If you’re drinking a glass of milk, eating a bowl of cereal or making a yogurt parfait, you might not want to read this article. Actually, if you’re doing any of the above you should definitely read this article. Everyone knows calcium is healthy and people are supposed to get as much calcium as we can and drink milk whenever given the opportunity. Milk, dairy, lactose however you refer to it is the foundation of the human diet. The first thing babies taste is milk, granted this milk is from their mother. But did you ever think about how we are the only species who continues to drink milk throughout our entire lives? The milk we drink isn’t even from other humans, it’s from animals! You never see a full-grown cow drinking goats milk. The whole concept is a little strange and it got scientists thinking and researching and they basically went through the whole scientific method and concluded that milk isn’t that great for you. In fact, milk could be the foundation of a sizeable number of health problems facing the human population.
The food pyramid suggests that people should consume two to three servings of milk, yogurt and/or cheese a day. It is common knowledge that dairy contains calcium and calcium is imperative for strong bones and a properly functioning heart, kidneys and nerves. But how can something that is promoted as being so good be so bad? In actuality, milk contains 300 mg of calcium per cup but the body does not really absorb any of the calcium from milk, especially if it is pasteurized. The whole break down is very scientific so just know that milk can actually cause a calcium deficit. In fact, some doctors and scientists recommend not drinking milk because it can increase the risk of fractures by 50 percent. The lactose (sugar) in milk is also hard for the stomach to digest because it is high in fat. Over time, stomach can stop producing an enzyme called lactase, which breaks down lactose or milk sugar. On top of that, excess dairy is linked to heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, prostate cancer, diabetes, allergies and a slew of other health problems. The consumption of dairy products is a highly debated issue in the food world. Not everyone agrees that milk is the devil in disguise.
Most people who are anti-milk note the fact that humans are the only species on the planet to consume milk from another animal into adulthood. However, humans have been consuming milk and dairy products for thousands of years so it would make sense that we have become genetically predisposed to digest milk properly. All of the nutrients that are found in milk are also present in other foods such as vegetables, beans, nuts and grains. Drinking milk and consuming dairy products is a personal choice, so it is wise to be educated about the pros and cons of this dietary staple.
The bottom line is, everything is fine in moderation, so don’t overdue it on the dairy diet. If you are going to drink milk, make sure it is fat free and/or organic. The same goes for yogurt. It is probably smartest to avoid having excess amounts of anything and dairy is at the top of the list. There are plenty of dairy alternatives that are delicious and healthy substitutes for the real thing. Products like Almond milk; Earth Balance soy butter and Vegenaise mayonnaise help the body take a break from digesting all of that lactose. Giving up dairy products, especially like milk and cheese is definitely a challenge so make sure to eat them in small amounts.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Arizona chapter.