In this blog post, we will look at the nutritional value of milk and the various reasons why the claims that milk is harmful are exaggerated and biased.
A long time ago, the world was shocked by the revelation that milk, which was known as a complete food, was harmful to the human body. Among them, the controversial book Lait, Mensonges et Propagande presents various reasons to explain why milk should not be consumed. However, the book’s claims are exaggerated, biased, and not sufficiently supported by evidence.
First, let’s find out why milk is called a complete food. Milk is rich in calcium, which is beneficial for growing children and effective in preventing osteoporosis. It is also said to help prevent dementia and is rich in other nutrients besides calcium, making it good for health and aiding in weight loss. Now, let’s look at the arguments of milk opponents and refute them.
First, milk opponents claim that the benefits of milk are the result of excessive marketing. There was clearly a lobby by dairy farmers and marketing by milk producers, and milk producers in the UK in particular were very successful in marketing milk as an essential food like water by supplying milk to schools. However, it is difficult to believe that the recognition of milk as a complete food is just the result of marketing. If milk was not nutritious or harmful, it would not be recognized as a complete food. In the past, when it was difficult to get enough nutrition, milk was a valuable food that could provide a variety of nutrients. Now that it is relatively easy to get enough nutrients, milk may not be as valuable as it used to be, but the fact that milk is a healthy food has not changed. This has been proven through many experiments.
Second, there is an argument that milk is not effective in preventing osteoporosis and, on the contrary, weakens bones. Bones are kept healthy through the balance of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Milk contains proteins that induce the proliferation of osteoblasts and an important factor called IGF-1, which helps bone growth and regeneration. Lait, Mensonges et Propagande acknowledges this, but argues that consuming a lot of milk from childhood onward actually causes osteoporosis. The reason osteoporosis occurs in old age is because the number of MSC, the stem cells that make osteoblasts, decreases as they age. This book claims that consuming a lot of milk in childhood accelerates the aging of MSC, which in turn promotes osteoporosis. This seems like a convincing argument, but it is an exaggerated interpretation. This is only the case when you consume large amounts of milk that promote MSC aging. Just as all foods are poisonous when consumed in excess, milk can help prevent osteoporosis when consumed in the right amounts, but it can be harmful when consumed in excess. A Swedish study published in the British Medical Journal in 2014 also found that the more milk a person consumed, the higher the mortality and femoral fracture rates, but this study also found that one or two glasses of milk a day actually reduced mortality and fracture rates. In other words, milk is beneficial to health when consumed in moderation, and excessive consumption is the problem. In addition, it is difficult to directly link milk consumption to femur fractures because they are often caused by external shocks such as traffic accidents or falls.
Third, there is also a claim that milk causes cancer. It is said that drinking more than two glasses of milk a day can increase the concentration of IGF-1 in the blood and cause cancer. However, a university professor refuted this claim, saying that the concentration of IGF-1 in milk is very low and cannot cause cancer. No matter how much milk you drink, the concentration of IGF-1 in your body does not increase significantly. Milk contains functional fatty acids that help prevent cancer. IGF-1 is composed of proteins, so it is broken down into amino acids during the digestion process, so it does not accumulate in the body to the extent that it causes cancer. On the contrary, IGF-1 is an essential substance in the body that plays many roles in health as well as tumor cell proliferation. Milk opponents are using faulty logic by only highlighting the side effects of IGF-1.
Fourth, there is also the claim that milk can cause illness. Milk alkali syndrome and lactose intolerance are examples. Milk alkali syndrome is hypercalcemia that occurs when high calcium foods are consumed in excess. However, considering the recommended daily calcium intake, a glass of milk is only one-third of the recommended amount. In addition, there are many other high-calcium foods that we eat on a daily basis, so it is difficult to blame milk alone. Lactose intolerance is caused by a lack of the enzyme that breaks down lactose, which can be improved by consuming dairy products in moderation.
Fifth, milk opponents argue that the milk production process is unsanitary and unreliable. They say that milk squeezed from animals that eat only feed and are unable to move around is unhealthy. However, the same can be said for meat. If you don’t eat milk for unsanitary reasons, you shouldn’t eat meat or eggs either. The dairy and livestock industries follow strict legal standards, and milk from cows is delivered to consumers after going through a thorough management process. Therefore, the claim that the production process of milk is harmful to health is unsubstantiated.
According to the research that has been conducted so far, the overwhelming majority of studies have shown that milk is beneficial to the human body. The claims that milk is harmful are mostly based on problems that occur when milk is consumed in excess. All foods can be harmful when consumed in excess. Therefore, it is advisable not to be fooled by the claims that milk is harmful to the human body and to consume an appropriate amount.
