In the western culture mainly, milk has always been known as a nutritional part of a
balanced diet. Some scientists say milk is great for the body because it contains great amounts of
calcium, vitamins, and protein. While it is still a very popular drink, studies that have recently
been put out say that milk can cause major health issues. Researchers say that the consumption
of milk can lead to allergies, lactose intolerance, and in worse cases cancer. The dairy industry
does a great job at making us believe that milk is great for our bones. Contrary to popular belief,
milk is harmful for human consumption. In other words, milk does not do the body good.
Humans are the only mammal species that drinks milk as adults. Humans only drank their
mother’s milk as an infant until the agricultural revolution. Naturally, most humans stop
producing the enzyme to break down lactose after being weaned as a toddler. The human body
does not digest milk very well. Most scientist say that we should get the nutrients that are in milk
like calcium and protein from other foods like seeds, beans, fruits, vegetables, and grains. Cow’s
milk has been linked to a variety of health problems, including mucous production, childhood
diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, kidney stones, mood swings, depression, irritability, and
allergies. Whether you should consume milk or not has been argued for many years because the
nutrients found in milk are in many other healthier food sources and the harmful effects are not
worth the risk.
Many people are starting to look for alternatives to milk like, almond milk, soy milk, or
lactose free milk. As an infant, your body makes digestive enzyme called lactase, which breaks
down lactose from your mother's milk. Lactose intolerance is caused when people don’t produce
enough of the enzyme lactase needed to break down the lactose, or sugar, in milk so that it can
be more easily absorbed. However, many people lose the ability to break down lactose in
adulthood. Actually, about 75% of the world’s adult population is not able to break down the
lactose from milk (Swallow 2003). Which makes these other milks a great alternative. People
who have lactose intolerance suffer from symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea when
they consume milk. Good milk substitutes for calcium are kale, broccoli, almonds, figs and some
mineral waters
We were always told to drink our milk if we wanted strong and healthy bones. That’s not
necessarily the case though. Animal proteins produce acid when they’re broken down, and
calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer, so in order to neutralize and flush out the acids, our
bodies must use the calcium that the milk contains—as well as some from our own stores. So,
every glass of milk we drink sucks calcium from our bones. That’s why medical study has found
that people who consume the most cow’s milk have significantly higher fracture rates than those
who drink little to no milk (2019). Until the start of the 20th century milk was raw or
unpasteurized. Homogenization became the dairy industries standard, which is the process of
breaking down the fat molecules in milk so that they stay integrated rather than separating as
cream. This changes the chemistry of milk which ultimately reduces the amount of calcium it
contains.
To prevent diseases in cows based off how they are raised pesticides, antibiotics, and
other chemicals are put into the milk we drink. In a study done by Emory University in
conjunction with The Organic Center, they found that antibiotic residues were detected in 60%
of conventional milk samples and none of the organic samples. Significantly, 37 percent of the
conventional samples tested positive for sulfamethazine, and 26 percent for sulfathiazole, both of
which have long been outlawed in lactating dairy cows. Furthermore, one of the conventional
samples contained residue levels of amoxicillin that exceeded the federally-allowed limit. They
also found that Bovine growth hormone (bGH) residue levels were found to be 20 times higher
in conventional milk than organic. Because dairy cows are kept on sex hormones or pregnant for
their entire lives in order to lactate for humans year-round, when you eat or drink dairy, you're
also taking in a extremely high amount of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Clinical studies have connected milk to an increase in cholesterol and saturated fat in
your diet, and an increase in the likelihood of getting prostate or breast cancer, as well the
development of obesity, diabetes, or heart disease (Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine ).
Annotated Bibliography
•
“Here Are 12 Reasons Why Milk Is Bad for You | PETA Living.” PETA, 27 June 2019,
www.peta.org/living/food/reasons-stop-drinking-milk/.
o This article written by the PETA organization (People for the ethical treatment of
animals) is providing reasons and examples on why humans should stop drinking
cow’s milk.
•
“Is Drinking Milk Healthy for Humans?” Is Drinking Milk Healthy for Humans?,
milk.procon.org/.
o This article gives testimonies and research by different people and their opinions
on whether milk is healthy for humans.
•
“Pros and Cons of Drinking Cow's Milk.” Healthline, Healthline Media,
www.healthline.com/health/is-milk-bad-for-you.
o This article gives both sides of the argument giving nutritional facts to support
whether milk is healthy for human consumption.
•
Sencer. “Is Milk Good or Bad for You?” KQED Education, 15 July 2017,
ww2.kqed.org/education/2016/03/09/is-milk-good-or-bad-for-you/.
o SENCER is a community of transformation that consists of educators and
administrators in the higher and informal education sectors. This article discusses
how the potential risks can outweigh its high nutritional benefit.
•
“Truth Is Life!” Truth Is Life, blog.truth-is-life.org/health/why-milk-isnt-healthy/.
o This article written by Michelle Schoffro Cook, discusses different strategies on
replacing the outdated food pyramids.
•
“Why Milk Isn't Necessary for Strong Bones or Weight Loss - But Is Linked to Disease
and Other Health Issues.” Food Revolution Network, 22 Aug. 2018,
foodrevolution.org/blog/the-truth-about-milk/.
o This article by Neal Barnard discusses the troubling findings about diary and the
ethical and environmental impact of diary.
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