Since we were little, slogans like “Got Milk” and “Milk: it does body good” encouraged us that it was the source to help our bodies “grow big and strong” as our parents would say. But what if I told you that there have been studies that counteract that milk is good for us, studies that show milk can lead to horrific outcomes such as ovarian cancer, acne, prostate cancer, bone loss and etc.  Editors of medical news today describe the original goodness that we believed about milk of how it contains calcium, choline, and potassium, which is all needed to live a healthy lifestyle as these three components in milk can help regulate your body and when your older to help preserve these from slowing quickly as we age.

Calcium

 Calcium has many functions in the body, but its primary job is the development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It is also important for blood clotting and wound healing, maintaining normal blood pressure and muscle contractions including heartbeat.

Choline

Choline is an important nutrient that helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning and memory. Choline helps to maintain the structure of cellular membranes, aids in the transmission of nerve impulses, assists in the absorption of fat and reduces chronic inflammation.

Potassium

 High potassium, also known as Vitamin D, intakes are associated with a reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, protection against loss of muscle mass, preservation of bone mineral density and reduction in the formation of kidney stones. A high potassium diet is associated with a 20% decreased risk of dying from all causes.3 It is important for the formation, growth, repair of bones also plays a role in calcium absorption and immune function.

Studies

From this notion, it is hard to believe that studies are finding out that milk isn’t as good for you as they say. A study done by a British Medical Journal did an observational study that lasted 20-30 years to conclude that milk drinkers are more likely to die from heart disease and cancer among women and also suffered more fractions, ironically, than those of non-milk drinkers. Based off another study by Karl Michaelsson, a professor in the department of surgical sciences at Uppsala University in Sweden, of cow milk negatively affecting humans found that women who drink 3 or more glasses a day doubled their risk of death and increased their exposure to fractures by 60% and for men the risk of death increased by 10%. Some of the most prestigious college, such as Harvard dipped into the conversation siding on the notion that milk is not essential to a healthy diet. Walter Willet,MD at Harvard School of Public Health concluded “there is little evidence associated with reduced fractures” when more milk is consumed, he also noted that Asian countries who do not drink a lot of milk have lower fracture rates and “more data is linked to higher risk of prostate cancer”. A different viewpoint of milk by one of the most read articles by teenagers, Vogue, has also been linked to causes acne, referencing Dr. Frank Lipman, the medical physician at Eleven Eleven Wellness Center. Acne is every teenager’s worst nightmare. He says “casein is found in cow’s milk that is hard for our human body’s to digest so the blood and immune system reacts causing acne.” Also linking the cause of acne due to cow’s to the hormones cows are giving, which clogs the pores in our face.  For the male readers, who I have not forgotten about, prostate cancer has been linked to milk by the Harvard Physician Health study. By studying about 20,000 men for 11 years, they concluded 2.5 servings of milk per day boosted the likeliness of cancer by 34% compared to men who only drink .5 serving of milk. 

Study Conclusions

In conclusion, more and more studies are being done to show that milk may be a bigger hazard that what we were thought to believe. But what does that mean for all the milk lovers? … Nothing really. Just like most studies done around the world all these studies of accusing milk to cause cancer and etc., is just association and has not been legitimately linked to this horrid outcomes. For Karl Michaelsson’s study they talk a lot about risk doubling which shows the relative risk of milk, but the actual risk of milk is probably so minuscule that doubling the risk is still basically nothing. As a non-milk lover, that is not lactose intolerant, I still am able to live a healthy life and not have my bones break if the wind blows just like other people, mostly lactose intolerant people. Milk is just one way to get those very nutrients that your body needs to grow properly. Eating more vegetables is another alternative to getting those very same nutrients offered by milk. But with any food, your body can handle certain amounts, taking 50 calcium pills a day won’t make your bones unbreakable, but will to the very opposite calcium is meant to do. This should not stop all the milk drinkers from continuing to drink their milk but it does make you wonder if the risk of milk is worth possible cancer in the end.  For Vogue influencing so many young teens to not drink milk can be misleading. Though it states in the article it is not officially linked, the exposure in a magazine whose target population is teenagers is very eye opening. Will you join the bandwagon of anti-milk users and contribute the public is helping decline milk sales by drinking more water? How much do you trust these FDA approved products…

Want more? This man is devoted to stop people from drinking milk. Watch!