There has been a lot of talk in recent years about whether milk really does a body good. Multiple studies have come to conflicting conclusions, which leaves the consumer in the dark.
It is well known that milk is a good source of calcium, but many have claimed it is to blame for the increasing weight gain among children and adults. Some very interesting studies suggest, someone who consumes low-fat milk is more likely to become overweight then a person who consumes full-fat milk.
The New York Times best seller Skinny Bitch, a book praising a vegan lifestyle argues that our bodies weren’t made to process the milk of a cow. They warn if you drink milk you may just end up resembling the source.
Skinny Bitch does make a valid point, there are many people who really aren’t made to digest the milk of a cow. Lactose intolerance is very common in certain ethnicities, and it has been reported by the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse that, “between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant.” So, you have to wonder if milk is all it’s built up to be.
Milk advertisements boast that drinking milk actually helps with weight loss, as well as overall shape of your body. They cite studies concluding that calcium is an important weight loss tool, and people should drink three glasses of milk each day. With each conflicting report it is easy to see why this has become such a hot topic.
With milk being an ideal source of calcium, problems can arise when it is removed from a person's diet, especially children as their bones and bodies are developing. There are new studies that suggest that the anti-milk sentiment is bringing back Rickets in America.
Rickets is a disease caused by lack of calcium and vitamin D which results in the softening of bones. It was first discovered in the 17th century and was a major problem in England in the beginning of the 19th century. For the last 50 years this disease has been absent in industrial nations, up until recently that is, as new cases having been showing up in record numbers, particularly with infants.
Milk being the massive industry it is, one has to wonder how much of the research done is just propaganda, and how much is useful information. As consumers the best choice may be to figure out the lesser of two evils, and remember moderation is key.
