Got Milk…Problems?
Whether you are a 13-year-old pug taking the world by storm or a young, human athlete trying to build a solid physiological foundation for success, everyone wants strong bones. If you grew up in the 90s, milk was touted to be the best way to strengthen bones as it contained high amounts of calcium. The iconic “Got Milk?” commercials were in their prime, presenting a spectrum of unlikely events hinging on the need and lack of milk! Many probably remember the fateful commercial where a mom in her two kids witness their older neighbor who never drinks milk comically losing both arms while lifting a heavy wheelbarrow. It was “common knowledge” that milk supported bone health and was necessary for healthy kids! Even now there are a number of experts that still believe milk is the fastest way to get a spectrum of nutrients, including calcium, quickly and easily. When research came out discussing how milk leaches some calcium from your bones, the pro-milk group claimed that while milk leaches some calcium from the body, it also adds significantly more, having an overall positive impact. So, what does the research actually show about the consumption of milk?
Research shows that while excellent for baby cows, cow's milk is not particularly healthy or necessary for growing humans. It is, in fact, linked to vascular congestion and weight gain. Additionally, while human breast milk is an important part of human nutrition, cow’s milk is instead an integral part of the development of gastrointestinal issues. More than half of the global population is thought to have some level of lactose intolerance. It’s also been tied to several different types of acne and other types of dermatitis.
What about bone health? Well, for one notable group, older women, research shows that there is no real link between milk and protection against osteoporosis. Additionally, in another study, drinking milk increased the frequency of broken bones (brittleness) in men by 9%! The research as a whole seems to agree that limiting milk is best for bone health. Even if one cup a day doesn’t hurt your bones significantly, more is shown to be measurably detrimental. Besides that, higher dairy consumption has been linked to several forms of cancer, including ovarian cancer, and is thought to be a possible trigger for Type 1 diabetes. It’s also known to raise cholesterol and increase a population's risk of multiple sclerosis.
What about all that calcium? Not only does milk leach calcium from your bones but it isn’t the best form of calcium for the human body to absorb! There are many other better sources of calcium that don’t carry as many deleterious side effects. Leafy greens, tofu, plant-based milk or even a clean supplement might be a better source of the calcium you need. Additionally, as far as strong bones go, the research also found that more than taking calcium or drinking it, exercise is the best way to support strong bones! So maybe give that 2% a break and instead eat well and keep moving!
Resources:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190408-should-we-drink-milk-to-strengthen-bones
https://www.pcrm.org/news/blog/white-lies-five-myths-debunked
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2018/08/christopher-gardner-busts-myths-about-milk.html
Milk intake and risk of hip fracture in men and women: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20949604/
Milk consumption during teenage years and risk of hip fractures in older adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24247817/
Got milk commercials https://youtu.be/0PAj5X4oYro
