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Chelsea Judd
Professor Smith
English 1010
November 21, 2014
Milk Does Not do a Body Good
People have been drinking milk for thousands of years, so whats the big deal? How
would I eat my oreos without milk? What would I put on my cold cereal in the morning?
These are questions that were heard in the room when I suggested to my tenth grade class of
English students that milk might not be all its cracked up to be. Actually, milk is not even
essential to ones health. There are many vegetables and seeds that contain equal amounts of the
same nutrients, if not more, than cows milk. People should start eliminating milk from their diet
for better digestive health and stronger bones.
There are other food sources that are more nutrient dense than Milk. Milk has some key
nutrients such as calcium and a variety of vitamins and minerals. There are 8 grams of protein
per serving, along with 305 mg of calcium. Many people have been raised drinking milk,
thinking that they need it in order to get enough calcium each day. Although milk does have
some great nutrients in it, there are other sources of calcium, protein and minerals found in
vegetables and seeds. In fact, some vegetables are more rich in calcium and minerals than a
serving of milk. A cup of collard greens is very comparable, at 357 mg of calcium. A bunch of
broccoli has a whopping 516 mg of calcium! (Top Ten Vegetables Highest in Calcium). Not to
mention that all of these vegetables are high in essential minerals and vitamins. Vitamin D is
naturally found in milk--but not a significant amount. Most milk is fortified with vitamin D, or
in other words, it is added in after the milk is pasteurized. Vitamin D is in mushrooms, eggs, and

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fish naturally (Top Ten Vegetables with Vitamin D). Milk is a source of some of these
nutrients, but it is not the richest source of calcium or vitamin D.
There are better sources of protein than milk. In the last few years, people have been
seeking more and more protein for building muscle and to aid in weight loss. Milk has 8 grams
of protein per serving. Often times athletes promote milk as a healthy drink for post
workout. Runners will drink milk after a marathon. Yes, milk has some protein. But, it is not a
significant amount when compared to a cup of chicken, for example, which has 35 gram of
protein. A handful of almonds has 7 grams of protein which is comparable, and a cup of
pumpkin seeds has 12 grams of protein. Almonds and chicken not only have protein like milk,
but they are sugar free.
Sugar, another hot topic, is why some people cannot properly digest milk. Lactose, the
sugar found in milk, often cannot be broken down in peoples bodies. These individuals have
been labeled as Lactose Intolerant. Whats surprising, is that more people in the world are
lactose intolerant than not. And, those that are able to handle milk sometimes still have minor
problems with their digestive system, even if they do not realize its from milk. Nature
normally programs the young for weaning before they reach adulthood by turning down the
production of the enzyme that breaks down lactose. But, a gene mutation inherited by people of
northern European descent prevents the production of this enzyme from being turned down
(Hively). So, because of a certain enzyme not existing after babies are done breastfeeding, many
peoples bodies are literally done dealing with milk. A lot of caucasian people (European
descent) are able to tolerate milk, but that does not mean that its easy on their digestive
system. ...Cow milk has been named as the cause of cramps and diarrhea in much of the
worlds population (Pros and Cons of Milk). Whether a person has the enzyme to break

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down lactose or not, the problem connects back to the logic of what is natural: human babies
should drink their moms breast milk, and calves should drink cows milk.
Drinking cows milk is unnatural for human beings. ...The ultimate problem with cows
milk is that nature concocts different formulas of mothers milk for different species. Whats
good for baby calves is not necessarily good for human babies or adults. Isnt it strange that
were the only species that suckles from another species? (Hively). The fact that cows milk
was not intended for humans explains why some humans cannot digest it very well. Many
Americans believe that milk is a good beverage for growing kids. Schools promote milk from as
early as kindergarten. However, around the world, milk is not considered as a healthy beverage,
considering that 70% of African Americans, %50 of latinos, and 90% of Asians have trouble
digesting lactose (Hively). This evidence shows that cows milk is not made for the
consumption of humans.
Besides milk causing digestive issues, new studies have suggested that it actually makes
bones weaker instead of stronger. The dairy industry has long promoted the myth that milk
promotes increased bone health--but the opposite is true. The evidence is now abundantly
convincing that higher consumption of dairy is associated with higher rates of bone fracture and
osteoporosis, according to Yale and Harvard University research groups (Campbell). Milk has
had its horn tooted for developing strong bones and maintaining them. Dairy has been a part of
the food pyramid for years in America as way for people to get calcium, vitamin D, and
phosphorus which are all needed for strong bones. According to another study that was done on
a group of swedish people, daily milk drinkers were more likely to die from cardiovascular
disease or cancer, and were 60% more likely to fracture a hip, than those who drank less than a

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cup a day (Kaplan). Milk is not the best route for strong bones. As mentioned earlier, there are
other ways to get the same nutrients for bones rather than milk.
People do not need milk in their diets to be healthy. There are plenty of vegetables, nuts,
and seeds that provide the same essential nutrients that milk has. In fact, some of these sources
are even more nutrient dense than a serving of milk. Not only is milk non-essential to ones
health, but can also be detrimental. Milk can cause discomfort for many because it is not natural
for the human body to digest. Other problems that new studies suggest are on the contrary to
traditional beliefs that milk makes bones stronger. Milk may in fact make bones weaker, as
shown in a group of swedish people who drank milk regularly. After researching all of the
disadvantages of milk, I do not know why people would want to keep drinking it....but I guess
for some oreos are just not the same without it!

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Works Cited
Campbell, T.C. (2012, Sep 18). Would we be healthier with a vegan diet? Wall Street Journal
Retrieved from http://sirs.com
Hively, William. Worrying About Milk. Discover. Aug. 2000: 44-51. SIRS Issues Researcher.
Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Is Drinking Milk Healthy for Humans?" ProCon.org. N.p., 25 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
<milk.procon.org>.
Kaplan, Karen. "Does Milk Do a Body Good? Maybe Not, a New Study Suggests." Los Angeles
Times. Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.
"Top 10 Vegetables Highest in Calcium." Top 10 Vegetables Highest in Calcium. N.p., n.d. Web.
23 Nov. 2014.
Top 10 Vegetables Highest in Vitamin D. Top 10 Vegetables Highest in Vitamin D. N.p., n.d.
We. 23 Nov. 2014