If you like milk it does not matter what science says; you will likely continue to drink it regardless of the harm you may be incurring.It’s also likely you will agree that any negative reports about milk is the equivalent of denigrating the American flag, apple pie, motherhood, and maybe a communist conspiracy. But, if you are still reading, then take a look at the latest non-dairy industry report on milk:
Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies
BMJ 2014;349:g6015 “High milk intake (3+ glasses of milk a day) was associated with higher mortality in one cohort of women and in another cohort of men, and with higher fracture incidence in women. Positive association was seen between milk intake and both urine 8-iso-PGF2α (a biomarker of oxidative stress)and serum interleukin 6 (a main inflammatory biomarker).”
I will never forget the reaction to a report in the Journal Pediatrics March 2005. In shock, reporters took to the streets mics in hand to gauge mother’s reactions to the study showing that by pooling over 50 research results milk was not found to promote bone health. Predictably, mothers refused to change and breezily commented that they didn’t care and would continue to feed their children dairy.
The evidence is clear, milk does not do a body good. Oh, it does promote growth. This is why Americans are taller. But, it also promotes the growth of breast and prostate tumors and cancers. There are several other problems from drinking the milk of other species (mother’s milk is the best thing for humans): allergies, intestinal problems, acne, arthritis, etc.
Milk does have calcium, but its acidity and tendency to irritate the gut makes absorption of calcium problematic. So, it does not protect your bones as the milk industry would like you to believe. They base their promotional marketing on the fact that milk has calcium. In fact, osteoporosis seems to be a Western problem; cultures that do not drink milk have much lower rates of osteoporosis. About 90% of the world population has a milk intolerance. “Only” 65% of Americans are so affected.
The study above is about high consumption of milk, or more than three glasses a day. So, milk is probably ok once in a while, and likely harmless if used to wet your cereal. But, if you already have a poor diet, gut problems, a family history of cancer and are exposed to toxic environments, then, any decrease in risk factors would be advisable. Try rice, soy or almond milk with cereals.
