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Many of us grew up to believe that milk would give us strong bones and keep us healthy. Posters of milk endorsing celebrities and athletes were everywhere. 

A famous advertising campaign featured the famous with a milk moustache next to the slogan “Got Milk?” to keep consumers buying into this myth. Eating milk and other dairy products were seen as a way to ensure that you got enough calcium into your body. But what is the reality?

The facts

Milk has long been touted for building strong bones because of its calcium content. And, it’s true that people who are physically active and get enough calcium continue to strengthen their bones, up to about the age of 30. So, it makes since that the dairy industry capitalised on this knowledge and used it as a selling point.

Milk contains calcium. Calcium builds strong bones. Thus, milk builds strong bones, right? Not exactly.

If you look at studies that have been conducted on how your body reacts to a large intake of dairy, you’ll see a much scarier picture being painted.

In fact, bone fractures have been found to be highest in regions which consume the most dairy and animal protein.

Furthermore, excess calcium intake from dairy has been linked to a higher risk of certain cancers, such as prostate and ovarian cancer.

These are crucial piece of information that are hidden by the dairy industry to ensure consumers continue buying milk.

The other issues

On top of all that, many people are lactose intolerant. At the very least, most humans experience an upset stomach shortly after consuming dairy. And it makes sense that our bodies tend to reject it.

If you stop to think about it, there is no animal in the world that drinks the milk of another species. So, it’s really quite odd that we, as humans, drink a cow’s milk. Plus, the animals in the factory farms are severely mistreated, so if you’re buying your milk from the grocery store, you’re likely supporting these large inhumane corporations.

What to do about it

But with milk being such a staple in so many people’s diets, how could we possibly survive without it? Well, in the past it would have been far more difficult. Nowadays, there are a plethora of options to choose from. There is oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, and almond milk, to name a few. While they might take a while to warm up to, the benefits you will see in your digestive system, skin, and overall health are well worth it. And if you’re still dead set on drinking cow’s milk, be cautious about how much you consume.

Even if something is inherently good, it can become very detrimental to you if you are overly dependent upon it. This rule applies to all aspects of life, so remember it well.

While drinking a single glass of milk won’t have any long term consequences, consuming it in excess on a regular basis could potentially have negative impacts on your health. Fortunately, there are many other options on the market today that will give you all the calcium and vitamins you need without all the bad side effects. Thus, living a longer, healthier life could be just one simple swap away.

Original source: https://medium.com/