After I graduated from college, I’ve learned a lot of things in the nutrition field. Nowadays, there are new studies showing that some of what I know is wrong, doubtful or no longer applicable. One of them is Milk, the white silky liquid, which I truly love, and sure a lot of you share this love.
Is milk really healthy? Should we say good bye?
First of all, why people want to turn their faces to cows’ milk? Is it really necessary to get all the three servings per a day? Let’s discuss the reasons behind the doubt
Growth hormones
You should know that milk is naturally containing hormones; dairy farmers inject cows with growth hormone, called Bovine (BGH) to increase its production. FDA and many national health institutes approved its safety for human body. Some critics argue that this hormone cause reproductive disease for cows which lead to use antibiotics, that some traces may passes to the milk, and may affect the human body. According to the American cancer society these hormones may have negative effects on cows, but whether its the same for humans or not, that is not conclusive. Defiantly we need more research to validate these concerns.
The problem in this matter is that which side you would listen to, and depends on it to get accurate information. Companies that produce organic milk may depend on very few studies, so they can convince people to switch to organic milk, which I believe it’s a good option, but we can’t scare people; they should have their own choice without fear. And if you are skeptic of the safety of it, you can always choose one that is free of growth hormones.
Pasteurization:
Some people that promote raw milk believed that pasteurization kills the good nutrients, and enzymes that are critical for calcium absorption. That’s why you need to drink raw milk, or not at all. This myth is busted; the composition of milk did not change after pasteurization.
Lactose intolerance
Lactose is a natural sugar exists in milk, some people lack the enzyme that digest this sugar, therefore drinking it will cause bloating, and might cause diarrhea as well for them. Hence, some people said that number of people suffering from lactose intolerance is increasing, so we should not consume milk. Now there is lactose free versions in the market, it has the same nutrition profile for the regular one.
Milk allergy
Some People believe that many have milk allergy, and they do not know about it, but keep drinking it, because health advocates are focusing on the importance of consuming it. Yes, it’s one of the most common allergies and it’s a serious one. The symptoms are ranging from rash, and hives, and it can be life threatening, and may cause death. But if you have any symptoms, you should seek an immunologist to know your intolerance. Some people can tolerate some milk, or other diary products, some should not consume anything have traces of milk and its products.
Ethical reasons & Veganism
Some people like religious, and animal lovers promote avoiding milk and dairy products. If your beliefs don’t let you drink milk, then you may switch to non dairy which I will discus in the next post. But this is a personal choice and not obligatory by any mean.
As a nutritionist, and my opinion should be based on science, there is no proven evidences for any harm on human body from drinking milk. But keep in mind that to get complete protein, and calcium you have a lot of resources other than dairy.
