Did you know that today the average American eats 23 pounds of cheese a year? Shockingly that’s up from just 8 pounds a year in 1970. While the consumption of cow’s milk is quickly going out of style in the United States as public awareness of the health issues caused by its consuption increases, consumer consciousness is slower to translate to other products.
Cow’s milk finds its ways into our lives in thousands of products from breadcrumbs to chips, not to mention yogurts, sour cream, cream cheese and all those other “tasty” treats that pack on the calories and health risks. Dairy seems to be making scary headlines every day as the medical community ties its consumption to a slew of health issues including prostate and breast cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, and multiple scelorosis.
The good news is that everywhere you go there are dairy alternatives. We love almond milk and soy milk in our house, and there are plenty of others out there, even if you have a soy or nut allergy. Dairy-free ice cream, cheeses, and yogurts are getting easier to find every day, and they are delicious.
Still love hitting dairy from the cow? Here’s some milk facts you won’t get from the Dairy Council.
1. The majority of cattle in the United States are infected with the Bovine Leukemia Virus. While harmless to cows, BVL has now been linked in peer-reviewed medical research to roughly 40% of cases of breast cancer.
2. Dairy consuption has been directly linked to prostate cancer since the 1970s. Oxford University found that the consumption of dairy is “one of the most consistent predictors of prostate cancer in published history.”
3. Low level toxins that build up in dairy, particularly in cheeses, is a likely factor in devastating effects of Parkinson’s Disease. These effects are similar in action to Monsanto’s now banned PCBs which have been found in accumulated levels of people suffering from Parkinson’s.
4. 75% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. Including up to 25% of Americans.
5. Milk has been found to increase the risk of bone fractures.
January 11th is National Milk Day. Hard to believe that we have a day dedicated to something so blatantly unhealthy. There are so many reasons not to drink milk, and consume dairy, it’s hard to argue the point. Some people might say, I’ve been drinking milk my whole life and I’m fine. I’d respond that Russian Roulette has some winners too, but eventually you’ll blow your brains out, or, the person next to you will.
With all the health issues caused by dairy, it’s pretty easy to grasp the concept that humans aren’t meant to drink cow’s milk. It might have been convenient when we didn’t know better, but now we do know better and lucky for us there are dozens of healthy alternatives. Stay off the udder, live a good and long life, and make January 11th National Not Your Mom, Not Your Milk Day.