10 Facts the Dairy Industry Doesn't Want You to Know (about Milk)

As one of the lactose intolerant persons in this world, I found your article to be very informative and well written. The photos are icing on the cake! Great job!

If milk is such a terrible junk food, why had the FDA given dairy products such a large wedge of the food pyramid (yes, even the new one)? I am legitimatly curious here.

Thanks for your comment, SunGoddess! I'm glad you found the article informative.

Ryan, that's a very good question, and it's the one that concerns me the most regarding this whole issue. The vast majority of people in the Western world labour under the belief that dairy products are an essential part of our diet. We've been told it so often, for so long, that most people accept dairy as a perfectly normal, everyday food, and sadly believe that it's one we can't have a healthy, balanced diet without. There is no doubt whatsoever that calcium is an essential mineral that we require in a regular supply in order to maintain overall health and strong bones and teeth. No one would argue this. And it is true that milk contains high levels of calcium. But what most people don't realise, and what I highlighted in my article, is that the calcium in milk is a highly inefficient source for the human body because we don't have the means to extract the calcium and digest it, so it is excreted, doing us no good at all. When you combine that fact with all the other harmful effects milk has on the human body, it becomes clear that there are very few benefits to consuming it, and no good reason for it to be considered an essential part of anyone's diet. A healthy, balanced diet will contain all the necessary calcium in a form that is far more digestible to the human body. Kidding people that they're getting all the calcium they need by drinking milk prevents them actively seeking it elsewhere in a digestible form.

So why does the FDA and other similar bodies worldwide continue to insist that dairy products are essential for health? I could speculate many reasons, unfortunately few of which I could back up with hard evidence... but I honestly believe the crux of the issue is that we have been told for so long that we need dairy in our diets that to remove its wedge of the food pyramid now would go against the grain for many people and upset the balance of the food industry as we know it. I think the key is to provide people with the correct information so that they can then make informed decisions on their own without simply accepting what we're all told unquestioningly. Continued education and slowly changing attitudes have always been a part of our growth as a species. I believe that is one of our most important traits.

I've read some of these points before and (at least) some of them have been negated (the milk/mucus link is bogus, for instance - there are medical studies proving that milk consumption does not increase nasal secretions though people perceive it so because of the way it coats membranes).

I think that, while interesting, there is no conclusive evidence of the effects being listed here as undeniable truths and there is a lot of selective "fact" offering here. I think a more balanced approach would point out both sides of each of the assertions (and who is making them) and be far better researched in terms of proving these "facts" are true.

For one thing, it is asserted that lactase stops being produced in humans after infancy but that is not true. It diminishes in production slowly if you do not continue to drink milk. That means that regular milk drinkers do not stop producing lactase and can still digest lactose.

Also, saying humans are the only ones who consume something is a meaningless argument. Humans do a lot of things regarding food that animals do not including cook their food. Should we all consume raw meat because animals do not cook? We also process our food into more complex foodstuffs (like bread, pasta, etc.).

Milk is beneficial, at least for some regular consumers of it (medical studies say about half of people benefit from it, only 5% are harmed by it in some way, and the rest are neither helped nor harmed). There is medical evidence that mothers who consume milk while pregnant give birth to babies with stronger bones. Also, the nutritional picture of dairy product consumption is muddled by the fact that the presence of protein undermines the benefits of the calcium in them. It should be noted that milk is one of the few foods regularly fortified with Vitamin D (which aids in a person's ability to absorb Calcium) that is a regular part of a Western diet.

Attempting to dissuade people en masse from consuming something which may be good for them is irresponsible and indicates a personal agenda more than an attempt to aid the reader in responsible decision-making.

where are sources?

I think the whole cow torture thing is messed up. But as for the bacterial pus thing, well isn't that why diary companies pasteurize milk products?

Just a thought. :)

Milk is, in my opinion the best of all drinks in the world, except maybe water. It has a complete set of the essential nutrients like amino acids, proteins, and some other good stuff ( I learned that one in biology). However it should, like all things, be ingested in moderation.

Having said that farming milk with this torturous procedure is not only cruel and inhumane, but I'm sure it also turns the milk into something that is not as nutritionally healthy as it should be. Animals, including humans, actually produce chemicals when they are happy, and when they are sad. I'm sure being tortured would have some effects in the by-products that cows produce.

Just A thought.

How much experience do you have with the dairy industry? Do you know how modern dairy farms in the US are operated? I have lived on dairy farms my entire life, in Europe, Canada, and here in the US. Dairy farming is my way life, so I feel that I must correctly inform you of some of the claims you make.

You claim:
It is necessary for a calf to increase its weight tenfold during the first year of its life, and its mother\'s milk provides all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats required for this level of growth.

Do you honestly believe a calf can increase its weight tenfold, strictly by drinking its mother\'s milk for a year? I challenge you to feed a calf solely milk for a year and see how much it grows. Calf growth will level off within two to three months if solid feed is not introduced within that time.


You also claim:
Cows\' milk is also designed to be digested by an animal with four stomachs.

Earlier you said that only calves drink milk, but this completely contradicts this statement about four stomachs. A calf is not born with four fully-developed stomachs. The four stomachs only fully develop when roughages are introduced into its diet (something which will not occur if your \"milk-only\" diet proposed above is followed). A cow requires four stomachs due to the fact that she is able to digest roughages with high amounts of cellulose, and has absolutely nothing to do with milk absorption.


You claim:
These hormones are present in the milk from these cows, and are therefore consumed by whomever drinks it.

Please source this. The FDA has deemed milk from cattle given rBST just as safe as milk from cattle without rBST. Here is a source from Dr. Barbano from Cornel University, supported by the FDA:
\"Milk from cows given supplemental bST contains no more bST than milk from cows not given the supplement.
There are no differences in nutrient content
(i.e., fat, protein, calcium, vitamins, etc.) or sensory characteristics (flavor,
color, etc.). There is no difference in bST content.\"
Besides, 95% of the US milk supply is now BST free.


You claim:
Intensively farmed dairy cows do not live happy lives.

This statement is a contradiction in itself. The more content and happy cows are, the more milk they produce. Therefore, it is in the dairy farmer\'s best interest to make the cow as comfortable, healthy, and happy as possible, as she will then yield a greater amount of milk. Have you ever stepped foot on a dairy? If you have, you will notice that cows will want to come into the parlor, they will walk in by themselves. Many dairies across the globe are using things such as rubber flooring to walk on, fans and misters and climate-controlled barns to keep cows cool in the summer, back scratchers, not to mention specially formulated food prepared fresh twice a day, if not more often.


You claim:
A dairy cow is separated from its calf at birth so that the milk intended to feed that calf can be harvested for human consumption. This is terribly distressing for the mother cow and her newborn calf.

Do you know why this is done? For the safety and health of both cow and calf. This is done to prevent the spread of diseases such as Johne\'s disease. This also helps us monitor both the cow and the calf more closely and be able to treat them should something be wrong with either of them. And rest assured, the colostrum is caught separately and fed to the newborns to ensure that the calf receives an adequate amount within the first 24 hours of its life, maximizing the absorption of antibodies, which strengthens the calf\'s immune system and decreases the risk of sickness dramatically. Tell me how this is inhumane.


You claim:
Disgusting, but sadly true, modern dairy farming does not allow for the milk from a cow with mastitis to be separated from the milk from healthy udders.

Do you know how a dairy farm operates and how the dairy farmer is paid for milk? Mastitis cows are detected in the parlor, isolated from the rest of the herd to prevent spreading the infection to other cows, and treated accordingly. It is to the dairy farmers disadvantage to not do this, as premiums are paid out for milk with low somatic cell counts. If mastitis cows are left in the herd, somatic cell counts will increase dramatically, and reduce the price the dairy farmer is paid.


Please do your homework before posting an article like this. Most Americans do not know much about the dairy industry, and articles like this paint a completely false picture for them. I do not appreciate having someone write this and disrespect me and my family\'s livelihood. I work sunup until sundown caring for my cows, devoting my life to their health, safety, and comfort. Do not say the US dairy industry is mistreating its cows and supplying unhealthy milk. The US dairy industry is one of the highest regulated food product industry in the world.
I look forward to reading your reply.

thank you for telling the truth of us cattle farmers

theese people have obviusly never steped foot on a US farm

To JD and CB:

I appreciate your courage to present the other side of this issue, thus allowing American consumers like me a chance to weigh the information more evenly. However, your response does not address the issue of mega-factory farms, which supposedly not only cut corners for profit reasons (i.e. animal accommodation and labor), but also destroys business for smaller, local farms.

I find it hard to believe that \"the US dairy industry is one of the highest regulated food product industry in the world\" when dairy consumption is so high here (if not the highest in the world), which necessitates mass production.

Therefore, instead of looking at either JD\'s or Tallis\' information as absolute fact, I must take responsibility as a consumer to research more into exactly where my dairy & meat (as well as veggies, fruits, nuts, clothes, etc.) are coming from.

Thank you Rosie, I am extremely thankful that there are consumers like you out there who realize that you must research for yourself where your food comes from and not blindly follow what any one person will tell you. I am extremely encouraged that there are consumers like you in the marketplace. Thank you.

I am however, concerned about your opinions on so-called \"mega-factory\" farms. I\'m not sure what you classify as a supposed \"mega-factory\" farm. My family owns a 2000 head dairy farm in West Texas, and I can assure you that the cattle on our dairy here are cared for the same way that every cow was cared for back when we lived on a much smaller dairy in Canada, where we milked just 70 head. We have carried over our dairy practices from when we were much smaller. I personally know many other dairy farmers who have done the exact same thing: carried over the dairy farming practices from their own smaller dairies and then expanded and carried them over to dairies with upwards of 8000 head. The exact same principles apply whether you milk 60 head or 6000 head: care for the animals, the people, and the environment. If we as dairy farmers are not responsible stewards of what we have, we have our entire livelihoods to lose.
Also, many people assume that big farms are owned by corporations who have no involvement with the operation of the farm. This is not true at all. The big dairy farms that are milking thousands of cows are almost all family owned. I do not have the magazine with me right now so I cannot source it, but I was just reading that 98-99% of all dairy farms in the US are family farms (I wish I had that magazine with me so I could give you a more exact number, sorry). This is not to say that they are run solely by the members of the family that owns the dairy, but we have employees who help us care for the cattle. In fact, larger dairies are often able to provide better care for the animals, as they are able to spread costs out over more cattle. Costs such as having an in-house veterinarian, more advanced technology such as ultrasound, and high quality feed that is specifically created for the herd are only economically feasible when the herd is large enough.

Well Rosie, I have to run, but I encourage you to ask any questions you may have regarding dairy farming. I do not mind taking the time to explaining what my entire life has revolved around to people that are genuinely interested.

One more thing, you said that you find it hard to believe that the US milk supply is so highly regulated while milk consumption is so high and there is mass production. Why can a mass-produced product with high demand not be regulated to ensure safety? True, this calls for a very labor-intensive program that has quality checkpoints at many different points through all the milk processing channels, but this is precisely what the milk industry has. It amazes even me at how many times each load of milk that is shipped from any dairy in America is tested and re-tested to assure quality, cleanliness, safety, etc. If any milk at any point is deemed unfit for human consumption, it is removed from the human food supply.

Hi, several here talking about their nice cows but the question is how good is for the human body? do you know, exept maybe for the organic feed cows, that owners inject antibiotics to the cows just to protect them agaist infections? the same with hormones to make them inflate, etc, then homogenized and pausterized. Do you know what the hormones are going to do to your body? nice thin today, future inflated fat tomorrow! the antibiotics prove to produce Candida in your body 80
% in america have it! with all the complications, homogenized milk and products make the milk less less digestable causing more ferment problems, pausterizing kils several nutricional properties in the milk. I rememver many times that my kisd were sick, the firs thing to do is cut complitly the take of milk or milk products and the sicknes begines to go. Grown up should use NO milk or very little better the Got milk organic and raw from a clean source, and if is made yougurth the better best.