What's the Deal with Dairy?

There is so much conflicting information about dairy out there. I wanted to clear up some misconceptions.

Firstly, nobody HAS to have cow’s milk, not even toddlers. However, it is a great source of Protein, Calcium, Vitamin D, and some good fats. Some people react poorly to dairy - either due to lactose intolerance or sensitivity to the proteins in milk. If you notice milk doesn’t agree with you, it would be best for you to avoid it. The guidelines are not one size fits all!

That said, there are some myths about milk floating around out that I’d like to address:

Myth 1: Milk causes mucus.

Milk consumption actually has nothing to do with mucus production or secretion. For some people, the texture of milk leaves a coating on the mouth that feels like mucus, but there is no actual increase in mucus anywhere in the GI tract or the rest of the body related to milk consumption.

Myth 2: Milk contains hormones

While the use of hormones in non-organic milk is technically allowed, most dairy farmers have phased out the use of hormones altogether. Either way, research shows Bovine Growth Hormone doesn’t survive in our digestive tracts and has no effects on humans. If you are really worried about hormones being used, organic milk is highly regulated and does not contain any added hormones.

Myth 3: Milk contains antibiotics.

Organic milk does not contain milk from cows that have ever been treated with antibiotics. Surprisingly, conventional milk is also not allowed to contain any traces of antibiotics. Cows being treated with antibiotics are milked separately during and after treatment, and all batches of milk are tested for traces of antibiotics before bottling to ensure they are not in the milk supply.

4. Almond milk is a “better” milk.

While I do love almond milk and find it very useful, I don’t think we can equate it to actual milk. The calorie, protein, sugar, and nutrient contents are vastly different.

Look out for my next post where I’ll break down the differences between different milks/milk alternatives!