Growing up, I remember constantly being bombarded by Drink Milk ads and fridge door nutritional guides that placed dairy products among the essential food groups needed for optimum health. Years later, I would realize that most of what I had heard about drinking cow’s milk was plain wrong and usually just the propaganda of the dairy industry.

Taking into consideration that 70% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant — including about 90% of Okinawans ( who live as long as sea turtles) — the question must be asked, since when did humans need to drink cow’s milk to remain healthy?

Increased calcium consumption is a leading selling point for marketing dairy products, yet the typical western diet gets less than 50% of its calcium from this source. Calcium is found in many vegetables like broccoli, parsley and cabbage, in nuts like almonds, and in a variety of seafood choices, but if you’re like me, and grew up around western culture, you’d hardly know that calcium was available outside of dairy products and food supplements.

Humans only started drinking milk relatively recently in terms of human history, which is why most populations are still lactose intolerant and why dairy allergies are one of the most common food allergies around. In addition, humans are the only mammals that consume milk after weaning, and are the only species that regularly drinks the milk of another. The evidence seems to indicate that dairy products are not as important to our health as marketers would like us to believe.

With an aging population, osteoporosis – a disease that decreases bone mass leading to painful fractures and immobility – has been used by the dairy industry to push calcium consumption via their products. It is interesting then, that the disease is common among American women, one of the largest consumers of milk products. Indeed, there is no evidence to suggest that consuming cow’s milk protects someone from this bone robbing disease. Even diets that are extremely high in calcium do not seem to ward off osteoporosis.

The traditional Inuit (Eskimo) diet is very high in calcium and yet this population experiences high rates of osteoporosis. This phenomenon has been linked to the Inuit’s high intake of animal protein. When animal meat is consumed, calcium is transferred from the bones to the digestive system to help counter the acid generated by this food group. Therefore, to maintain a healthy bone mass, one should consume calcium in reasonable amounts whilst limiting meat in their diet. In addition, regular exercise, magnesium, and vitamin D (sunlight) are also needed to maintain a healthy bone mass; drinking milk alone is not enough.

Now before I end this blurb sounding like a total dairy hater, I just want to disclose that although I’m not a huge milk drinker, I do eat yogurt almost every morning and I love my French bread with cheese – gouda, edam, or smoked cheddar preferably – so I’m hardly dismissing the appetizing pleasures of this food group. Also, I love eating meat! So I hope you don’t interpret this post as some sanctimonious rant on behalf of vegans and the 70% that get the squirts after taking too much cream with their coffee.

What are your thoughts on drinking milk? Do you buy into its promoted health benefits, or do you drink it simpy for enjoyment?