts to disprove myself through x-rays). Its not to say I don’t drink it – Perhaps its a US culture thing to question what you eat, as many of your animals are dangerously injected (i am from the UK, however its not to say its not happening here as well)
My view on vegan; not so much a waste of time, as unnecessary – I’m sure you think you are doing yourself good, however as your attention to what you eat will be heightened (due to this life choice), in turn you will be passively improving your nutritional choices. Being unnecessary; as you can get the same nutrition from meats etc – I can imagine once you get into a routine to what you eat the imposition will be some what small.
As you can tell I am firmly on the fence
Enjoy!
Eating plant-based: getting an abundance of all necessary vitamins and nutrients that are easily assimilated, clean organs, and easy digestion.
Eating meat: getting an abundance of only a select number of nutrients in addition to hazardous effect (high cholesterol, acidic ph level, cancer growth, inflammation, clogged arteries, excess fat, effects of putrefying flesh in intestines- constipation, gas, bloating, acne, infection- calcium depletion, the list goes on).
I would encourage you to just replace one meal per day with all plant food (fruits, veggies) and see how you feel!
Best wishes!
PEACE 🙂
A medical dr told you to drink milk and you didn’t listen to him. That’s where I stopped reading this article.
Hi William. It is not a requirement for doctors to have much if any knowledge regarding nutrition. I think a lot of people consider doctors to be a primary knowledge on all aspects of health but nutrition is not one of them, I have studied nutrition well after reading many books on the subject and in doing so I trust my sources better than when a doctor tells me to do something that he is incorrectly repeating. If you actually read the rest of the article about what milk does when it enters the body and looked at the full picture you might actually learn something important that the meat and dairy industries dont want you to learn,,, for obvious reasons…
My doctor told me to stop eating oranges and tomatoes because of acid reflux. Didn’t mention (or understand?) that dairy and meat are HIGHLY acid-forming foods. Instead of suggesting that I lay off of processed foods, meats, and dairy (which create such a highly imbalanced PH level), they suggested oranges and tomatoes… really? :/
In med school, dr’s are required to take 1 class in nutrition. They spend the vast majority of their schooling learning medicines, chemistry, and diagnoses. If I want a drug, I go to a doctor. If I want health, I turn to a nutritionist. This is just my approach, and what I’ve found to give me the most healthy body and mind.
-Peace
Hello Ariel,
Do you know how to balance your pH and your acid?
1. Large pitcher of water
2. cut up some lemons
3. cut up some cucumbers
4. cut up some limes
5 Sprig of fresh mint
In a pitcher put all you cut up vegetables and mint in it, next add water, and let stand in the fridge for over night.
Drink!
Good idea, Susan! You might find the post below interesting – it discusses additional flavor combinations and ideas for drinking more water:
https://saveourbones.com/9-easy-tricks-to-drink-more-water-and-nourish-your-bones/
Just because an MD told you to do something does not mean that it is the right thing to do. They do not know everything and they usually go with whatever the government says to do and by the way, the dairy industry is subsidized by our government!!
Great article. I admire your desire for true health. Also, enjoy your writing style.
Milk is fine. Scientific rebuttal to all this crap is here:
> https://chriskresser.com/does-dairy-cause-osteoporosis <
There are some incredible tales of drama on this comment board. A lot of Holier-than-though individuals. Also a lot of people claiming to be professionals – over the internet – and requesting others "get an education" as an argument.
I think a lot of vegans don't have enough to do. Honestly. But that's just my opinion, educated, or uneducated. Anyhow, take a look at the rebuttal above ^, and stop preaching this drama about milk killing you, it's laughable.
Is it laughable Jace, that female cows are imprisoned their entire lives for our needs? That they are forcibly impregnated, ( an act if done to one of our females would only be referred to as RAPE), child stolen from them, heavily pumped full of hormones, which we become a part of,, becoming infected, which enters into the milk by the way, yeah plenty of pus in milk! Does any of this seem “normal” or laughable? I think its disgusting how we have abused animals for hundreds of years to provide “adequate nutrition” for us,, The biggest hypocrisy that ever lived! People need to get wise. I recommend reading the book 80/10/10. Doug Graham talks a lot of sense.
I dont know where humans get off thinking the world can walk around us to give us satisfied. We are no more important than any other living creature. In fact bees have a much more important role pollinating 1/3rd of the plants that we need to eat!
There are vegans who have gone there entire lives without dairy products that are living long disease free lives. Even if all the blood acidifying changes in the body isnt true and milk isnt bad for us, what about the entire lives of cruelty, torture and suffering that goes on in the meat dairy and egg industries. If you dont believe me, watch Earthlings, it shows it all there.
God gave us dominion over all animals. If they were advanced enough to actually speak and object with a well placed argument, things would be different. For now…ding ding…its dinner time, Bovine.
so you’d be in favor of dominion over slaves then? Never heard of compassion? Whether they can speak our language is not relevant.
Wondering why you seem so flustered by an article that challenges your behaviors? As Albert Schweitzer said, “Think occasionally of the suffering of which
you spare yourself the sight.” Sometimes change is too uncomfortable to face, so we attack it instead.
I have been researching cow’s milk for the last few years and how it is truly bad for you as well as meat. I am not a vegetarian although I rarely eat meat or mild products. I am 50 and look and feel 20. I can honestly say when I do consume milk or meat, I always feel sluggish and weaker. Some of the people that comment on here must be truly uneducated high school dropouts. There is so much information and confirmed research that people that eat plant based foods not meat, dairy or sugar live way longer healthier lives.
This author is either an idiot or wilfully deceptive. She cherry picks her resources and flat out ignores portions of the research to fit her goals. For example, her quote from one of her many (actually, only one) studies ‘Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age
20 years, was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in old age…’ is taken from the abstract of the article, the last sentence of which is, ‘ Some of the results of this study were unanticipated
and may be due to chance or bias.’
To this end, the author’s of the study make this statement in the discussion, ‘However, the quality of recalled
data on dairy products and physical activity
is questionable (25, 27-30, 32)’
If you are looking for information on the pros and cons of milk consumption, I suggest the Harvard School of Public health https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium-full-story/
You should re-read the section of the Harvard post you shared under “Should You Get Calcium from Milk?”.
Milk is good for no one except little baby cows.
Milk is not good for your bone health.
20 years ago, one of my friends in her mid 40s told me that she was drinking more milk daily to prevent bone loss. By then, my families and I have been a vegetarian for two years. To be sure to have our 5 and 7 years old daughters enough nutrition, we did a lot researches. One of them was a video called “Diet For A New America”. We learned dairy products are not good for health. Especially it’s not good for bone health. So I shared that information to her. But she wasn’t convinced since it’s against what we had been taught. One or two years later, she told me she was on medication to treat her osteoporosis and she stopped drinking milk; instead she started drinking soy milk.
22 years past, we have been very happy about our decision to become vegetarians. My husband once had very serious allergy for several years, after being a vegan for one year, he’s no longer suffered. And we have hardly caught cold or flu.
I would like to share this video which enlightened us a lot with you.
Diet For A New America – Hosted by John Robbins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTvrhQIKanc
I want to preface this comment with, I’m not trying to start an argument or a comment war, but simply share my knowledge based on my reading of the literature.
Besides the fact that the references from this article are from another blog article that references 20+ year old studies, this article contains a few other big mistakes. Plants do contain a lot of calcium, but unless you chew those plants into a paste and/or chew your cud like cows do, out body cannot break them down far enough to benefit from a significant portion of that calcium. We do not have the enzymes to break down most plant material, not that we can’t get tons of benefits from them. Plants also contain oxalates that render calcium non-water soluble, which it needs to be in order to be absorbed. If you eat 100 g of spinach which contains roughly 109 mg of calcium, you can only absorb 5 mg, that’s about 5%. If you drink 100 g of low fat milk which contains roughly 122 mg of calcium, you can absorb 37 mg, that’s about 30%. You are correct in saying that cheese and yogurts are better, as their bioavailability is higher, but plants are not a better source of calcium for humans than milk. Unless you’re lactose intolerant, you can absorb most of the calcium from milk and dairy products.
There is a reason that nutritionists recommend supplementing calcium, heme-iron and vitamin B12 to a vegan diets, or recommend they become lacto-vegans or ovo-vegans because you cannot get these three nutrients from vegetables alone, and they are all essential to health. Heme-iron is ONLY found in animal products. Plants do contain non-heme iron which is also essential, but you need both to prevent anemia. B12 is also ONLY found in animal products, which is essential for prevent pernicious anemia. Calcium while found in a multitude of foods, is best absorbed from dairy products.
You reference another blog article, another one of yours by the way, that says milk actually depletes are bone calcium by “acidifying the body pH” like any other animal protein. Yes proteins are acidic, but milk overall is basic in pH. You’re body does not pull calcium out of your bones to neutralize the “acid environment” caused by milk, because it does not cause an acid environment in the first place. Your body pulls calcium out of your bones under the stimulation of parathyroid hormone when the calcium serum level (calcium in your blood) is too low, which means you haven’t eaten enough calcium containing foods. Yes calcium is part of calcium bicarbonate which acts as a buffer in the blood stream, but drinking milk will not make your blood acidic and then need more to buffer it. While some underlying theories in this article are correct, they are being combined and misused to the point where they are now longer truths, but have become “Frankenstein” facts that fit the purpose of the author.
It also sites a 20 year old study by Harvard that found the correlation that women who drank dairy products in their 20s had more fractures when they were older. It doesn’t control for any other factors, and correlation DOES NOT equal causation. More recent information from Harvard, based on more recent research (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium-full-story/#where) still agrees that there is no significant correlation between calcium intake and osteoporosis, but it has been shown since that 20 year old study, that physical activity and pre-menopausal bone density has a greater effect on the development of osteoporosis and fractures. While you can’t necessarily say that milk can help prevent osteoporosis, you can still definitely not say that it causes you to lose your bone density.
The referenced blog article also makes the case that milk is bad, but other dairy products are ok all on the basis of pH. The yogurt, cheese and sour cream contain the same proteins they said were acidic and bad because they are made from milk. If milk contains “bad” proteins, and dairy products are made from milk, then they will have the same “bad” proteins. It’s simple logic that is simply ignored. They say the processed milk can increase the risk of breast cancer, while I don’t know if these facts are correct, as cancer is a multifactorial disease, I can say that the evidence is not definitive. They also promote almond or soy milk, which in moderation I’m sure are perfectly fine. Soy products however, act as a phytoestrogen (substance that acts like a weak estrogen), breast cancer is stimulated by estrogen, so pumping your body full of stuff that can feed a specific type of cancer doesn’t seem like the best idea either. Soy based formula is not a good idea for babies as it blocks absorption of essential nutrients like magnesium (magnesium is important for muscle and bone health), iron (prevents anemia), calcium (wait, I though soy milk would fix this since apparently cow’s milk also prevents calcium absorption), and most importantly zinc. Zinc is essential for brain and nervous system development, a deficiency in zinc can eventually lead to a lower IQ. Also, flooding an infant boy’s system with these phytoestrogens can also cause developmental problems when they hit puberty.
I’m sorry, but articles like these with half-truths and old facts that are written with the sole purpose of selling books and attracting consumers to start a program to “reverse osteoporosis” or “change their lives” are why the public has no idea what to put in their bodies. If people would simply read the literature for themselves, and not listen to people regurgitate “their version” of the information to them, while trying to sell them something, people would have a much better idea of what healthy living is.
Wow a lot of experts here, as for the calcium leaching from your bones, there is plenty of proof of this happening and it does act acidic within your body (read the china study) watch knives over folks, look at the recent research and you will learn some stuff. I can pull evidence up for you now. I did not read the rest of the blog but as for milk being bad for you and leaching calcium this is TRUE
and as for your vegan call sorry but this simply isn’t true (ironically leading your post to have frankenstein facts) The only thing a vegan should worry about is b12 and this is found from bacteria, not the animals themselves. And apart from there being plenty of experimental evidence ( I know one person who is has been vegan for 30 years and supplements nothing and his blood tests are very good) and apart from that I myself have been vegan for 4 years and supplement only b12 as a precaution and my blood tests are great too.
THANK YOU! Finally someone who thinks clearly as well. This article could have it’s truths here and there but to say that it is the reason for Calcium deficiency and that its totally bad for you is ridiculous. The hormones the animals are pumped with is one of the lead reasons to why milk has become something potentially bad for you. Not to mention anything in excess can have a negative effect but to confuse people and say that milk; the one thing you’re given from birth ( acknowledging that it is a different type of milk of new borns), is bad for you is misleading and untrue.
I stopped drinking milking at around age 14. I skateboard taking slam after slam. Never broke a single bone in my body. At the very least you don’t need milk for strong bones
Why did the dairy industry substitute “Got Milk?” for the old “Milk Builds Strong Bones” slogan? Because they did their own studies to prove anti-milk groups were wrong and then, oops, found out the truth.
hello there
do you have any sources that are more recent
at least in the past 10 years?
studies are being run on nutrition constantly so there has to be at least one
I had trouble breastfeeding my baby so we used soy based infant formula instead. My husband and I have been using soy milk since we learned about this cow’s milk myths. My baby developed moderate to severe eczema at the age of 1.5 years, the Dr thought it might be a reaction to her soy milk formula so he recommended to change her milk to cow’s milk. I was hesitant but did it anyway and now that I have read this article I think I might change her milk again back to soy milk. 🙂
Janice, I have a grandson that had severe eczema since birth, and it wasn’t until he was about 5 years old that his mom (my daughter) discovered that he was allergic to eggs & pork. When she cut those things out of his diet, the eczema went away. He was breast-fed, by the way, which is probably why he had it since birth. He is now 12, and has learned that there are certain foods he can & cannot have. He knows that even if he eats one cookie that has eggs in it, he will have a flare-up. He has learned that he can control it – he either avoids those foods, or he risks it & suffers the consequences. As for soy milk, I think the jury is still out on that one, so I avoid it just in case. I, myself buy almond milk or coconut milk. The almond milk is a little on the thicker side, with coconut milk looking more like 2% cow’s milk, and it tastes a little sweeter than the almond. (Just FYI) Hope that helps somehow, & that you find a solution… 🙂
So you’ll take advice from what is essentially a blog post that is trying to sell you a book over your pediatrician’s advice? Good luck with that.
Andrew, the fields of medicine and nutrition are not the same! No two doctors will agree on nutritious advice because they havent studied the subject as part of their medical training. If you want to learn nutrition I’d study it yourself, blogs like this can help for people who are teaching themselves. Large population studies like The China Study are great for this also. Doug Graham’s 80/10/10 also recommends this , his book is also fantastic for anyone wishing to learn nutrition properly.
The cows milk humans drink which we know is of another species, and I can understand the reasons behind that thought of it not being good for us.
But what about the meat we eat which is also from a different species?, or should we only eat meat of our own species, which is totally ridiculous!. And cannibalism!.
The cows milk humans drink which we know is of another species, and I can understand the reasons behind that thought.
But what about the maet we eat which is also from a different species?, or should we only eat meat of our own species, which is totaly ridiculous!
Well, Ronnie – The China Study and Forks Over Knives address that issue (on meat). Read those first, and like I said: Do your own homework. Try going without it for a while & see if you feel better; have more energy, etc. If no difference, then I say eat up, Your body will let you know, IF you listen to it. But, if you get cancer, heart disease, diabetes or any other food-related illness, don’t say you weren’t warned. And, yes, they are FOOD-RELATED. Like obesity – (the majority) caused by eating too much of the wrong foods – who knew? Sheesh….it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this stuff out, folks…Read the research, educate yourself on the subject, do your own experimentation, then come back & give me a more intelligent/educated conversation on the subject, please. Thank you for your reply. 🙂
I left the comment before, but I would just like to reiterate that this article is not evidence based. If you want scientic, tested, information, you need to do the research on your own. I’m not sure why this article was written when the author knew she was mis-representing studies or presenting information without citing it. I’m assuming it stems from her own animal rights agenda.
I started checking the journal articles citied here. Although the first study does say, “Consumption of diary products, particularly at age 20 years, was associated with an increase risk of hip fracture in old age,” you forgot to mention that the article goes on to say just a few sentences later that, “(s)ome of the results of this study were unanticipated and may be due to chance or bias. If confirmed by other studies, these results would challenge some current approaches to hip fracture prevention.” This article is from 1994. Other studies have not found similar results. If you look up journals linking dairy consumption with osteoporosis, all of them state a positive relationship between milk absorption and a decreased risk of osteoporosis. In fact, one article written in 2000 states that, “(o)f 52 investigator-controlled calcium intervention studies, all but two showed better bone balance at high intakes, or greater bone gain during growth, or reduced bone loss in the elderly, or reduced fracture risk” (Calcium, dairy products, and osteoporosis, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 19,2). Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. I have yet to find replicated evidience-based studies showing milk consumption has negative health effects.
For all of you skeptics out there: I say DRINK UP! It’s your body – do what you will to it. But, I will tell you this: I first heard of milk being bad for you after I was diagnosed with breast cancer 4 years ago, when I decided to do my own research as to why I got breast cancer & not one of my family members (mother or father’s side) have ever had it. This quest for answers led me to learn (among other things) that milk (i.e. dairy) was bad for you. I was skeptical too, just like you, so I decided to do my own experiment. At the time, I was also diagnosed as having osteopenia (borderline osteoporosis). After having gone through menopause, my bones had been aching – especially at night – to the point I couldn’t sleep at night. So, I cut dairy completely out of my diet, & within a week my bones stopped aching & I sleep all through the night – absolutely no problem. That’s been 3 years ago, & I’ve had no problems since. I also had a bone density test before, and one 2 years later, & I had no more bone loss during that 2 years without dairy. I take absolutely no medicine – I am a firm believer in preventive measures & natural cures. Hippocrates (the father of medicine) said years ago, “Let food be thy medicine.” Something else to think about: we are the ONLY species that drinks another species’ milk…kinda creepy when you really think about it. Another thing – doctors are like car mechanics – there are good ones & there are bad ones. Your doctor may have a certificate hanging on the wall, but he could have graduated last in his class. Besides, there is A LOT of research that backs this claim up & it is in the medical journals, but doctors (for whatever reason) don’t read their own journals. Also, they have almost no training on nutrition, AND they make TONS of money off of us sick people. Just ONE of my chemo treatments was $35,000.00. Big pharma (pharmaceuticals) is in on it, too. Notice how they seem to want everybody on drugs? You can’t go to a doctor without them wanting to prescribe something for you. Watch tv and see how many drug commercials there are on a daily basis. So, you wonder why the message isn’t getting out? $$$ Like the tobacco companies several years ago fought tooth & nail to keep us in the dark on tobacco causing cancer. When I was growing up, I didn’t know ANY kids that took meds regularly. How many kids do you know that’s taking something for ADD/ADHD, or allergies, or is diabetic today? Bottom line – don’t take the author of this article’s word for it, nor mine – do your own homework, like I did. BTW, sugar feeds cancer, so if you don’t want cancer, or if you’ve had it & don’t want it to come back -lay off the sugar. Raw, unfiltered honey is best. Also, lemons FIGHT cancer. Check it out for yourself. It is a fact that cancer cannot survive in an alkaline body – so you eat alkaline forming foods. The people I know whose cancer came back, did not change their lifestyle. If you keep doing the same thing, don’t expect different results. Find a GOOD doctor – one that will work WITH you -who is supportive of your ideas & beliefs. I know people who only listened to their doctors without question & they died. My mother was one of them. I’m not bashing all doctors. There are some really good ones out there, & I thank God for them -but, you just have to look for them. That’s the best advice I can give anybody – and it took me getting cancer to find this stuff out for myself – no one told me. That’s why I make it a point to get the word out when I have the opportunity. I wish you all the best! 🙂
Now milk causes ADHD too!! Wow had no idea that milk can cause me to not produce enough neurotransmitters in my brain. I’d like to see the “research” you’re reading. Cancer is a multifactorial disease. You can not link it to one specific thing. Being on birth control pills for extended periods of time can increase your risk of breast cancer, eating too many soy products can increase your risk of breast cancer, not ever having a baby or not every breast feeding can increase your risk of breast cancer, hormone replacement therapy can increase your risk of breast cancer. Get my point?
i had triple negative ductile carcinoma in suti ……did 8 rounds of chemo, 30 rounds of radiation, 12 surgeries, never stopped drinking milk, eating meat, did cut out fried fods and ate less junk..have been in remission ( 5 years) from a cancer so aggressive that 7 weeks after a mastectomy it had returned ( found out by having to have mastectomy sight debrided due to infection) i have been in remission for 5 years…so i call your milk story well, whoever said that is a quack….oh and i see an oncologist who graduated from Stanford and did her residency at Johns Hopkins, she said to drink MORE milk to help my calcium deficiency….just saying…..my 2 cents as it were. Milk and my diet had nothing to do with it…cancer is just cancer, gets some, leaves others alone.
So just because you didnt cut meat and dairy out of your life and you survived cancer means theres no correlation between meat and dairy and disease?? Bullshit. All the known diseases and biggest killers in the human world ( heart disease, strokes, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis are almost all caused by animal products.FACT. Plenty of saturated fats in meat and dairy, trans fats, you realise that cholesterol can be eliminated from the diet ENTIRELY my omitting animal products from your diet?? these diseases which funnily enough most free animals do NOT experience, probably due to the fact that they eat the food they were biologically designed to eat. Humans on the other hand eat things that look good, taste good, are convenient and make a good profit. Its also why human beings become chronically obese, no free animals get chronically obese, with all the other dentrimental health effects that intails. Its only normally when it comes to our health that we actually start questioning our diets. Get wise people!
But we aren’t the only species that drinks the milk of another. Unless you mean on purpose. Otherwise, there are plenty of examples of baby animals without their mother who are saved by feeding from the breast of a different species of animal.
Dane that example is a very different situation to the one that humans have. Animals relying on another animals milk for SURVIVAL is completely different to our abundant food supplies where we could live a plant based diet and not involve the suffering of animals to survive.
you are all idiots. first of all YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE VEGAN. and there is no such thing as all humans having the same teeth meaning something like, “humans have all flat teeth so we were born to eat plants because our teeth cant tear meat.” thats crazy!! everybody is born with a different set of teeth. Let me say that again for you pathetic plant eaters known as “vegans.” NO ONE HAS THE SAME SET OFJAW OR TEETH SIZE. which means, people who dont eat meat might not be able to open their jaw wide enough to chew the meat and tear it down as much as someone with a more wide opening of the mouth. another thing is you people compare ANIMALS TO HUMANS. unless you are comparing TWO humans who are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT your argument is invalid. you cant use two of the same thing for tests subjects because your results will not make any sense. AT ALL!! now heres where the ignorance and stupidity of, “Milk takes out calcium from your bones” makes me laugh. yes calcium does harden your bones, however over time and age with your body it goes away. this is common general knowledge!! you dont need science to figure this out. lastly, you all talk about. “dont buy milk anymore because its bad for you, and the corporate guys make all the money” take some advice from hard workers and educated business owners. GET OVER YOURSELVES!! The only thing this article proved was that some old man with this his illness he hates it so much that hes trying to knock on other SUCCESSFUL TRUSTED REPUTABLE businesses that put in the hard work and continue to work hard to give the best products. This article was written to ATTACK AN INNOCENT PRODUCT TO ADVERTISE HIS OWN. lastly, you cant use science to prove a hypothesis which just does not come up to be a thought!! “Milk is bad for you and this is why…” Laughable at best. Instead of you “vegans” trying to destroy a legendary product YOU ALL NEED TO LOOK AT YOURSELVES. anything you eat can be bad for you and too much of one thing CAN KILL YOU. To end this pathetic sad excuse for an advertisement “save our bones” you people who think milk is bad for need to EDUCATE AND SAVE YOURSELVES!!.
Hey Jay-
What’s with all the hate, brother? My son is lactose intolerant so we had to make a few adjustments at home. The more I investigated milk, the more I saw that it really is not good for you. I am not a vegan by any means- I will chow down on some red meat any day of the week. But I believe it’s true that cows milk was made just for cows and lactose intolerance is actually a body’s natural response to something it is not supposed to have. If you think this site is trying to push some sort of agenda, then that’s on them. I don’t take anyone’s word on it- I did a tremendous amount of investigation and I feel that I chose correctly for me and my family.
Well Jay. In the past, I would’ve said “I’ve met stupid people and mentally dysfunctional people; but I’m still figuring where to place you within that spectrum”, but I’ve learned differently. The indoctrination of flawed health facts through schools and other learning institution are the fault for your ignorance. I don’t want to write another vegan story and spend a few good hours lecturing someone who is confined to their pink world.. but if you actually took a better look at the facts, motives of man and industry, and simply use something I like to call ‘common-sense’, you’ll realize that this article (and veganism) is, in terms of health, correct.
I take it you have not studied within the fields of medicine or nutrition; its rather apparent. You are probably defending the flawed notions you’ve been taught because you are comfortably accustomed to it. Sure, why would you want to wake up to the realization that a lot of what you think you know isn’t true? Open your eyes; the world and lifestyle as you know it are not what they seem.
I’d like to add that humans, just like every other species, are equipped with a rather uniform anatomy. You do not have humans who are specifically made for meat and humans who are specifically made for greens. Our dental layout is anatomically uniform; please get your head out of your ass before you convince yourself of the idiotic idea that poorly maintained teeth means you were destined to eat meat.
I’m a Medical Biologist, and I too was brought up with the notion that meat, milk, adding condiments and whatnot was good for me. I realized its a load of jack. You may or may not want to hear it, but nature decides what you were BUILT for. Your biology, anatomy, physiology and your biochemistry all point towards the same thing; and no son, it isn’t a steak with a glass of milk. While society and technology have advanced at an incredible rate, our bodies cannot. Sure, you could theorize that over the course of 500 million years, you’d be well adapted to living your current lifestyle (given that the environmental pressure remains the same), but you cannot accomplish an evolutionary overhaul of your digestive tract within a couple thousand years.
Anyway, believe what you’d like, just take everything the industry tells you with a grain of salt. Oh and.. I think you should consider getting an education :).
Quote “NO ONE HAS THE SAME SET OFJAW OR TEETH SIZE. which means, people who dont eat meat might not be able to open their jaw wide enough to chew the meat and tear it down as much as someone with a more wide opening of the mouth.”
What a completely ridiculous statement! i think you are the one who need to educate themselves on the human anatomy!!
Everyone has different teeth? then one would have to assume that you had dog teeth then since you are eating carcass?
So why are you here if you are not interested in the topic?
Dude… There is a reason why cow’s milk is only for cows and not fed to other animals or babies… That milk is made for cows and I’m not a vegetarian! I love my meat. Cow’s milk is not made for us, if we want that, go drink mother’s milk.
It’s bot just bone health that suffers; It has been shown that there is a 5 times greater chance of contracting M.S. among dairy consumers; it was found that in Scandinavian countries there, (where they are all in the latitude eliminating the sunshine factor of M.S.) there was a 5 times greater incidence of M.S. among the inner dairy consuming farming communities than in the outer fish eating fishing communities . Dairy protein is also very similar to Myelin, the fatty sheathing to our nerves that M.S. attacks, Our bodies produce antibodies to the Dairy protein that strays into out of out digestive tracts, these antibodies seem to then attack the myelin in our nervous system. This relationship was shown by introducing the antibodies collected from people with no MS symptoms into healthy rats, The Rats subsequently developed brain lesions and M.S. symptoms. I have always loved eating cheese, ice cream etc, I also was diagnosed with M.S. a little while ago, why are these findings and the bone loss findings not used to recommend a healthy diet to the American people ? the almighty Dollar is why.
Research your food people don’t believe big business.
Thank you for caring enough about the human race to post this most important information about our bone health. It’s amazing to me how human beings seem to “selectively” evolve in this life. Profits, taste buds and greed usually seem to prevail. Also, I think people generally want to believe that what mainstream doctors and society are saying or promoting is good and beneficial to our families. People want to focus on other things in life like working, raising “healthy”/happy kids and saving for vacations and retirement. The problem is that we have to take ownership of our health and not walk around like puppets and as a group with a herd-like mentality; just doing what everyone does. By the time retirement comes around most people are too sick battling various illnesses and taking far too much medication to throughly enjoy retirement, if they make it that far. Many of our diseases and illnesses stem from poor diets. People need to be realistic and get their heads out of the sand and learn about diet and health thinking “out of the box”. If we are slaves to our taste buds then we’ll never evolve in a healthful way and the human race will eventually die off from our excessive, thoughtless and sometimes just plane misinformed food choices. At 47 years old and 25 year vegetarian people often think I’m a decade you get then I am. Animal food products are a drain on the human body. It’s so hard to talk about. Meat eaters in general become defensive and I lose my train of thought when trying to help educate. I think I will write a book!
Grace I agreed with everything you said except I didn’t understand what you meant when you said people think you are a decade.
I first got saw a mention about dairy products being bad for your bones from someone on Facebook when I said my mother has osteoporosis. A woman said I should get her off milk and ice cream straight away! Unfortunately my mother only takes notice of her doctor and not me. I must say I was surprised at finding out milk is bad for us when we have been told for so long how good it is for us. I was glad in a way as I always thought I didn’t get enough calcium because I had well under the amount of milk that was recommended for a child, yet when I had a bone density scan at 37 years old my bones were as good as a 20 year old! So my dad was doing me a favour without realising it when he deprived me of milk.
How is it legal for the medical profession to give us the wrong information?
Related scientific researches on milk harmful effect indicated in the book of Dr.Barnard N. Breaking the Food Seduction. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2003.:
1. Hazum E, Sabatka JJ, Chang KJ, Brent DA, Findlay JWA, Cuatrecasas P. Morphine in cow and human milk: Could dietary morphine constitute a ligand for specific morphine receptors? Science 1981;213:1010-2.
2. Benyhe S. Morphine: new aspects in the study of an ancient compound. Life Sci 1994;55:969-79.
3. Meisel H, FitzGerald RJ. Opioid peptides encrypted in intact milk protein sequences. Br ] Nutr 2000;84(suppll):S27-S31.
4. Panksepp J, Normansell L, Siviy S, Rossi J, Zolovick AJ. Casomorphins reduce separation distress in chicks. Peptides 1984;5:829-31.
5. Shah NP. Effects of milk-derived bioactives: an overview. Br ] Nutr 2000;84 (suppll):S3-S10.
6. Meisel H. Chemical characterization of opioid activity of an exorphin isolated from in vivo digests of casein. FEBS Letters 1986;196:223-7.
7. Teschemacher H, Umbach M, Hamel U, et al. No evidence for the presence of -casomorphin in human plasma after ingestion of cows’ milk or milk products. J Dairy Res 1986; 53:135-8.
8. Umbach M, Teschemacher H, Praetorius K, Hirschh?user R, Bostedt H. Demonstration of a casomorphin immunoreactive material in the plasma of newborn calves after milk intake. Regulatory Peptides 1985;12:223-30.
9. Chabance B, Marteau P, Rambaud JC, Migiiore-Samour D, Boynard M, Perrotin P, Guillet R, Joll?s P, Fiat AM. Casein peptide release and passage to the blood in humans during digestion of milk or yogurt. Biochimie 1998;80:155-65.
10. Clyne PS, Kulczycki A. Human breast milk contains bovine IgG. Relationship to infant colic? Pediatrics 1991;87:439-44.
11. Lindstr?m LH, Nyberg F, Terenius L, et al. CSF and plasma ?-casomorphin-like opioid peptides in postpartum psychosis. Am J Psychiatry 1984;141:1059-66.
12. Nyberg F, Lindstr?m LH, Terenius L. Reduced beta-casein levels in milk samples from patients with postpartum psychosis. Biol Psychiatry 1988;23:115-22.
13. Nyberg F, Lieberman H, Lindstrom LH, Lyrenas S, Koch G, Terenius L. Immuno-reactive ?-casomorphin-8 in cerebrospinal fluid from pregnant and lactating women: correlation with plasma levels. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1989;68:283-9.
14. Chaytor JP, Crathorne B, Saxby MJ. The identification and significance of 2-phenylethylamine in foods. J Sci Ed Agric 1975;26 :593-8.
15. Teschemacher H, Koch G, Brantl V. Milk protein-derived opioid receptor ligands. Biopolymers 1997;43:99-117.
16. Ratner D, Eshel E, Vigder K. Juvenile rheumatoid arthrirtis and milk allergy. J Royal Sac Med 1985;78:410-13.
17. Giovanhucci E, Rimm EB, Wolk A, Ascherio A, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Calcium and fructose intake in relation to risk of prostate cancer. Cancer Res 1998;58:442-7.
18. Chan JM, Stampfer MJ, Ma J, Gann PH, Gaziano JM, Giovannucci E. Dairy products, calcium, and prostate cancer risk in the Physicians’ Health Study. Am ] Clin Nutr 2001;74:549-54.
19. Heaney RP, McCarron DA, Dawson-Hughes B, et al. Dietary changes favorably affect bone remodeling in older adults. J Am Dietetic Asso 1999;99:1228-33.
20. Cohen P. Serum insulin-like growth factor-I levels and prostate cancer risk — interpreting the evidence. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998;90:876-9.
21. Peyrat JP, Bonneterre J, Hecquet B, et al. Plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations in human breast cancer. Eur J Cancer 1993;29A:492-7.
22. Hankinson SE, Willett WC, Colditz GA, et al. Circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 and risk of breast cancer. Lancet 1998;351:1393-6.
23. Ross RK, Henderson BE. Do diet and androgens alter prostate cancer risk via a common aetiologic pathway? J Natl Cancer Inst 1994;86:252-254.
24. Lloyd T, Chinchilli VM, Johnson-Rollings N, Kieselhorst K, Eggli DF, Marcus R. Adult female hip bone density reflects teenage sports-exercise patterns but not teenage calcium intake. Pediatrics 2000;106:40-4.
25. Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. Am J Publ Health 1997; 87:992-7.
You can find plenty of articles supporting the exact opposite. Just do a quick pubmed search.
Look at the dates of the articles you read, none of them are above 2000 year. old studies are old studies, new ones are always better with statistics, and if you are saying that milk is bad the go on and dont give your child any milk or milk products (cheese, sour cream, yogurt and so on) and see what happens. You will be amazed of the power of the milk. And BTW you dont have any medical degree that can state that milk is bad for you, you even said that your doctor said to drink alot of milk – he isnt wrong, he studies in university for many years, and what did you do? read some old books and now you have the qualification to judge a doctors opinion? Oh the society…
M.B I agree with you that more recent studies are great, however I will challenge you NOT to consumer dairy products and YOU see what happens, see if you fall down, or suffer a major calcium deficiency, you could do a blood test to prove it. just to re-iterate once more doctors do not study in the field of nutrition, therefore their knowledge is not based on their studies at university. They are completely different fields of study. So please dont blame someone for using their OWN intuition and doing their own research.
Can you cook with cow’s milk? Are brownies, pancakes, and any other food with milk just as an ingredient, bad for you? Should you only use other milks, like almond milk?
the health benefits of organic raw milk should not be put into the same category as pasteurized and homogenized milk raw milks nutritional profile is a lot different to the
main stream milk industry.
This has never come up before! Milk has always been around since thousands of years (being a part of animals). Why, I ask, why are we suddenly telling people this now?! Milk is a consumer product that millions of drink. Milk will be milk.
What a load of rubbish, you need vitamin D to absorb calcium that’s just the way it works.
PLEASE TRY TO RESEARCH SUCH AN ARTICLE BEFORE SHOUTING SUCH BULL SHIT THEORIES
You’re very angry, you dont need to be, this is a discussion and debate post. Everyone can argue their case calmy and without need for anger..
Yes he is very angry. He is also obviously low IQ probably welfare scum that refuses to work or be educated because he already thinks he knows everything
Really Lisa? You directly and childishly attack him and he’s the scum? Just saying!
If you want the truth about milk go to Dr Mercolas web site and put in his search window
is milk good for you and you will get a load of detailed articles on the harmful effect of milk unless it raw milk from grass fed cows on organic pesticide free pastures.
Have you seen the front cover of the latest TIME magazine the scientific community have finally admitted that fats are good for us, which is something that has been known for the last century and only now have they admitted that they were wrong except TRANS FAT that is extremely TOXIC. Cholesterol is another thing that has been lied about for the last 70 years. We need good cholesterol in our diet have a look at Dr Kummerow for nearly 8 decades has been studying the science of lipids, cholesterol and heart disease and nutrition. What has main stream Media been saying that Cholesterol is bad for you but what is the truth well do your own research and find out the facts.It is no DIFFERENT with the milk industry.
I believe milk starts us off in life then we wean ourselves off it like most animals
so maybe there’s a valid point in not drinking milk after a certain period especially other animals milk
What about drinking coconut milk
Coconut milk has many health benefits just make sure that you buy organic with no other ingredients. Just as nature intended.
WHY MILK IS BAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-PQCCiw_Zs
It’s on Youtube. It must be true.
This is BS what facts do they have?
Bobb if you want facts go to google and put in Dr Mercola. Once you on his web site put in ( is milk good for us ) and you should get plenty of articles about milk in great detail.
Hi, Dr. Mercola here. You shouldn’t believe what my website says, because it’s just one website. You should search places like pubmed.gov or other databases full of peer-reviewed journal articles. People keep siting my website like I know everything about milk and if its good or not. You should go read research articles and decide for yourself!
Gotta love the scientific research constantly mentioned but never cited. If anyone knows how calcium/vitamin c/etc affects bones, and that your bones do break down naturally but replace to the point you have a new skeleton every year, we have osteocytes and osteoblasts that serve their unique purpose. Also milk has lactose, lactose is a carb, one of the 3 most common disaccharides in simple sugars, milk is also a natural emulsifier which helps combine oils with water. Also consider when milk is digested usually it is not alone in the stomach and absorbs into other foods which also get broken down by stomach acid and the billions of beneficial bacteria and enzymes in your GI tract. On top all that, actually, MOST OF ALL – stomach acid IS essential for calcium absorption. It allows for it to be extracted from the milk by breaking down the milk, IT GETS absorbed into the stomach acid, calcium carbonate NEEDS stomach acid. I’m majoring in nutrition and holistic medicine and though I don’t believe in drink milk from other animals, I know this is BULLSHIT this whole un-cited blog.
buddy unless it is raw milk from grass fed cows on organic pasture ( pesticide free ) any other milk is rubbish.
I think you need to do a lot more research.
Sir Empirical above broke down milk metabolism to its physiological foundation. He used facts that are in research articles and nutrition textbooks everywhere. The basic structure of milk does not change even if its from a purple cow feed only sour patch kids. Lactose is formed by glucose bonded to galactose, both carb molecules. What research have you done? Oh yeah read a bunch of half wit articles like this one.
I don’t understand why this is even a debate. How does anyone think that drinking the milk of another animal is “healthy”? Or weird for that matter? Would you think it strange if cats began to suckle from humans when they were lactating? We artifically inseminate cows just so they will produce milk, then abort their calves. Cow’s lives are cut in half for our milk consumption. They are not made to feed us. They are made to feed their offspring. Cows are 100 pounds when they’re born and the milk they’re given makes then quadruple in size in months and we, being much smaller and requiring FAR different nutrients, consume the same nutrition from them for our entire lives. It’s disgusting, inhumane, and makes no sense to me. Calcium is highly available in kale, spinach, and many other leafy greens that absorb much better in the body. There are clear studies that show a high link of osteoporosis in countries that consume the most dairy. What else needs to be said?
There is a link betweem osteoporosis and sitting on your ass all day doing nothing for years. Bone mass comes from the need of the bone to become thicker from repeted agressions, like running or carrying wheights. If you do nothing your bone will eventually lose mass. And the medical community is starting to look at osteorosis and a natural aging event, not a disease
El juanito yes the medical industry do tell us we should be doing high impact exercises to strengthen our bones.
Good bone density is dependent on a good diet, exercise and sunlight.
Grace I agreed with everything you said except I didn’t understand what you meant when you said people think you are a decade.
I first got saw a mention about dairy products being bad for your bones from someone on Facebook when I said my mother has osteoporosis. A woman said I should get her off milk and ice cream straight away! Unfortunately my mother only takes notice of her doctor and not me. I must say I was surprised at finding out milk is bad for us when we have been told for so long how good it is for us. I was glad in a way as I always thought I didn’t get enough calcium because I had well under the amount of milk that was recommended for a child, yet when I had a bone density scan at 37 years old my bones were as good as a 20 year old! So my dad was doing me a favour without realising it when he deprived me of milk.
How is it legal for the medical profession to give us the wrong information?
CTFU! Right because all the farmers I know are just rolling around in money???????????? “And thats all I have to say about that” In my Forrest Gump voice…………
Holly you make a lot of sense. The only reason we are told to drink milk and consume other dairy products is to make money for farmers and the associated beneficiaries. It is wrong that the medical industry is being dishonest though. It is the same deal for eating meat, as that is not essential either.
Easy and simple to check if we loose Ca by drinking milk or not. have a two set of people or yourself. First one month, don’t drink milk or use any dairy products. Collect your urine everyday, every time (don’t mix). Next month, consume milk heavily (keep log of drinking time and amount), collect urine everyday, every time. With two months urine, give it to some lab to check Ca content. Each sample should cost less than a dollar for routine Ca check.
Stop worrying and leave the life. Drinking or not drinking milk you may save (just assumption) 1-2 yrs more. But, what difference does that make when you are already old and spent most of your past just worrying what to eat and not to eat.
It makes a huge difference to the poor animals terribly exploited just so you can have their milk. Being vegan is the best way forward, for humans, animals and indeed the planet.
That’s funny because I don’t think there are any vegan sharks out in the ocean. Did you know humans actually have a taste bud specifically for meat? We are meant to be carnivores by nature. I’m down to switch to almond milk but I will never give up my steak or chicken.
We’re obviously not meant to be carnivores all you have to do is look at our teeth. We were meant to eat fruits and nuts. That said I’m in the process of grilling a twenty six ounce bone in ribeye because it is friggin delicious.
actually we are omnivores. We have the design to eat meet and plants. Even vegans are not exactly health by not eating meat. Meat is essential. As you cant get some of the things from plants as you can in meats. Specific fats come to mind. Someone said look at your teeth. Yeah we have 4 sharp teeth that are for shredding meat, I bet you can guess which one. molars are for crushing and tearing. The front teeth are for biting into.
Green Bean we are definitely not designed to be carnivores. Take a look at a cats teeth and compare it to ours. You will see there is not much similarity. Our teeth more resembles a Chimp although their canines are much larger than ours. Chimps do eat small animals occasionally but most of their diet is Vegan. Our alimentary canal is also much longer than a cat’s. Ours is closer to the length of a horse than a cat. A cat only has a short alimentary canal so the meat passes through the gut quickly. If we eat lots of meat the meat will stay in our bodies for a long time and will cause problems, such as bowel cancer.
Although we’ve been carnivores, and yes, we have been in the beginning of human race, we’ve slowly changed to today’s human, to eat different, more balanced, aka, evolved. But, it is an outrageous and dangerous lie to say that we should live as vegans/vegetarians. Meat, to a certain amount and quality (and quality of processing it) belongs to our diet!
Yes you’re right Jenny. I am almost a vegan now and have been drinking brown rice milk instead of cows milk for about six months now. The only problem is non dairy products cost more than dairy. I am sure if more people bought them then the price would go down.
You’re a vegan huh? Have fun with your microcytic microchromic anemai (iron deficiency). Oh green leafy veggies have iron? Yes they do, non-heme iron. You need heme iron too. Where do you get that you ask? Animals products only!!! Also have fun with your megaloblastic anemia (vitamin B12 deficiency). Where do you get B12? Animal products only!!! If you do not eat any animal products ever, you will still have deficiencies. Theres a reason real, dedicated vegans tend to look pale. They’re anemic, which is bad in case you didn’t know.
The basic flaw in Vivian’s argument is that if the animal protein in milk is acidifying and depletes our bones of calcium to neutralise it, what of the immensely larger quantities of animal protein that are part of most people’s daily diet. You steak eaters should be quite boneless by now. Obviously there is something missing (wrong?) in the assumption that the body will leach Ca from bones to compensate.
As a child , I stopped drinking milk in first grade. I could not keep it down. I am 67 and still don’t drink milk. I do eat Fage plain yogurt with honey and fresh fruit. I like cheese. and eat ice cream once in a while. Is that ok? I have osteoporosis, I have just started to take AlgaeCal, because my doctor wanted me to take Prolia, and I refused. I exercise for 20- 30 minute daily.
Weight bearing exercises build bone density. Ask your doctor if you can.
Anything in excess can be bad of course. In general, I see nothing wrong with milk in its intended form, from cows that aren’t being pumped with all sorts of antibiotics and hormones. Do i use it as my prinary source of calcium? Not really. One issue I have regarding this article is that the author criticizes milk for its calcium absorption yet recommends almond milk. While almond milk is healthy and delicious, it has other components that compete for calcium absorption and win, thus making it a poor source for calcium. My nutritionist has a client whose doctor told her to cut dairy. The nutritionist warned her not to stop drinking milk, especially in favor of almond milk. The client cut dairy anyways and within the year developed osteoporosis. Granted, this is only one person, but I have a hard time believing milk can’t be beneficial when used properly. There are many great sources for calcium other than milk too of course, but this article seems sketchy…
“milk in it’s intended form”
For humans, that would be human milk, until the natural age of weaning between 2 and 7. Cow milk is only intended for calves, not humans.
Exactly ER
Agree!! Anything in excess IS BAD…. for real, even wather… i think the recomendation about other milk is for people who like to drink milk.. Like me i like my Choco Krispis of course with milk but if i dont want to leach Ca from my bones and still want to eat my Choco krispis i better start taking some alternatives. In my case i don’t think is necesary to whipe out milk from diet, but I definitely stoping using it as primary source of Ca.
I don’t know that they were giving milk substitutes for calcium rather than just “drink this to replace your milk so you don’t feel deprived”. You can kick milk and research better, vegan ways to get calcium. 🙂
So the video that has been going around where the milk is poured into the coca-cola bottle and shows what it looks like after a couple hours, it was like sand/dirt at the bottom of the bottle and a clear yellowish liquid at top separate from the sediment….What does that mean….?There was no article ,if I remember correctly, to explain what your seeing. So I wonder what all of you opinionated people on this thread, not what but how you all would explain it based off of what this article is trying to say?
Unless you have an allergy or are lactose intolerant there is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking milk. And now that it is possible to get lactose-free milk, well, that problem has been solved. Cow milk is a million times healthier than soy milk, which most vegans chug by the gallon. The funniest and most illogical reasoning that this article puts forth, and which I’ve heard thousands of times from other anti-dairy preachers, is this thing about how “unnatural” it is to consume the milk produced by another species for its young. You could use the same flawed reasoning to criticize eating the sex organs of plants (otherwise known as fruits). Nature is weird and wonderful and all creatures consume all sorts of “weird” stuff. Science does not back up the claims in this article. I am fortunate enough to live in the countryside where I can get fresh whole milk from local purveyors that is delicious and pure.
yeah, those “flower sex organs” were made sweet in order to attract animals into eating them and disperse the seeds. it IS natural to eat fruits. such ignorance
Are you sure Ms Trimble isn’t correct? Her statistics are very impressive; after saying “a million times more healthy” has got to be seen as an impressive statement to anyone’s ears. Especially if someone is chugging gallons of anything during a single day. I have to wonder why she talks to so many strangers about their eating/drinking habits unless she has either an over-active imagination or comes from a diary-producing family who feel threatened by the possibilities which seem to be coming to light.
And who knew there were thousands of anti-dairy preachers anyway? But now I do seem to remember seeing adverts in the back of comic books years ago offering degrees in Anti-Dairy preaching. Apparently the church is not so fond of cows.
Comments left are funny things. And always tend to verge on silly when the individual is emotionally close (for whatever reason) to a matter. It’s general knowledge now that the USDA have very successfully been making up all sorts of advertising points since the early 1900s to move milk surplus. It’s what any organisation vigorously attempts to do to increase sales. And of course, few ever questioned their statements, much less demanded any sort of evidence. But lies they are.
Things change with the accumulation of information no matter how much we prefer they do not. Even if opinions don’t.
It’s hard to know what to believe about milk and bone health:
https://chriskresser.com/does-dairy-cause-osteoporosis
I started checking the journal articles citied here. Although the first study does say, “Consumption of diary products, particularly at age 20 years, was associated with an increase risk of hip fracture in old age,” you forgot to mention that the article goes on to say just a few sentences later that, “(s)ome of the results of this study were unanticipated and may be due to chance or bias. If confirmed by other studies, these results would challenge some current approaches to hip fracture prevention.” This article is from 1994. Other studies have not found similar results. If you look up journals linking dairy consumption with osteoporosis, all of them state a positive relationship between milk absorption and a decreased risk of osteoporosis. In fact, one article written in 2000 states that, “(o)f 52 investigator-controlled calcium intervention studies, all but two showed better bone balance at high intakes, or greater bone gain during growth, or reduced bone loss in the elderly, or reduced fracture risk” (Calcium, dairy products, and osteoporosis, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 19,2). Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. I have yet to find replicated evidience-based studies showing milk consumption has negative health effects.
I started checking the journal articles citied here. Although the first study does say, “Consumption of diary products, particularly at age 20 years, was associated with an increase risk of hip fracture in old age,” you forgot to mention that the article goes on to say just a few sentences later that, “(s)ome of the results of this study were unanticipated and may be due to chance or bias. If confirmed by other studies, there results would challenge some current approaches to hip fracture prevention.” This article is from 1994. Other studies have not found similar results. If you look up journals linking dairy consumption with osteoporosis, all of them state a positive relationship between milk absorption and a decreased risk of osteoporosis. In fact, one article written in 2000 states that, “(o)f 52 investigator-controlled calcium intervention studies, all but two showed better bone balance at high intakes, or greater bone gain during growth, or reduced bone loss in the elderly, or reduced fracture risk” (Calcium, dairy products, and osteoporosis, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 19,2). Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. I have yet to find replicated evidience-based studies showing milk consumption has negative health effects.
How about we all have a little experiment/competition. Milk and meat lovers eat nothing but meat and drink milk, and the rest of us will stick to vegetables grains and water. Whoever lives longer wins. Go!
How about this you shut up go home put a shotgun in your mouth and do us all a favor.
In a world of ignorence and greed,Pasterized milk is use less,. seeing as how they both have the same shelve life. no amino acids no magniseum or any thing to get calcium to bone.It,s great for arterial plaque that cause hypertension ,. heart desease. Why do you think you never hear that It’s a 19.1 billion dollar industy, and ignorece makes more and more with a 40 million year instinck GREED
Why are you so upset that I don’t blindly follow the masses?
Also I’m home and I don’t own a shot gun, so I ate some black beans and quinoa and went out and hugged a cow.
Good one, Jason. Are you single? For women, compassion is a real turn on. Take note, Juan.
Debra you are so right!
Jason, either diet that you describe sounds completely imbalanced and both theoretical groups would result in unhealthy people. Anyway, I eat a lot more vegetables than many of the junk-food vegans I know who stuff their faces with chips, bread, pasta, rice, tofu, snack bars made of refined sugars and low-grade grains, and other empty calories that I either avoid or abstain from completely. I am a big fan of dairy and eggs and I eat meat/fish a couple of times a week, only consuming the most ethically produced, non-factory farmed, (or wild) and thus expensive, products. I have perfect cholesterol levels, low blood pressure and am free of allergies. It’s interesting to me how many people who start restricting their diets along vegan/gluten-free lines soon develop all sorts of sensitivities to various foods, including fruits and vegetables. That is what imbalance does to the body.
Hi my questions in regard to the yogurt,.. and would if have any negative effects,. I make it here,. of raw caw milk,.. we heat it up to almost building point,.. then we add kefir and alout to sit till ready,.. is there still calcium even after heated,.. would you call it a posetive and a negative for it coming from a caw milk,.. i like to have them prity frequently at times,.. full of fruits,..:) thank you,.. i will love your comment,. thank you,..
Yes, yes!! My mom told me that today whenever she got home from church (’cause I was staying home to do my homework). And she said that it’s full of pus and a bit of blood and now, I’m absolutely disgusted. I can’t even finish my cereal. Is coconut milk good? I only use it topically and my mom does for cooking, but I wonder if it would taste good…
Well your moms a dirty common street whore who has so much knowledge a hamster is smarter. The only thing full of pus and blood is her biscuit.
Why do ignorant people always feel the need to insult others? Geez please be respectful, if you disagree say so and state your reasons and facts to back then up, really? How old are you?.
Latisha, sorry to bust your perfect world, but those are things found in milk. Yes, it would be upsetting to me also knowing that my mom allowed me to consume such a gross thing. But this is the world we live in…………
It is about $$$$$$$$$, not our health, or living a long life. Ignorance is not a bad thing. But if someone tries to educate you and you get defensive and REACT in an ignorant fashion, will then my friend, that is the real sad thing .
Seriously, Latisha, I recommend you develop some manners (and acquire some education) before you leave comments here.
It seems that about every five years or so, Doctors/Scientists change their position on what is good or bad for us. First eggs were good then they were bad, now they are good again, same with salt, butter, cholesterol numbers etc, just to name a few. You people have no real clue what the hell you are doing, You spend a hundred thousand dollars on an education and then release some “brilliant” new theory that milk is bad for you. Really? You Doctors/Scientists have lost nearly all trust and credibility in my book. I think I will just stick to the old fashioned rule of eating a good healthy balanced diet in moderation, get a good night’s sleep, and plenty of exercise because any new information you have on what may be good or bad for me is garbage.
Why is it always about us? Quit worrying about whether it’s good for you or bad for you. All you need to know is that it’s bad for the animals! You can eat a healthy diet with absolutely no animal products in it. That’s a fact. Leave the animals alone!
Drinking Cow milk may not be natural…. But killing animals and eating their meat is.
How is eating meat not natural, Humans have evolved as omnivores, hence the sharper pointy teeth up front and flat teeth near the back. We evolved to eat both,therefore I will eat both. That being said, in this day and age there is no reason for corporations to treat the livestock in cruel or inhumane ways, insure as best as you can the meat is from farmers that do free range,etc. for their livestock.
No you can’t. Without animal products at all, you will be anemic and if you pump yourself full of soy products you are increasing your risk of breast cancers.
We’re not supposed to be able to drink cow’s milk. Our ancient relatives didn’t. It’s actually a fairly new concept (not new like last year, but the last like hundred years). This is why there are so many people who are lactose intolerant, we genetically aren’t designed to drink milk from any animal but our mother’s (but yes sometimes lactose intolerant babies can’t drink their mother’s milk).
By last hundred years, you should mean about 7500 years ago
Jarrett is correct. People have been consuming animal products, from meat, to milk, to eggs, to honey for many thousands more years than they have been eating the soybean, which is toxic except in its fermented form. Also, are all you vegans aware of the fact that unless you are growing your own veg inside a sterilized space bubble, there is a death count of all sorts of creatures that is unavoidable in agriculture? This is especially true of large-scale industrial farming, which I oppose. I have known loads of vegans who go around with this holier-than-thou attitude yet do not even bother to buy organic or small-farm foods. They either ignore or are genuinely ignorant of the fact that the cheap industrially produced fruit and veg they buy kills hundreds of living beings (insects, amphibians and rodents) by its production methods. Feeling superior because the frog or fox doesn’t end up on your plate is just plain stupid. Death is inevitable. It is a part of life. It is not “wrong” to consume animal products and the animals are not mad at us if we do. They kill and eat each other too and have no concept of ethics. But as humans we have the ability to feel compassion and care about animal welfare. So being an ethical omnivore is not only the healthiest choice, it is a more realistic and honest position plus we have far more power in terms of improving animal welfare than the abstainers. I don’t have an opinion about what anyone does as a matter of personal taste or personal conscience, but I object to the assumptions regarding morality that are typical of the vegan movement.
This whole acid theory has been debunked for years now, this is just a blog posting from a Vegan who is against any animal foods. I drink not just Raw Milk, but also Raw Milk colostrum from our cows, and all of my labs come back at the optimal levels.
Not just a vegan who is against any animal foods, but a vegan who seems to have a very limited understanding of osteoporosis to begin with. Just take a look at the “About” page.
Supposedly, after being diagnosed, she had to lament whether or not the horrible disease would prevent her for being there for her sons.
Problem: Osteoporosis? Not exactly something that leaves you bedridden. Nor is the only treatment medication and milk. One of the effective ways of boosting your bone density involves certain types of exercise (endurance, load bearing, etc.), which naturally start boosting your bone density. There’s extremely limited evidence that changing your diet can help (beyond cutting back on alcohol and tobacco). For fuck’s sake, it seems to be a case of “for the first few years, play it safer and do these things, and then just keep an eye on it from then on.” There’s a slightly increased mortality rate due to complications from fractures, but only a VERY slight one.
To hear her tell it though, it’s the worst thing since cancer. Sure, it sucks, but it’s not going to end your life as you know it. And I don’t think this lunacy is any sort of coincidence, considering she’s also trying to sell a book in the process. The more likely scenario here is that she wanted to resort to good ol’ scare tactics and misinformation just to help her bottom line.
“To hear her tell it though, it’s the worst thing since cancer.”??? What kind of BS is that?
pasteurized milk is as bad as meat in general because of all the chemicals(hormones) in it, pasteurization takes away most benefits from milk. that is not to say to avoid milk altogether, but it depends on people who are looking for a non-processed or non animal product.
PEOPLE PLEASE READ ENTIRE POST BEFORE COMMENTING
How about everyone shuts the fuck up and gather together to attack the PEOPLE IN CHARGE of and who create these “nutritional facts” and tell them to tell the rest of the world the TRUTH instead of attacking each other?
No one here is an idiot or stupid. We all have our opinions and facts; we are all right, and we are all wrong.
Let’s face it. Some people are allergic to certain foods and will die if they eat it. At the same time, other people can eat the same foods that their “allergenic siblings” do their whole lives and still live healthily.
SCREW THE “SCIENTIFIC FACTS”
Hell, drinking too much water can kill you. Too much of anything can kill you.
As long as you consume enough, and not more than enough of milk, you’ll be fine.
FOR EVERYONE ELSE
Stop putting people down for their personal opinion. Everyone is different with different morals and beliefs; that does not make them wrong.
Best comment here. Unbiased and even though not very informational, still hits the nail on the head and puts that nail in the coffin! Good read!
PS: Humans should drink human breast milk. All other animals should drink their respective species milk, or other source of motherly nutrients.
I have (almost) always drunk milk. Cow’s milk, and lots of it. Nearly all of it pasteurized and (unfortunately) homogenized.
I have ridden skateboards a lot (and crashed). Bicycles a lot (and crashed). Motorcycles (and crashed). Skied on snow, surfed in big waves and flown hanggliders (and crashed some)…
(I do fly my own plane – which I have never crashed…)
As a paratrooper I jumped out of planes and in the military in general went through quite a bit of physically “demanding” activity.
And I have yet to break a bone… (during all my dangerous milk drinking and rambunctious activities).
I’m in my 50’s now and drinking a quart (or two) of organic un-homogenized milk (with extra cream) daily.
After going back to milk and (red) meat, and dumping all grains and sugar and fake “milks”, I dropped whatever pesky weight was still around my middle and now weigh perilously close to my high school weight (although I’m taller…)
Speaking of fake “milks” I was never sicker, more tired, or fatter than the crappy span of years I was stupidly drinking soy milk. I’ll never get those years back. Never.
I do have a question:
I am clearly lactose “tolerant”. So my question is…Why? Could it be because it’s genetic? In my DNA? Because many thousands of years ago my ancestors discovered the evolutionary benefit of dairy and adapted so fully and successfully to it that it is now coded in my own genes? That would mean drinking cow’s milk is genetically “normal” for me. And not drinking it would be abnormal. Ah! Eureka!
I want to say you are lucky, but that might not be the case. You’re correct about our human evolution and DNA adaptation to milk and other various parts of life. Although I’m not certain that is a fact, and I won’t say it is fact, it does play a major part in our lives, and it has proven itself to humans that we can adapt to something and become what you would call “immune.” However, like annual flu shots, our immunities will most likely fail, not because we lose immunity, but because, say for example, milk will modify itself to go around our immunity, the same way the flu and other viruses do. I’m not saying milk will naturally do this, or will do it at all, but what I call “nutritional modifiers” will probably do everything in their power to change our “god given pure nutrients and foods.” Again, I’m not saying they will, but history has shown that people do this to our natural food source and mineral substances.
Totaly wrong…. Nazism, is a belief; that make them wrong.
And i’ll keep putinng down Nazis what ;ever. The most anithical is to know and do nothing about than do it…
Amen!
Thank you for this, I agree, I don’t see why people are getting so bent out of shape about MILK! I would love to understand but it is a matter of personal choice, I love mangoes but I don’t insult people and their mothers when they don’t like them. I’m glad this article was here as my one year old daughter is intolerant to cow’s milk, (she was breastfed for over a year and did fine) she started getting sick after drinking cow milk and this and other articles along with health professionals have helped me understand why. I don’t think you can die from milk consumption but it is just not designed for us just like breast milk is designed by a mother’s body for each individual child. Let’s all just get along and gather what we each can use from this without putting other people down.
Usually when you use a scientific study to try and prove something you cite that study so that the people reading your work have access to the raw data. Is there some reason that you don’t want us to read this vast accumulation of data that suggests milk is bad? Until you cite the sources I’m going to assume that you made all that “science” up.
Scientific research has proven that we ARE NOT COWS therefore we should NOT drink cows milk.
Scientific research has proven that we are not earth, therefore we should not eat seeds, nuts, fruits…
Ok dumb ass so what do we eat each other -.- . We are not cows fucktard
Haha oh some of you people are entertaining! You are wound up so tight I fear milk is the least of your concerns!
If you wanna bring Earth into this, cows would be included in that too. And so would we. And then you could think even bigger and say we are not stars, therefore we should not eat ~universe. You’re fucking retarded.
Common Sense, what a surprise! Especially as your comment on the Coca-Cola article said we should be drinking milk. You must have got educated and changed your mind. I’m glad you are not set in your ways and can see logic. Of course it doesn’t make sense that humans are drinking milk that was designed for a cow to suckle her calf with. Many people are unaware that a cow has to get pregnant with a calf before she can produce milk. So soon after she gives birth her cow is taken away from her so we can have her milk instead of her calf. How heartless is that, and unnecessary! And of course only male calves will be kept for breeding but that is very minimal so most of those young male calves are killed for veal.