Milk Myths

MILK. From a young age, we’re inundated with the idea that it’s something we need for nourishment. Today I wanted to explore some Milk Myths with you and answer the question- IS MILK HEALTHY?

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These vegan education resources helped inform me on this topic. Make sure to check them out to read and research for yourself!

The Calcium Myth-

I’m quite positive that this belief is the one most responsible for milk’s persistent presence in American fridges– The belief that Milk is necessary to build strong bones!

We hear all over that milk is a concentrated source of calcium that is unparalleled in its nutritional density. The belief that milk is just a necessity to promote bone health is widespread but widely disproven.

Calcium is defined as “a mineral that the body needs for numerous functions, including building and maintaining bones and teeth, blood clotting, the transmission of nerve impulses, and the regulation of the heart’s rhythm”.

Calcium Leaching

A paradox exists in the fact that animal proteins (including dairy products) actually leach calcium and other nutrients from the bones. High animal protein diets are known to cause urinary secretion of calcium.

It is widely known that animal products are highly acidic. Check out this post to see a list of the most acidic/alkalinizing foods. When the blood has an acidic pH level, bones release calcium in attempts to buffer this low pH level.

So drinking milk (or consumption of animal products) actually causes calcium leaching!

There is sufficient levels of calcium in legumes and vegetables that overall are much healthier than any dairy product. And by getting your calcium solely from plant products, you will not be in any nutritional deficit.

In fact, consuming more than approximately 600 milligrams per day—easily achieved without dairy products or calcium supplements—does not improve bone integrity- and can actually prove to be very dangerous for the body.

A Harvard study examined the link between milk consumption and prostate cancer and found that men who drank two or more glasses of milk a day were almost twice as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer as those who didn’t drink milk at all, due to the high intake of calcium from dairy products.

So if you can get an adequate amount of calcium from actual healthy plant-based foods not laden with cholesterol, added hormones, saturated fats, and sodium, wouldn’t you choose to?

Use code- Zahra to get a discount on my favorite dairy free protein powder HERE!

Politics of Milk

Politics are injected into all aspects of our lives- including how we are marketed to and what we view as “healthy”.

The USDA Advisory Committee, a team of nutritionists who create the U.S. Recommended Food Pyramids and Dietary Guidelines, is heavily influenced by meat and dairy industry money.

These industries, with billions of dollars in backing, have strong lobbying groups driven to put milk and meat on the plates/cups of every American.

The “Made for Milk” Myth

But we were made to drink milk- right?! — Not True! Even thinking about the practice proves the absurdity of drinking cow’s milk. We are the only mammals who drink another mammal’s birth milk. The milk we drink is literally designed and formulated to be baby calf growth fluid!

Production of Milk

The milk production process reaps intense trauma on cows and calves. Most people are unaware of the crudeness of the process and instead have been taught to picture their milk being sourced by happy cows who get their udders pulled by friendly farmers.

Yeah, not the case.

Cows are forced through endless cycles of pregnancy and childbirth, so that they yield milk. They are artificially inseminated time and time again in machines called “rape racks”. Yup, it’s as gruesome as it sounds.

In these racks, cows are sequestered and locked down while a worker reaches their hand through the animal’s rectum in order to insert the sperm into the cow’s vagina.

I told you, it’s gross/inhumane/terrible/all of the above.

After giving birth, the cow is separated from her calves, which are then either farmed to themselves become mothers, or if male, sent to a veal slaughterhouse.

In these places, male baby calves are trapped in small spaces with no sunlight and barely any food in order to keep their muscles tender so that people can enjoy veal. The process is absolutely horrid.

Conclusion

Milk was NOT indeed made for us
Children do NOT need milk to grow
Milk is NOT the only or best source of calcium
Using Cow’s Milk is NOT an ethical practice, and the process of producing this milk is extremely harmful to the animals

If the information here hasn’t convinced you to ditch the dairy, let me know in the comments below! Leave me your questions, comments, and concerns- I would love to chat with you about these milk myths (and anything else hehe).