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There are a few things we can say for sure about milk: It is a concentrated source of calcium. It also contains protein and other nutrients. And it elicits strong opinions, even among scientists who study it, about how much we need. With recent studies suggesting that milk may be less important for our health than it has long been thought to be, many consumers are experiencing new bouts of indecision in the dairy aisle. Three glasses a day or none?

Here's a rundown of some of the latest research, pro and con, to help you decide.

Calcium is an essential nutrient for all of our cells, and if we don't consume enough, our bones release some of their stored cache to maintain precise levels in the blood. That means that bones are the first to suffer when we get too little of the mineral. "Calcium and bone health is one of the few things that would be evaluated as grade-A level evidence in nutrition, which means that there are multiple meta-analyses showing benefits to bone from calcium," says nutrition scientist Connie Weaver, director of the Women's Global Health Institute at Purdue University in Indiana. But calcium is one of several nutrients that many Americans don't get enough of, according to national survey data. And even though lots of foods contain calcium, milk is a particularly efficient way to get it. To get the same 300 milligrams of calcium that comes in a glass of milk, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you'd need to eat 10 cups of spinach or 4.5 servings of broccoli. Milk's calcium also comes in a readily usable form. Some plant sources, including spinach and beans, contain inhibitors that interfere with the body's ability to absorb the calcium they contain.

In addition to calcium, milk contains potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, protein and more. It's a similar mix of ingredients that makes up our bones, Weaver says, making dairy a useful way to support bone health. A 2011 study that modeled data from the self-reported diets of 16,000 Americans found that people who ate little dairy, even if they incorporated substitutes like calcium-fortified soy milk, took in lower levels of all sorts of nutrients, including vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12, potassium and vitamin D. "Milk contains all the building blocks you need to make new tissue," says Dr. Richard Heaney, an endocrinologist who specializes in bone research and clinical nutrition at Creighton University in Omaha. "Dozens and dozens of studies have shown that adults who get less than two-thirds of the recommended intake of calcium are technically deficient in four to six other key nutrients."

Studies have not been able to nail down how much calcium we need. "If you have low calcium intake, you will have weak bones and a higher risk of fractures," says Karl Michaëlsson, a medical epidemiologist at Uppsala University in Sweden. "But the tricky thing is, what level of intake is not good for you? We don't know that really."

Recommendations vary widely, from the World Health Organization's suggested minimum of 400 to 500 milligrams of calcium each day to 1,000 mg for healthy adults in the U.S. (more for older women and teenagers). And newer research is challenging the entrenched American belief that we need to load up on calcium to support strong bones. In a 2011 study that analyzed data on nearly 200,000 middle-aged and older men and women from six other studies, researchers found no relationship between calcium intake and risk of fracture, regardless of whether people drank 30 servings of a milk each week or just two. "Calcium is very important, and we absolutely do need some," says co-author Walter Willett, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. But our bodies adapt to what they get. "If we're low, we absorb a much higher percentage. If we're high, we greatly reduce the percentage we absorb."

Too much dairy may even cause harm, according to some research. In a study last fall, Michaëlsson and colleagues analyzed Swedish national health data on 60,000 women and found that women who drank at least three glasses of milk a day were twice as likely to die during the study period than were women who drank less than one glass a day, Michaëlsson says. The heavy milk-drinkers also had a 60% higher risk of hip fracture and about a 15% higher risk of any kind of fracture.

Because the study was based on observations, not trials, it is possible that people who started out with a higher risk of fracture or death were choosing to drink more milk, but the researchers looked for evidence of that and didn't find any. Instead, they found that a milk sugar called galactose can cause inflammation and stress on the cellular level, which might in turn lead to health woes. Cheese and yogurt have lower levels of galactose than milk does, and the study found that people who ate more fermented milk products had lower rates of fracture and death. "My recommendation is that people should not change their dietary habits because of this single study," Michaëlsson says. "Even if I say that, I have cut down on milk consumption myself. I have not eliminated it. But I eat more yogurt."

When New Zealand researchers reported in 2010 that people who took calcium supplements had a 30% higher risk of myocardial infraction than people who didn't, the concerns that were raised extended to the calcium in milk. Since then, nobody has been able to replicate the link, says Weaver. In a not-yet-published study on pigs, her team also failed to find any mechanism to explain a connection between calcium and cardiovascular disease.

Some studies, in fact, show a slight benefit for the heart from consuming dairy products. Yogurt, in particular, has been linked to lower risks of weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Willett says, though that may be because of its protective bacteria. Also still unclear is whether we should condemn or embrace milk fat. Some studies now suggest that people who eat full-fat dairy products stay leaner than those who stick with skim. "Fat is still a work in progress," Weaver says. "We used to discourage all saturated fats and animal fats in general. More recently, the research is saying that maybe milk fat doesn't belong lumped together with other animal fats."

Multiple studies have linked calcium, whether in milk or supplements, to lower risks of colorectal cancer. But dairy consumption has also been implicated in slightly elevated levels of IGF-1, a protein that can contribute to cancer growth. Last year, a meta-analysis of 32 studies found a relationship between a high consumption of dairy products and increased risk of prostate cancer. Studies on other kinds of cancer are ongoing but not yet conclusive. In the meantime, as with most nutrition debates, moderation might be the best bet.

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There are a few things we can say for sure about milk: It is a concentrated source of calcium. It also contains protein and other nutrients. And it elicits strong opinions, even among scientists who study it, about how much we need.

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Milk drinking started around 7,500 years ago in central Europe

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The ability to digest the milk sugar lactose first evolved in dairy farming communities in central Europe, not in more northern groups as was previously thought, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) scientists ...

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Did you know that in Medieval England parents would tie rabbits' feet around their babies' necks to ward off illness? Doctors would also spit on wounds because saliva was believed to have healing properties.

Indeed, history is replete with unfounded health beliefs, and to everyone's detriment, the milk myth is among the most tenacious.

Milk is much more than just a drink; it's a cultural phenomenon that can be traced back thousands of years. And still today, the milk myth resonates loud and clear: in 2001, the average American child consumed 104 quarts of cow's milk.

Milk depletes the calcium from your bones

The milk myth has spread around the world based on the flawed belief that this protein and calcium-rich drink is essential to support good overall health and bone health in particular at any age. It is easy to understand that the confusion about milk's imaginary benefits stems from the fact that it contains calcium - around 300 mg per cup.

But many scientific studies have shown an assortment of detrimental health effects directly linked to milk consumption. And the most surprising link is that not only do we barely absorb the calcium in cow's milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones. What an irony this is!

Here's how it happens. Like all animal protein, milk acidifies the body pH which in turn triggers a biological correction. You see, calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer and the biggest storage of calcium in the body is - you guessed it... in the bones. So the very same calcium that our bones need to stay strong is utilized to neutralize the acidifying effect of milk. Once calcium is pulled out of the bones, it leaves the body via the urine, so that the surprising net result after this is an actual calcium deficit.

Knowing this, you'll understand why statistics show that countries with the lowest consumption of dairy products also have the lowest fracture incidence in their population (there's more on this later).

But the sad truth is that most mainstream health practitioners ignore these proven facts. I know it firsthand because when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, my doctor recommended that I drink lots of milk in addition to taking Fosamax.

Fortunately, I did neither, because I knew that...

Cow's milk is custom-designed for calves

Thanks to our creative ingenuity and perhaps related to our ancient survival needs, we adopted the dubious habit of drinking another species' milk. Nobody can dispute that cow's milk is an excellent food source for calves. Weighing around 100 pounds at birth, a calf typically gains approximately eight times its weight by the time it is weaned. But unlike humans, once calves are weaned, they never drink milk again. And the same applies to every mammalian species on this planet.

Also, each mammalian species has its own "designer" milk, and cow's milk is no exception. For example, cow's milk contains on average three times the amount of protein than human milk which creates metabolic disturbances in humans that have detrimental bone health consequences.

It's important to bear in mind that mother's milk is excellent nourishment for human babies, but its composition is very different from cow's milk.

Scientific studies show that milk increases fracture risk

Many scientific studies contradict the conventional wisdom that milk and dairy consumption help reduce osteoporotic fractures. Surprisingly, studies demonstrating that milk and dairy products actually fail to protect bones from fractures outnumber studies that prove otherwise. Even drinking milk from a young age does not protect against future fracture risk but actually increases it. Shattering the "savings account" calcium theory, Cumming and Klineberg report their study findings as follows:

"Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age 20 years, was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in old age. ("Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Hip Fractures in the Elderly". American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 139, No. 5, 1994). ¹

And the 12 year long Harvard Nurses' Health Study found that those who consumed the most calcium from dairy foods broke more bones than those who rarely drank milk. This is a broad study based on 77,761 women aged 34 through 59 years of age.

In the authors' own words:

"These data do not support the hypothesis that higher consumption of milk or other food sources of calcium by adult women protects against hip or forearm fractures." (Source: Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. American Journal of Public Health. 1997). ²

Shocking statistics ignored by mainstream medicine

In the Save Our Bones Program one of the topics I discuss is the complete disregard of scientific evidence that discredits milk and dairy products as the best source of calcium.

One exception is Amy Lanou Ph.D., nutrition director for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., who states that:

"The countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis are the ones where people drink the most milk and have the most calcium in their diets. The connection between calcium consumption and bone health is actually very weak, and the connection between dairy consumption and bone health is almost nonexistent."

Surprised? You shouldn't be, because as I mentioned earlier in this article...

Milk is an acidifying animal protein

Like any other animal derived protein-rich food, milk has a positive potential renal acid load (PRAL) which triggers a protective biological reaction to neutralize all the damaging acidic protein before it reaches the kidneys.

The body is designed for survival, so it sacrifices bone density to protect the kidneys and urinary tract because the latter are essential to survival. And the most readily available source of acid neutralizer is in the bones. So even though milk contains calcium, it ends up sapping your bones of that crucial mineral. But that's not all because...

Today's milk is a processed food

Until the end of the 19th century in Europe and the beginning of the 20th century in the US, milk was consumed unpasteurized or raw. Later on, homogenization became the industry's standard. These processes further alter milk's chemistry and actually increase its detrimental acidifying effects.

Raw milk advocates claim that if cow's milk is left "as is" it is a healthy and wholesome drink. It is true that raw milk is less acidifying than processed milk and that pasteurization and homogenization may cause a long list of digestive and other health problems, but I still don't recommend drinking any kind of cow's milk.

Nowadays, milking cows are given antibiotics and most are also injected with a genetically engineered form of bovine growth hormone (rBGH). A man-made or synthetic hormone used to artificially increase milk production, rBGH also increases blood levels of the insulin-growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in those who drink it. And higher levels of IGF-1 are linked to several cancers.

This should not be ignored, especially in view of recent information by Samuel Epstein, MD, Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. In a press release titled "Monsanto's Hormonal Milk Poses Serious Risks of Breast Cancer, Besides Other Cancers" (June 21, 1998) Dr. Epstein concludes that:

"Drinking rBGH milk would thus be expected to significantly increase IGF-1 blood levels and consequently to increase risks of developing breast cancer and promoting its invasiveness."

Even though organic milk is from cows that are not given antibiotics or rBHG, if you truly care about your bone health and your overall health, you should...

Avoid drinking cow's milk

As I explain in the Save Our Bones Program and contrary to mainstream recommendations, drinking milk and eating lots of dairy products are not the answer to reversing osteoporosis. And while in the Save Our Bones Program no food is completely off limits, I strongly recommend that you explore the different milk substitute options that I will list for you here.

But first, I'd like to clarify that unsweetened fermented or cultured dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, and sour cream are acid neutral. Yogurt in particular is chock-full of beneficial qualities. As is the case with milk, organic yogurt does not have rBGH, but even several of the most well-known yogurt brands have stopped using the bovine growth hormone (rBGH). You should call your favorite yogurt company to confirm. One more clarification: when I say unsweetened I mean without sugar or any artificial sweetener. However, you can add honey or stevia, a zero calorie plant-derived sweetener that is delicious and alkalizing as well. I like to carry around stevia packets in my purse so that I'm always able to sweeten food or drinks when I'm on the go.

The best milk substitutes

My favorite milk substitute is unsweetened almond milk, not only because it is alkalizing (as almonds are), but also because it's delicious and tastes very similar to milk. I even cook with it!

If almond milk is hard to get, you can also try rice or soy milk. I strongly suggest consuming only organic soy milk to insure it's not made with genetically modified soy. There is also some controversy about unfermented soy products, so try to use it in moderation.

What Else Haven't They Told You?

What else have you been told about bone health by your doctor or other "experts" that is flat out wrong? What other "facts" (like drinking milk does a body good) are keeping you from optimal health?

Myths like these are a big reason I created the Save Our Bones Program. To give you the straight scoop on how to deal with osteoporosis the natural way.

I can help you take control of your future.
Learn more about the Save Our Bones Program here →
And remember, if you ever hear someone ask "Got milk?" smile and think to yourself "No, because I know better!"

And as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Share them with me and the rest of our community by leaving a comment below.

References
¹ Cumming RG, Klineberg RJ. "Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Hip Fractures in the Elderly". American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 139, No. 5, 1994
² Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. American Journal of Public Health. 1997

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Debunking The Milk Myth: Why Milk Is Bad For You And Your Bones

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Did you know that in Medieval England parents would tie rabbits' feet around their babies' necks to ward off illness? Doctors would also spit on wounds because saliva was believed to have healing properties. Indeed, history is replete with unfounded health beliefs, and to everyone's detriment, the milk myth is among the most tenacious.

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Got milk? If you do, take a moment to ponder the true oddness of being able to drink milk after you're a baby.

No other species but humans can. And most humans can't either.

The long lists of food allergies some people claim to have can make it seem as if they're just finicky eaters trying to rationalize likes and dislikes. Not so. Eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish soy and gluten all can wreak havoc on the immune system of allergic individuals, even causing a deadly reaction called anaphylaxis.

But those allergic reactions are relatively rare, affecting an estimated 4% of adults.

Milk's different.

First off, most people who have bad reactions to milk aren't actually allergic to it, in that it's not their immune system that's responding to the milk.

Instead, people who are lactose intolerant can't digest the main sugar - lactose- found in milk. In normal humans, the enzyme that does so - lactase- stops being produced when the person is between two and five years old. The undigested sugars end up in the colon, where they begin to ferment, producing gas that can cause cramping, bloating, nausea, flatulence and diarrhea.

If you're American or European it's hard to realize this, but being able to digest milk as an adult is one weird genetic adaptation.

It's not normal. Somewhat less than 40% of people in the world retain the ability to digest lactose after childhood. The numbers are often given as close to 0% of Native Americans, 5% of Asians, 25% of African and Caribbean peoples, 50% of Mediterranean peoples and 90% of northern Europeans. Sweden has one of the world's highest percentages of lactase tolerant people.

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Being able to digest milk is so strange that scientists say we shouldn't really call lactose intolerance a disease, because that presumes it's abnormal. Instead, they call it lactase persistence, indicating what's really weird is the ability to continue to drink milk.

There's been a lot of research over the past decade looking at the genetic mutation that allows this subset of humanity to stay milk drinkers into adulthood.

A long-held theory was that the mutation showed up first in Northern Europe, where people got less vitamin D from the sun and therefore did better if they could also get the crucial hormone (it's not really a vitamin at all) from milk.

But now a group at University College London has shown that the mutation actually appeared about 7,500 years ago in dairy farmers who lived in a region between the central Balkans and central Europe, in what was known as the Funnel Beaker culture.

The paper was published this week in PLoS Computational Biology.

The researchers used a computer to model the spread of lactase persistence, dairy farming, other food gathering practices and genes in Europe.

Today, the highest proportion of people with lactase persistence live in Northwest Europe, especially the Netherlands, Ireland and Scandinavia. But the computer model suggests that dairy farmers carrying this gene variant probably originated in central Europe and then spread more widely and rapidly than non-dairying groups.

Author Mark Thomas of University College London's dept of Genetics, Evolution and Environment says: "In Europe, a single genetic change...is strongly associated with lactase persistence and appears to have given people with it a big survival advantage."

The European mutation is different from several lactase persistence genes associated with small populations of African peoples who historically have been cattle herders.

Researchers at the University of Maryland identified one such mutation among Nilo-Saharan-speaking peoples in Kenya and Tanzania. That mutation seems to have arisen between 2,700 to 6,800 years ago. Two other mutations have been found among the Beja people of northeastern Sudan and tribes of the same language family in northern Kenya.

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Got milk? If you do, take a moment to ponder the true oddness of being able to drink milk after you're a baby. No other species but humans can. And most humans can't either. The long lists of food allergies some people claim to have can make it seem as if they're just finicky eaters trying to rationalize likes and dislikes.

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Are Humans Built to Drink Milk as Adults?

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Are Humans Built to Drink Milk as Adults?

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When people can't digest milk, we call them lactose intolerant. This seems to signify that it's an unusual condition - that most people are just fine with milk, cheese and ice cream, and that lactose intolerance is something that needs to be fixed or helped. But it turns out that those poor souls who get gassy, crampy and otherwise digestively miserable after eating dairy products are actually in the majority worldwide. It's the people who can handle milk who are the weird ones.

Lactose is the main sugar in all mammal milk, and everyone is born with the gene that codes for lactase, the enzyme that processes lactose. When we're babies, in other words, we all have the ability to digest milk. The small intestine produces lactase - it breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose, which can then be easily absorbed into the bloodstream. But for reasons unknown, the lactase gene tends to shut off about the time we're weaned from breast milk. Most people don't create any lactase (or very little of it) by the time they're 5 years old or so. In the absence of lactase, undigested lactose just sits in the colon and ferments, causing all kinds of uncomfortable side effects.

Some people, however, carry a genetic mutation that allows the lactase gene to keep working. Sometimes it continues for just a few more years, sometimes for a lifetime. Ninety percent of Americans have a functional lactase gene, so in the U.S. it is unusual to be lactose-intolerant [source: Understanding Evolution]. But worldwide, more than 60 percent of people lose the ability to process lactose [source: Weise]. Because lactose intolerance is the more common condition around the globe, scientists and researchers in the field actually use the term lactase persistence for people who can digest milk.

Certain populations are more prone to lactase persistence than others. In the U.S., people of Caucasian descent are much more likely to be able to digest dairy - and African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans are not. Northern Europeans, especially Scandinavians, tend to hang on to the lactase gene. Spaniards and the French are about half and half. But a full 99 percent of Asians are lactose intolerant (hence the absence of dairy in Asian food) [source: UE].

Scientists aren't sure why some people lose the lactase gene, but they have figured out that the genetic mutation appeared about 7,500 years ago among dairy-farming populations in Central Europe. The mutation also popped up in Eastern Africa around the same time, also in dairy producers. The theory is that the mutation was random (as all mutations are), but it became genetically advantageous in these dairy-eating populations and thus spread rapidly. To this day, there are still high rates of lactase persistence in these areas.

Lactase persistence might not be a necessity for survival in the modern world, but it does make life more pleasurable for many people. So if you can enjoy ice cream sundaes, milkshakes and pizza with no problem, remember that you're one of the lucky ones.

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Are humans built to drink milk as adults?

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When people can't digest milk, we call them lactose intolerant. This seems to signify that it's an unusual condition - that most people are just fine with milk, cheese and ice cream, and that lactose intolerance is something that needs to be fixed or helped.

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Don't be distracted by the ads throughout the article.

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Written by under Last updated on .

(image credit: cropped from jacqueline)

Recently questions about milk's effect on bone density, coupled with fears about the real benefits of milk, have led people to stop drinking milk or switch to "alternatives" like coconut or almond milk.

According to the International Dairy Food Association US per capita consumption of whole milk sales fell to a record low in 2013, with per capita consumption of lowfat and nonfat milk falling too. Compare that to the rise of sales of milk alternatives: In 2013 they increased by 30 percent compared to 2011. Almond milk sales rose another 40% in 2014 compared to 2013.

But the real reason many people have stopped drinking dairy milk may have less to do with its actual nutritional value and more to do with a sneaky bogus argument that goes around the internet:

The reason NOT to stop drinking milk: Adults are (supposedly) not designed to drink milk.

In this article I won't discuss the benefits of milk or its effect on bone density, osteoporosis, and hip fractures. I'm not going to give any dietary advice or talk about milk's nutritional value.

Instead I'll focus on debunking this particular "adults are not designed to drink milk" argument and its different sub-arguments:

1. Cows' milk was designed for calves, not humans.

2. Other mammals stop drinking milk past infancy.

3. Lactose intolerance is proof we are not designed to drink milk as we grow up.

4. Paleolithic people didn't drink milk past infancy, and hence our body is not designed for it.

5. No other species feeds off another species' milk.

Let's examine those one by one.

1. Cow's milk is designed for calves not humans.

Recently a friend of mine told me he decided to stop drinking milk. His rationale was that cows' milk is meant for calves, not humans, so it's only "logical" that cow's milk is not good for adult humans.

Note that he didn't talk about scientific studies or milk's nutritional value, instead, he based his decision on a plausible argument.

It does sound like it makes sense, right? Cows' milk is meant for calves, so why are we even drinking it?

Here's the logical leap: Just because cow's milk was designed for calves doesn't mean that it's bad for us, or that we shouldn't drink it. Cow's milk can be good for us and good for calves too. Just like goat's milk can be good for us and good for baby goats as well. The fact that goat's milk is really good for baby goats, doesn't mean that it must be bad for us.

In some cases it does turn out the the milk of one species is not ideal for another. For example, cow's milk could give a lactose overload to kittens. But that doesn't mean we can jump to conclusions without having investigated the science first.

The milk police should probably arrest this dog for nursing kittens.

And then arrest this cat for nursing a puppy. Don't they know cat's milk is meant for kittens and hence definitely unsuitable for puppies?

(I have no idea if cat's milk is good for puppies, or dog's milk good for kittens. But without knowing the science, I cannot jump to arbitrary conclusions.)

2. Other mammals stop drinking milk past infancy.

Another plausible argument. Aren't we supposed to stop drinking milk past infancy, just like all other mammals? Let's think about it.

Should we stop creating computers or airplanes just because no other mammals do it? Should we stop cooking meat just because other mammals eat their food raw?

Hmm, no.

We were born with advanced analytical abilities compared to other species. This gives us the option to drink milk past infancy, an option other mammals don't have.

Some of them though do benefit through our own advantage. Take cats for example. Have you ever given milk to an adult cat?

If yes, you might have noticed that they'll be quick to take a sip.

Of course, just because adult cats may drink cow's milk when provided with it, doesn't mean that we should also be drinking it either. Just like the fact that other mammals don't drink milk past infancy doesn't mean that we should also stop drinking milk past infancy. Science should guide us on what to do, not plausible arguments.

3. Lactose intolerance is proof we're not designed to drink milk as adults.

Yes, it's true some people are lactose intolerant, i.e., they cannot easily digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. It's also true that as we age we may become less tolerant to lactose. This depends on your genetic background with Northern Europeans less likely to experience it, while African and Asian populations being more likely to get it.

Lactose intolerance is a valid reason to stop drinking milk. However, assuming that we're generally not meant to drink milk as adults just because some populations get lactose intolerance is a logical leap.

Oh, and please don't get started that pasteurization makes it harder for us to digest milk, while raw milk is great. This is a raw milk myth.

Now, if you're interested in learning more about lactose intolerance and its difference to transient lactose intolerance and milk allergies - stay tuned. Next week I'll be releasing a new article on this very subject.

And a fun fact: Did you know that babies might also be born with lactose intolerance? It's rare, but it happens.

4. Paleolithic people didn't drink milk past infancy.

We like the idea that our body is designed to do or not do certain things. We are keen to believe it. The problem is we often don't know what those things we can or cannot do are. We resort to assumptions to cover up this fact resulting in all sorts of misinformation.

Paleolithic people had some genetic traits. Maybe they could also digest milk as adults - it's just that they didn't have the option to do that back then.

But the fact that they didn't have the option to consume dairy doesn't mean our body, today, cannot consume dairy or that our body shouldn't consume dairy.

Please bring up the milk police and let them chat with Biology Babe. She'll put them to their place. Watch this video where she explains why as a biologist she hates paleo logic.

We may have gained traits, we may have lost traits, it's hard to tell without testing. And some testing is impossible, since there are no paleolithic people around to put to the lab to learn what they were really capable of.

5. No other species feeds off another species' milk.

Of course other animals don't drink other animals' milk. The reason though is not necessarily that they wouldn't want to, or that they would not be designed for it, it's mostly that they don't have the option. It's not as if cats can go buy dogs' milk or that camels can purchase lions' milk.

However, as the above pictures have already shown, when they do have the option to drink milk, even other animals' milk, they indulge. Here's a tell-all video directly from Dairy Carrie's farm. This cat is super-keen to get cow's milk directly from the source!

You're lucky to have the option to choose, so choose wisely.

If you're reading this I'm assuming you live in a place where you actually have food choices. This is awesome. All this variety to choose from is great! You're more than welcome to drink or not drink milk. Lactose intolerance, taste preference, or just personal choices are all solid reasons to stop drinking milking, just like doctors' guidelines or your specific dietary needs can also adjust your milk consumption.

However, if you're gonna make the choice to stop or limit your dairy intake, then make sure you don't do it because some plausible argument about what your body is or is not designed to do won you over.
Now leave a comment and let me know: Has any of the above reasons ever made you think you need to stop drinking milk? Are you currently drinking milk? Why, why not?

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Don't Stop Drinking Milk Because 'Your Body Was Not Meant For It.'

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My friend decided to stop drinking milk, because "cow milk is meant for calves, not humans." There are several solid reasons to stop drinking milk but some plausible argument about what your body is or is not designed to do should not be one of them.

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LOTS of information in this link!!

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The pros and cons of the milk debate include aguments about raw milk, bone health, and lactose intolerance. Explore both sides of the issue.