Is milk bad for you?
Milk: Some say it's healthy, others that it's bad for you. Best Health combed through the research to conclude: for most, it does a body good
By Lisa Bendall
Lately milk’s health properties have come into question. Some people fear it will make them gain weight, while a few grassroots groups have claimed it can cause diseases ranging from osteoporosis to Alzheimer’s. So is milk bad for you?
Milk allergies and intolerances
It is for those with a true allergy to it, which accounts for about one percent of adults. They must avoid cow’s milk (and may opt for rice or soy beverages). Some with lactose intolerance—which affects at least seven million Canadians who don’t produce an enzyme to break down lactose, the sugar found in milk—may also opt for rice, soy or goat’s milk. (“Goat’s milk has a slightly different protein structure that, for some people, may be more easily digestible,” says Desirée Nielsen, a registered dietitian in Delta, B.C.)
3 benefits of milk
What about everyone else; is milk good? “For most people, milk doesn’t cause any problems,” says Dr. Dara Maker, a Toronto physician. In fact, it offers important health benefits. Here are three.
It’s packed with healthy nutrients
Canada’s Food Guide recommends adults have two dairy servings a day—three if you’re 51 or over. Milk is extremely high in calcium; one cup (250 mL) of 2% milk contains 302 mg (the RDI, or recommended daily intake, for women age 19 to 50 is 1,000 mg a day). And it contains a number of other vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamins A and K, and most of the B vitamins.
Plus, milk in Canada is fortified with vitamin D, which can otherwise be hard for us to come by in our northern climate—since sunshine is the main source. “Vitamin D is required to help you absorb calcium through your intestinal wall, and calcium helps to build up the bones,” says Maker. “If you don’t have a proper balance of those two nutrients, it leads to osteoporosis.”
Milk is also packed with protein, points out Nielsen. “A cup has nine grams of protein, which is a lot.” That’s more than two slices of turkey breast, which has eight grams.
It may fight disease
A 2008 study at Harvard Medical School found that low-fat milk can reduce high blood pressure. And data from the American Institute for Cancer Research shows evidence that milk probably protects against colorectal cancer. (However, the same study finds “limited evidence” that men who consume a diet high in milk and dairy products may be at risk for prostate cancer.)
Several studies have demonstrated the virus-fighting properties of lactoferrin and other milk components. A 2009 review at the universities of Reading, Cardiff and Bristol in the U.K. concluded that drinking milk is associated with longer life in Western society.
As for claims that drinking milk actually causes osteoporosis or Alzheimer’s disease, Nielsen says there is no solid evidence to back them up. Some studies have made a correlation between milk consumption and acne. “With chronic acne, people might find some relief by removing milk from their diet,” she says.
It maintains a healthy weight
Choosing low-fat milk, such as skim, is the best way to reap benefits without taking in as much fat, say experts. In fact, the buzz is that milk may help you stay slim: It’s associated with lower weight in some studies. Nielsen says this is because milk makes you feel full, turning semi-solid in the stomach.
The state of Canadian milk
What about claims that growth hormones and pesticides are in our milk? According to Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), growth hormones are not permitted in Canadian dairy cattle. To ensure hormone-free milk, look for the DFC’s logo on products. Some people concerned about pesticides in cattle feed opt for organic milk, but there’s no proof it’s better. Raw (unpasteurized) milk is illegal to buy here, to protect against bacterial contamination. (It’s not illegal to drink it, however, and an Ontario dairy farmer recently won the right to distribute raw milk to members of his dairy co-op only.)
The bottom line? While milk may cause problems for some, research shows it’s a powerhouse of wellness for most people.
This article was originally titled "The Truth About Milk," in the March/April 2010 issue of Best Health. Subscribe today to get the full Best Health experience—and never miss an issue!—and make sure to check out what's new in the latest issue of Best Health.
Best Health Magazine, March/April 2010
This is absolutely ridiculous. Since when did we become so insanely conscienscous to the point of obsession over what we eat/drink?! Here we all are commenting on the possible ill-effects of milk (to which many have drank for years and years with no sole adverse effects aside from those who are lactose intolerant) instead of thinking about other problems in our diets? Comon people, we can be worried about our diets (and we should be) but what? Are we going to start opting for diet soda (which isn't that healthy) or frozen juice in place of milk? Maybe milk isn't that healthy for you but compared to what millions drink daily, milk is one of the healthiest. Milk alone won't cause great negative/positve effects as many other factors are always prominent. Instead of ranting on and siting "trustworthy" scientific information, maybe we should try and focus on a healthy lifestyle as a whole. Drink milk, don't drink milk...it doesn't particularily matter but the chances of that one glass of milk causing horrible aftereffects when you are healthy is slim to none. One guaranteed way to stay healthy is everything in moderation and that includes milk.
Look at all of you hippies thinking milk is bad for you from some crap you've read on the internet.
Learn how to analyze sources.
PS: Most of the sources on milk sites are not credible (doubt you even know how to tell if a source is credible or not). Just because a website lists sources for its information doesn't mean they are reliable.
Just on a side note, humans aren't the only animals that drink another species milk (usual crap I hear from anti-milkers). We can eat every part of an animal: it's skin, it's brain, it's bones - how is it so confounding for you people that we can eat their milk?
Also, note that the reason most of the world is lactose intolerant as opposed to Europeans is because Europeans have been dairy farming for centuries. Storing our water and liquids in wooden casks (it ferments) is also why we hold our liquor so well as compared to some other cultures (we've been drinking alcohol for much longer).
"Other animals don't drink milk after they're weened." So what?! Other animals don't eat pepperoni pizzas either; do you find that odd as well? How is that even a valid argument?!
Bet you all think that the illuminati flew planes into the world trade centre and that there are aliens at area 51. Anyways, until multiple credible universities release peer reviewed studies (bet you don't know what that means) showing real results telling me that milk has detrimental effects to my personal well-being, I'm gonna keep drinking it.
Have fun drinking soy milk and doing your lemon cleanse diets. Hopefully no one releases an internet documentary with 'real looking studies' and 'facts' that claim killing yourself is good for your health, you guys would be in trouble...
I can't believe people have been so brainwashed to think that cows milk is actually good for you!! In fact ANY dairy products like cream, cheese, ice cream etc is NOT good for you because it will lead to osteoporosis and cancer.. I will explain.
Milk contains something called Casein which is the name for a family of related phosphoprotein proteins found in cows milk (80 percent of it) which should never be consumed by humans! Yes milk is the perfect food but only for baby calves!!!
Studies were done many years back by an Indian doctor with feeding Casein to lab rats. The rats that were fed 20% Casein had signs of early stage tumor growth after 3 weeks where as the ones who were fed 5% showed no tumor activity at all. This study was recently done again by a doctor in the United States and his results were the same!
Also, when you drink milk it actually causes your body PH level to become acidic causing Metabolic Acidosis. What happpens is that when your body PH level is acidic your body will take CALCIUM from your bones (your bodys best natural defense from acid) to counter the acid. This is what causes osteoporosis and many bone problems. Although Milk does have a high amount of calcium it removes FAR more from your bones then it gives you.
Don't drink milk it is VERY bad for you. I'm not an animal rights activist or anything I actually go hunting for sport and fishing all the time so don't think that's why I'm saying milk is bad for you. Everything I told you is based on medical scientific research and it has been proven.
Please name me one other mammal that drinks a processed soybean. Yup, thought so.
Has anyone actually considered that milk is far, far better for anyone (with the exception of those who are lactose intolerant, of course) that almost everything else out there? Those who withhold milk from their children and give them juice, carbonated beverages such as Pepsi, Coke or Sprite, and water should be ashamed of themselves, because they are robbing their young ones of nutrients they need to reach their full growing potential. No other beverage out there is as rich is calcium and protein, as well as being such a good medium for vitamin D.
The problem with calcium-fortified soy milk, orange juice, etc. is that no matter how much the label says is in it, only a small portion is bioavailable, or absorbable by your body. The calcium in milk is far more bioavailable than any other 'enriched' beverage out there, which means you will benefit from it far more. Do your research.
IAs a child, I started by drinking whole milk, then 2%, then 1% and then skim as an adult, and I am a healthy 6'1", with bones and teeth in great shape (never broken a bone, and no cavities either). We never had juice or pop in the house. Ever. And when we grew up, it was everywhere, and we tried it of course, but are not compelled to drink it more than in polite compmany.
Milk will not fatten your children or send their blood sugar skyrocketing unlike juice, soda pop, kool-aid or whatever else. The only other drinkable liquids out there would be water and tea - refreshing yes, nourishing no.
I can certainly understand people being concerned about hormones, and there is some truth to that in other countries, but it is mostly hype, much like pork infected by H1N1, the Toyota 'scandal', and people catching BSE from eating cattle suffering from it (that's right, the cows suffer. Not the people, since BSE affects only the cow's brain and motor abilities - it does not make them rabid or crazy - and last I checked, not many people indugle in a good brain of beef on a regualr basis. Back to the point though.)
Bottom line: you do yourself and your children a disservice not to drink milk. The only people I can see doing so are vegans and vegetarians who have beliefs associated with using animals for food.
I am currently raising a tall glass of skim milk to the screen. Cheers, folks - bottoms up.
Actually, if you are sick, milk won't help you at all. It makes you have alot more mucous and phlegm. And if you want to get calcium, take vitamins or supplements or you can eat almonds, broccoli, bread, or spinach. Look it up. Milk will not provide that much calcium. It actually does not make your bones stronger, it makes them weaker! It is proven by professionals. If you don't believe me, look at this link.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091205102848AANK4Bw
Copy and paste it to the address bar at the top of the page. Scroll to the last comment. If you read it, you'll see what I mean. Then surf the internet. You'll find slot more pages saying the same thing.
X-tra facts:
Goat milk is even better for you because it is easier to digest.
If you are going to drink cow milk, drink it raw. It's 100% better for you. Any milk raw is 100% better for you. The homogenization messes up the molecules and the pasturization (heating the milk at extreme temperatures to "kill the bacteria") kills some bacteria, sure but it also kills alot of the healthy things in milk too.
I'm 11 but I know this because I read like 20 books a nihjt and stay up til' 1:30 and half my life was spent in front of the computer and from my mom who is a very holistic and healthy person.
K.
The Canada Food Guide is supported by Funds from the Dairy Foundation of Canada, so consider where this information is coming from. You may also look up research on epidemiological studies about Asia, where (until recently when diet there more closely resembles the western diet) osteoporosis is almost unheard of, as well as prostate cancer, a disease that has been clearly linked to high dairy and meat consumption ( as opposed to fish and vegetables emphasis). I invite interested parties to seek out ALL sources of information, and to think critically about what is being offered as "opinion of the day"...!
Stop killing the cows with pesticides and gentically modified wheats. The cows dont even eat grass anymore like they used to. is grass to expensive to own these days, so we feed the cows with useless filler just to make them produce tainted milk and we call it healthy? Raw unpasteurized milk is where the nutrients and real vitamins are at. Don't lie, you have never been a cattle farmer so stop!
I think one concern is that milk increases mucous production, and excess mucous holds on to things, such as toxins, that your body would otherwise get rid of. Low milk consumption has been associated with the long life expectancies of people in some parts of Asia, although I'll be the first to admit I'm not an expert in the subject.
Are there significant nutrient differences between whole milk and the various percent versions? I know for a while it was all the rage to give children and babies their formulas with low percentage milk and this was robbing them of the nutrients in the whole version.
I am one of the few with an actual milk allergy and grew up on Soy 'Milk'. The benefits of it though obviously far outweigh its possible detriments.
please name me one other mammal that needs milk after they are weened