Thanks to the dairy industry’s massive PR machine, cow’s milk has long been touted as the go-to source for calcium. But look past the spin and it’s easy to see that milk does a body bad. If you’ve “got milk” (and cheese, yogurt, and ice cream), you’ve likely got a host of health problems awaiting you, too. So why is milk bad for you and cows? Here are 12 reasons why.
1. Broken bones
Despite the hype, cow’s milk actually robs our bones of calcium. Animal proteins produce acid when they’re broken down, and calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer, so … you can see where this is going. In order to neutralize and flush out the acids, our bodies have to use the calcium that the milk contains—as well as some from our own stores. So every glass of milk we drink leaches calcium from our bones. That’s why medical study after medical study has found that people who consume the most cow’s milk have significantly higher fracture rates than those who drink little to no milk. And if you’re eating large amounts of cheese? Throw in a heaping helping of saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol on top of that.
2. Prostate cancer
Milk and cheese have been linked to an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. But dairy-free diets? They’ve been shown to slow its progress.
3. Lactose intolerance
The lactose in cow’s milk can be difficult for people to digest, resulting in nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Difficulty with dairy digestion can develop later in life and result in progressively worsening symptoms.
4. Acne
In multiple studies, the consumption of all types of dairy “products” was linked to an increased prevalence and severity of acne in both boys and girls.
