Dairy and Milk have been considered to be very healthy for us and the development of our children. It is consumed all around the world and has a very powerful infrastructure. The milk industry claims that it’s the most significant source of calcium and if we don’t give it to our children their bones will not be able to develop fully. While we understand the importance of breastfeeding a baby, is it really essential for us to give cow milk to our children?

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Research and studies have now uncovered that the commercials and advertisement about the benefits and importance of cow milk that we have been seeing are not quite true. It is merely a strong business model through which the dairy industry runs. While they claim that it will strengthen our bones and provide us calcium, studies suggest otherwise. It has been proved that calcium from dairy milk is not absorbed by our body as efficiently as our body absorbs calcium from vegetative sources. It’s also important to note that animals which produce milk also gain all their nutrients directly from plants.

Here are some of the most common health impacts of drinking milk that you should be aware of :

Skin Health
Regular consumption of milk has been associated with increased risk of acne and breakouts. In teenage when the acne prevalence is maximized, the consumption of cow milk has shown to increase the severity of acne conditions.
Contains Cholesterol
A medium sized glass of cow’s milk can contain as much cholesterol as 25 mg, which isn’t good if you are on a cardio treatment. Comparatively, the vegetarian based diet doesn’t contain any cholesterol.
Contains Antibiotics
The procedure of obtaining milk through dairy farming is a very painful one. The animals are only treated as a milking machine. They are impregnated again and again without a healthy gap to keep obtaining milk from them throughout their lives. Due to this, the dairy animals become extremely prone to diseases and septic conditions could be developed even in their milk. Therefore, animals are given heavy doses of antibiotics throughout their lives, which have severe side effects on them. The milk that is obtained from them is also full of antibiotics, sometimes a lot more than humans should be consuming. Due to such antibiotic consumption, we don’t only face side effects, but the disease can also develop resistant to those antibiotics, leaving us prone to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Unhealthy Bones
We have heard about how milk can strengthen our bones. However, the reality is entirely opposite. Studies have shown that milk consumption can leave our bones more vulnerable and prone to fractures. People who used to drink more milk were found to be at an increased risk of fractures and broken bones.
Obesity
Drinking milk will indefinitely lead to weight gain. Due to all that is present in there, it is supposed to give a boost to the growth of a calf, which very quickly turns into a full sized animal, way bigger than humans. Although we don’t turn into a bull or cow by drinking milk, it will increase our weight for obvious reasons.
Lactose
Lactose sugar is always present in cow’s milk. Many people can develop a lactose intolerance, due to which they are not able to digest lactose. This can lead to several problems which include diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, gas, cramps, heartburn, indigestion and bloating.
Ovary Cancer
Studies have linked the consumption of milk in women to the increased risk of developing cancer. Ovarian cancer is suspected to be caused due to increased consumption of milk. Women who drank more milk on regular basis were found to be more likely to develop ovarian cancer.
Prostate Cancer
Like women, men are also susceptible to the increased risk of cancer due to consumption of milk. Researchers have shown that there is a significant link between the risk of prostate cancer and drinking milk. People who drink more milk are more likely to develop a prostate cancer than those who don’t drink milk.
Unhealthy Fats
Fats are also always a part of whole milk. There are dozens of different types of fatty acids found in milk, and some of them can be healthy for us. However, milk also contains a significant amount of unhealthy fats, and by consuming more milk on regular basis you will ingest a lot of unhealthy fats additional to what you consume in your food. Therefore, it can easily surpass the daily recommended saturated fats intake if you’re a heavy milk drinker.
Bone Damage
Cow’s milk can have a damaging impact on our bones, opposite to what we see in the promotions and commercials. It basically has a bone-leaching effect, which means that it can cause bone loss and degradation of our bones.

Conclusion
Drinking milk has also faced different kinds of criticism from the vegetarian community. The main premise that the argument is based on says that cow’s milk is for cows, and human milk is for humans. Humans need mother’s milk until their infancy ends. Similarly, cow’s calf also stops drinking milk after growing up. The popular vegetarian slogan goes like “if it’s not your mother, it’s not your milk.” On the other hand, it’s a harsh reality that dairy industry is quite cruel to the animals. They go through a very painful life all the years they live just to ensure that we get milk from them. After all the negative health impacts and the lies of industries we have discussed, the question we need to ask ourselves is this; “Do we really need dairy milk to survive? Or can we just let it go.”

Disclaimer
Please note that individual results will vary from person to person. All and any information and statements contained in this article are not intended to replace your doctor’s advice or treatment. We do not provide medical advice, prescription, or diagnose illness. Therefore, our views and nutritional statements are not intended to replace your doctor’s medical advice. If you have a health concern or condition, see your doctor before starting anything on your own.