Is Milk good or bad for you?
There’s a lot of controversy about milk right now. You’re probably aware that two really popular eating styles, Vegan and Paleo, both restrict dairy so there must be something bad about it, right?
Here are a few facts about milk:
1. Humans are the only species to drink milk as adults.
2. We’re the only species to drink milk from other species.
3. Milk can cause a 300% weight gain in the first year of life, this is the biggest growth spurt in a human’s life.
But Health Canada recommends we get between 2-3 servings of milk & alternatives daily. They can’t be misleading us can they? I’ll just say, the dairy industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising each year – that’s a lot of moola.
Another question you’re probably asking yourself is, don’t we need to drink milk to strengthen our bones? Recent studies by Harvard Researchers haven’t drawn the conclusion that dairy deters osteoporosis. They’ve found that bone strength is best obtained from exercise and Vitamin D. Research shows milk actually being linked to: joint pain, osteoporosis, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, and many more unpleasant conditions.
I’m not going to spend much time here talking about the actual treatment of the cows, because I think it varies widely by the farm and owners. I will leave you with this, cows are injected with bovine growth hormone so that their udders, which should be supplying 10 pounds of milk daily, instead, produce up to 100 pounds daily! I’m sure you can imagine how that feels for these animals.
So should you drink milk or not?
I’m not going to tell you to stop eating dairy because I still consume a moderate amount (approx 2 servings) of it daily. I like milk in my coffee and those of you who know me, know I couldn’t imagine giving up cheese or Greek yogurt! I do think you should take the following 3 actions:
1. Be educated: read about milk and the alternatives, understand the pros and cons of consuming dairy and make your own choice.
2. Eat & drink everything in moderation: try not to exceed the recommended 2-3 servings daily.
3. Get calcium from a wide range of sources including: fortified grains, kale, collard greens, cabbage, seaweed, chickpeas, broccoli and tofu.
As always, reach out to Build a Fit Physique if you have any questions.