Myths

• Drinking milk stimulated bodily mucus production
• Milk is a trigger for developing Asthma
• Milk and milk-related products cause weight gain
• If you take calcium supplements tablets you don’t need milk
• Drinking milk causes kidney stones to form
• Milk consumption causes Acne
• Milk protects against osteoporosis
• Alternatives to cow’s milk like vegetables such as Spinach and Soy milk which has no dairy are nutritionally equal to cow’s milk.
• Raw milk is better than pasteurized milk
• People with Lactose Intolerance should avoid milk at all costs

Facts

• Mucus production in the body is stimulated by things like infections, dry air and certain diseases. What people perceive to be ‘mucusy’ is the creamy texture of milk itself.
• When it comes to Asthma, first know milk has not been found to be a trigger for it. Some people who have Asthma may also have a milk allergy, which is a different scenario and where removing the milk stimulant results in the person feeling better. But The National Asthma Council recommends that Asthmatics otherwise eat a balanced diet including milk & dairy foods.
• Quite contrary that a balanced diet, one that includes 3 portions of dairy daily in controlled portions, has been shown to be optimum for weight loss. People mistakenly believe regular fat milk contains, on average, 22 per cent fat. The fact is regular fat milk actually contains only 3.8 per cent fat. Reduced fat milks have less at around 2 per cent fat or 2 grams per 100 ml.  
• Milk is packed full of nutrients. Apart from its famed calcium content, milk is a fantastic source of protein, carbohydrate, riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Hence it cannot be substituted for by a calcium supplement tablet.
• Salts made of oxalates are what compose a kidney stone. The calcium in milk binds to oxalates in food so they can no longer be deposited in kidneys as stones. Milk protects us from kidney stones!
• Science doesn’t support a link here.
• A 2006 Harvard Public Health meta-study led by Walter Willet (MD, PhD) found that because of milk’s acidifying nature it depletes bone calcium leaving them to fractures. It further evidenced this by data showing that countries that have lower milk consumption also have a lower bone fracture incidence.

• There is more calcium in 1 cup of milk than there is in 16 cups of spinach. One will need to eat more than 48 cups of spinach to get the recommended daily intake of calcium (USDA, 2010).  Soy-based beverages are not nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk.
• Unfortunately this isn’t true and raw milk can pose some serious health risks
• Lactose intolerance is often confused with milk allergies. Lactose intolerance is not an allergic reaction to dairy foods. Rather it is the inability to digest the milk sugar lactose. Lactose-free milk and yogurt are good alternatives to drinking milk for people that are lactose intolerant. Aged cheeses such as Cheddar and Swiss are also low in lactose. Many people with lactose intolerance can drink up to 1 cup of milk daily without problems (Miller et al., 2000).

Pros

• Apart from packing a nutritional punch milk when consumed as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle can protect against heart disease and stroke and reduce risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Avoiding or removing dairy foods from your diet may mean you miss out on your recommended dietary intake of many vitamins and minerals essential for good health, particularly calcium.

Cons

• The milk production industry is possibly one of the most abusive in their treatment of dairy cows and calves. It wouldn’t be wrong to state that there is unimaginable suffering in a glass of milk.  Numerous undercover operations have been carried out and each and every investigation has led to criminal charges and convictions against workers at fault.
• Milking cows are given antibiotics and most are also injected with a genetically engineered form of bovine growth hormone (rBGH). This man-made or synthetic hormone used to artificially increase milk production increases blood levels of the insulin-growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in those who drink it. And higher levels of IGF-1 are linked to several cancers like prostate and ovarian cancer.
• Far from protecting us against osteoporosis as traditional research has stated milk causes depletion of calcium from our bones leaving them vulnerable to fractures. Milk acidifies the body’s pH which is neutralized by Calcium from the bones resulting in a Calcium deficit.
• Homogenization of milk in industries further add to the acidifying nature of the milk.

My Take

Remember that glossy ad that used to plaster walls all over (my school for sure loved them!)? The ones with ridiculously, good-looking children showing off their milk moustaches? I mean you were considered ‘cool’ if you ‘Got Milk’! Why this monologue about milk? Because I was one of those rare children that hated the substance!

That morning glass before school was a mammoth task and one that required much nose pinching, squeezing of the eyes shut and quashing of the urge to not vomit. And let’s not even speak about the other two glasses I was forced to drink in my day, all because I was told I’d grow up to be “strong and smart” if I drank it religiously. But is milk really good for us?

Sure there are alternative sources of calcium which are nutrition and healthy like leafy green vegetable, bok choy, beans, soy milk etc. but there’s no denying that cow’s milk is superior to the lot. On the other hand, overconsumption of the substance has put us at an alarming risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes and at the brink of an obesity epidemic.

Who knew there was so much more to milk than just the creamy coolness? I for one feel slightly vindicated for disliking it as a child. But then again even I can’t deny its health benefits. When in doubt, I turn on my ‘moderation key’ mode. A glass of milk a day is certainly going to do you more good than harm but more than that I wouldn’t consume myself. And now when I see those ‘Got Milk Ads’ I can’t help but smile smugly and say to myself, “I know better” J

* the milk being discussed and debated here is cow’s milk