Do you think milk is safe?

capriciousmoon

The only real reason to drink it is if you enjoy it. It's as safe as any other food.


You don't really need it for health and there are ethical reasons not to drink it, but it's really just up to you. Personal choice and preference.

_JR_

I almost died drinking milk one time....... oh wait..... nevermind.... that was Drain-O. No, milk is fine. Much better for you that Drain-O!

taunto

All the joking aside, Milk is considered a COMPLETE food. As in any human can live just drinking it for a long duration and get most of the important nutritions. Most doctors I know recommend drinking it daily. Our past generations suggest drinking it. Dairy products are highly suggested to be consumed daily.

MoreBean13

We're not designed as a species to drink milk past infancy so I certainly agree it's something our bodies can do without and in some cases it can be harmful to an individual.

However as to whether it's harmful to the human race as a general rule, I personally think we probably shouldn't have dairy products in our diet but then we also shouldn't have any processed foods if we're looking at it in natural evolutionary terms. If it isn't harming YOU personally there are a lot more things out there I would eliminate from your diet before dairy.

Designed by whom and how do you know what their design plans were? Ever heard of evolution?

pullipgirl

I bet they heard about it from Dr. Oz

Buddogmom

We're the only species that drinks another animal's milk, and there are far healthier ways to get calcium. That being said, if you spend the extra money for organic milk, you won't have to worry about the hormones and antibiotics. Personally, I love almond milk. Tastes more like cow's milk to me than soy milk does, and too much soy can be dangerous for those who have a history of breast cancer in their families.

Meg_78

I love milk, it is an important part of my diet. Here in Scandinavia, milk and dairy products in general are an important part of the diet.. We still give milk to our children every day in school. I have no qualms about drinking it myself or feeding it to my kids. Unless you have an intolerance to it, then I don't see a problem.

SideSteel

We're the only species that drinks another animal's milk

My cat drinks cows milk.

zombilishious

I just heard about a very chubby 9-year old's visit to the pediatrician. Her mother was concerned because her breasts were developing. Pediatrician said it was milk hormones. I'm thinking it's McDonald's.

toddis

I suppose you can't make a blanket statement. You'd have to look at the source of the milk. It could be possible the cheaper milk might have more adulterants that might be unhealthy. Milk unadulterated...totally awesome.

As far as humans being "designed" for anything..yeah...If i recall correctly we began as scavengers...you know like hyenas and such. I think if we can eat and survive on rotting carcasses we can drink milk.

Sarauk2sf

We're the only species that drinks another animal's milk, and there are far healthier ways to get calcium. That being said, if you spend the extra money for organic milk, you won't have to worry about the hormones and antibiotics. Personally, I love almond milk. Tastes more like cow's milk to me than soy milk does, and too much soy can be dangerous for those who have a history of breast cancer in their families.

RobynC79

Milk is not safe. Studies show the cassein is linked to cancer in animals as well as all the other problems. But it's also very difficult to eliminate milk from the diet. I do Soy and Almond milk, but I still have cheese and other dairy occasionally. I suppose that's better than nothing. Want to know who came up with the idea that we should drink milk everyday and give it to our children? Housewives in the 1950s. Milk does NOT do a body good.

1. Lactase persistence (i.e., the ability to digest milk beyond infancy) has been shown to be under positive selection for ~10,000 years. So the idea that 'humans as a species' are not 'designed' to drink milk is false.

See here (among other references) Tishkoff SA, Reed FA, Ranciaro A, Voight BF, Babbitt CC, Silverman JS, Powell K, Mortensen HM, Hirbo JB, Osman M, Ibrahim M, Omar SA, Lema G, Nyambo TB, Ghori J, Bumpstead S, Pritchard JK, Wray GA, Deloukas P (January 2007). "Convergent adaptation of human lactase persistence in Africa and Europe". Nat. Genet. 39 (1): 31–40.

2. A search of 'casein cancer link' in pubmed produces all of 7 results, with none actually about casein causing cancer. So this appears to be unsupported by any peer-reviewed research.

Buddogmom

We're the only species that drinks another animal's milk

My cat drinks cows milk.

Not naturally (in the wild - part of an animals natural diet) -- your cat drinks it because you give it to him/her. And BTW, most vets would suggest you stop.

AZKristi

All of our livestock are injected with hormones and antibiotics. I don't think this is safe, and prefer to drink organic milk, almond milk, or rice milk instead. I wish I could afford organic meats, but not at this point.

Two thirds of humans are lactose intolerant (the percentage is much larger if you look at middle eastern, african, and asian populations as opposed to people of European descent). Furthermore, humans are the only species that consume milk past infancy. So the idea that it is an essential part of a mammalian diet is ridiculous.

Mads1997

Milk is just the latest in a line of products that are said to cause cancer. Its all just scare tactics.

etoiles_argentees

I just heard about a very chubby 9-year old's visit to the pediatrician. Her mother was concerned because her breasts were developing. Pediatrician said it was milk hormones. I'm thinking it's McDonald's.

I'm thinking you're wrong.

Sarauk2sf

We're the only species that drinks another animal's milk

My cat drinks cows milk.

Not naturally (in the wild - part of an animals natural diet) -- your cat drinks it because you give it to him/her. And BTW, most vets would suggest you stop.

Josie_lifting_cats

We're not designed as a species to drink milk past infancy so I certainly agree it's something our bodies can do without and in some cases it can be harmful to an individual.

However as to whether it's harmful to the human race as a general rule, I personally think we probably shouldn't have dairy products in our diet but then we also shouldn't have any processed foods if we're looking at it in natural evolutionary terms. If it isn't harming YOU personally there are a lot more things out there I would eliminate from your diet before dairy.

Whoa, wait. What?

Do you know that in many cultures, children are allowed to breastfeed until they naturally wean.... which, in those cultures, tends to be around age 8? NATURALLY weaning at age 8.

The AAP and other organizations recommends breastfeeding until age 2.

So we are definitely designed to drink milk past infancy.

originalcookiemonster

We're the only species that drinks another animal's milk

My cat drinks cows milk.

Your cat will probably develop cancer. Sorry Steel. Haven't you heard? Everything gives you cancer. Most importantly, microwaveable popcorn, fake butter, and that cheese that you sprinkle on your popcorn.

Siege_Tank

That's a bunch of nonsense. It doesn't cause cancer. However, I work in the agricultural realm, and I have to say that I don't agree with how they handle dairy cattle. To make the farm profitable, they have to milk hundreds of cows per day, sometimes more depending on the size of your workforce. The more animals you have in a confined area the more likely it is to cause disease. Add to this that no dairy operations have NEAR enough pasture, and the cows are standing in FILTH all day, so they load the cows up with antibiotics and they inject them with growth hormone to make them produce more milk.

I buy local organic milk from a dairy farm that I've actually been to, and it's great. So many fun things to learn about it. But like with so many things in this world excess leads to abuse.

The reason I buy organic milk is because it's a certification, I actually couldn't care less if they used hormones or not, it's not like I'M being injected with them =P