January 2022 - #098 - Is Drinking Milk Unhealthy?

Hey All – Happy New Year

Sometimes I hesitate to bring up such a controversial subject, but I’m going for it.

Is Drinking Milk Unhealthy?

Depending on whom you ask this can turn into an out-right war as opinions are torn in two very different directions. So what and whom should we believe?

Doesn’t the picture above make milk look so inviting, offering a creamy texture and a totally satisfying look of approval?

Of course it does, because this is good advertising and whether milk is bad or good it is a multibillion dollar business.

Why do so many people drink milk?

Firstly it has been driven into our heads for generations, through the school systems and fantastic government advertisement that milk is very healthy for us and we should be drinking it every day. After all the government wouldn’t promote something that was bad for us, right?

Decades of advertisements showing milk in the food pyramid through the education systems not only states that milk is healthy, but states it is essential for good health.

Yes without milk how will you develop strong bones and muscles? I do know one thing, African countries rarely depend on milk for drinking yet they have one of the lowest rates of osteoporosis in the world. No milk yet strong bones, interesting?

Another reason people drink it because it is economically friendly, especially for larger families. They keep it reasonably priced so that everyone can afford to buy it. That is why high volume sales are so important and so necessary to keep profits up for this multibillion dollar industry.

If we choose not to use milk and replace it with a substitute such as almond, soy, coconut, oat or another alternative milk product, well this can become expensive, especially for larger families and that is why this is not a viable option for many people.

Another reason people love to drink milk is that it makes breakfast time fast and convenient. Just grab a bowl of cereal and pour some milk on top of it and there you go, instant breakfast.

Some folks don’t have the time to prepare a pot of oats or a fresh fruit cup, especially for parents that have a tight work schedule. This is why many people reach out for cereal. It is tasty, fast, filling and super convenient.

Now back to the question: Is Drinking Milk Unhealthy?

I am not writing this article to dispute anyone’s thoughts, if you think milk is good for you I will not disagree. This article is important to me to share some experiences with you. Only two short experiences, I promise.

A very close friend of ours kept experiencing kidney stones and issues with high cholesterol. He was in and out of the hospital often. But what I found interesting is that one day his doctor asked him if he drinks milk and the answer was yes, in fact he used to enjoy about 3 – 4 glasses of it every day, he loved it.

His doctor asked him to avoid drinking milk for a while to see if this may help. So reluctantly he stopped drinking milk altogether and amazingly enough his kidney stones never returned and his cholesterol levels dropped dramatically.

So the doctor asked him if he drank milk, isn’t that interesting? Does the doctor know something that we don’t?

Next quick story makes me want to ask, Got Allergies? My mom’s best friend did and her sinuses were stuffed up for most of her life (years upon years).

It always sounded like she had a sinus cold. She had recently moved to a new city and her new doctor asked her if she drank milk and she too loved the white stuff and drank it religiously every day.

After three months milk free her sinuses became totally unplugged and clear. It was truly amazing.

There are more than just these two experiences, but it didn’t take me long before I started to ponder the question, “Is Drinking Milk Bad for You”?

So far is seems like kidney stones, some sinus issues and cholesterol may all have some negative impact from that friendly drink of milk.

Statistics have not only shown but have now proven that the rate of osteoporosis is higher in countries that consume more milk. The more milk a country ingests the higher the rate.

But this multibillion dollar business is strong and regardless of how many statistics showing the negative effects of milk there will always be as many studies pumped out that will promote milk. Many of these are usually financed through the government.

Regardless, from my experience I have learned one thing. There are some who will always believe in milk no matter what and that’s fine.

One of the biggest problems to help us decide whether milk is right for us is all the studies they have on this stuff.

Some studies prove that milk has all the necessary calcium, protein, vitamin D and other important minerals that we need for strong bones and healthy growth.

Then other studies say that milk gums up your insides and even though it has lots of nutrients your body won’t be able to absorb the vitamins and minerals that we ingest daily because the milk creates a mucous barrier around our cells which hinders absorption.

Who on earth are we to believe? There are hundreds of studies supporting each side of the fence.

I could write pages regarding this topic (but don’t worry, I won’t), but regardless which side of the fence you are on perhaps it might be kind of nice to try life without milk for a couple of months or so, just to see what happens.

Perhaps you will feel no difference, or perhaps you will feel like a new born person. Anyways, I hope you give it a try.

Just a thought

Wishing you all Lots of Health and Happiness in this Bright New Year and Always

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