# Should we not be drinking milk ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2000, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760 "2000-03-17T06:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/1 "2000-03-17T06:59:00Z")
Does anybody know anything about the validity of this ? : Dairy products are a health hazard. They contain no fiber or complex carbohydrates and are laden with saturated fat and cholesterol. They are contaminated with cow’s blood and pus and are frequently contaminated with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Dairy products are linked to allergies, constipation, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. The late Dr. Benjamin Spock, America’s leading authority on child care, spoke out against feeding cow’s milk to children, saying it can cause anemia, allergies, and insulin-dependent diabetes and in the long term, will set kids up for obesity and heart disease, America’s number one cause of death. And dairy products may actually cause osteoporosis, not prevent it, since their high-protein content leaches calcium from the body. Population studies, backed up by a groundbreaking Harvard study of more than 75,000 nurses, suggest that drinking milk can actually cause osteoporosis. * * * That comes from [http://www.milksucks.com](http://www.milksucks.com) I’m not taking it at face value right away because the site is apparently operated by PETA, and they have a vested interest in these types of things, you know? If true, this is some scary stuff. So what’s the verdict? Made-up quackery or evidence of a massive coverup by the milk cartels? 🙂 * * * If you can not answer a man’s argument, all it not lost; you can still call him vile names. –Elbert Hubbard ---
**Author:** ![LucyVanPelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LucyVanPelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucyVanPelt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/2 "2000-03-17T07:29:00Z")
I have read similar reports in various health books. My favorite take on this was from Susan Powters. In her book she states that the only reason the school districts provide milk is that the dairy industry supplies them free cheese (IIRC)not that they find it to be healthy. From Dr. Weil > [@](#): > > Except among people of northwest European origin, 75 percent of adults can’t digest lactose, the sugar in milk. As they grow out of childhood, they stop making the enzyme that breaks down lactose during digestion. When lactose-intolerant people drink milk, they experience digestive upsets such as gas, cramps, or diarrhea. ## His whole statement can be found at [http://www.pathfinder.com/drweil/qa\_answer/0,3189,103,00.html](http://www.pathfinder.com/drweil/qa_answer/0,3189,103,00.html) Keep smiling it makes 'em wonder what you’ve been up to. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/3 "2000-03-17T11:36:00Z")
Oh Lord… What I wouldn’t give for a forum search function that worked properly. [SDMB-Are Asian women immune to osteoporosis ?](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/005605.html) The Harvard study also is related to amount milk intake and the number of hip fractures in the study group. I haven’t been able to dig up the “Milk, Dietary Calcium, and Bone Fractures in Women: A 12-year Prospective Study. American Journal of Public Health June 1997” quoted on those sites. I sure probably couldn’t translate it into laymens terms aither. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/4 "2000-03-17T11:55:00Z")
I forgot the MPSIMS thread [Milk sucks](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005972.html) ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/5 "2000-03-17T13:03:00Z")
Well I’ll be durned, the search function just got fixed last night. My bad. If you search for milk just by topic you come up with 21 threads. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/6 "2000-03-17T15:16:00Z")
On the other hand, a dietitian I once talked to described milk as the “perfect food.” I don’t remember the exact percentages, but it had the exact percentages of Carb/Protein/Fat that she thought a good diet would consist of. Cow pus, on the other hand, didn’t come up in the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/7 "2000-03-17T15:44:00Z")
Well, since you asked…I host a forum for dairy-free people. You’re welcome to come look around at the information there. To view the message boards, you have to log-in as a guest or register with Delphi. [http://www.delphi.com/nondairy](http://www.delphi.com/nondairy) There is a hungerstrike going on right now trying to get the FDA to release information about recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone that is allowed to be injected into cow’s in this country. [www.hungerstrike.com](http://www.hungerstrike.com) Here’s something even Monsanto doesn’t dispute: Cows given rBGH develop more mastitis and therefore require more antibiotics. To accomodate out gov’t raised the level of antibiotics that is allowed in our dairy products. All while the medical community is trying to get us to use antibiotcs properly so we won’t have so many drug-resistant bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/8 "2000-03-17T15:46:00Z")
That’s “our gov’t” ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/9 "2000-03-17T16:18:00Z")
Now, you got me started! 😉 I love this page. I just wanted to share it. [http://tga.transform.to/tg/mad313.jpg](http://tga.transform.to/tg/mad313.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![A\_girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@A\_girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_girl)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/10 "2000-03-17T16:59:00Z")
I have noticed when I don’t drink milk, I don’t get sick as often. When something sweeps through the office, I don’t catch it; whereas when I was drinking milk on a regular basis, I was very prone to sore throats and colds and all that. I get calcium through my OJ. If I ever get a craving for cereal again, I’ll use soy milk. I think things go better WITHOUT milk!! 🙂 A girl ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/11 "2000-03-17T17:01:00Z")
> [@](#): > > If you search for milk just by topic you come up with 21 threads. And then it comes out of your nose. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/12 "2000-03-18T06:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I forgot the MPSIMS thread Milk sucks Posted four days ago even. Sorry to pop up with an identical thread. It won’t happen again (at least it won’t happen if the search keeps working). * * * If you can not answer a man’s argument, all it not lost; you can still call him vile names. –Elbert Hubbard ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/13 "2000-03-18T06:29:00Z")
A girl, I know exactly what you mean; me too. Should we drink cows milk? Are we calves? ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/14 "2000-03-17T19:49:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by orangecakes: > **Are we calves?** That reminds me of a cute site. [http://www.waba.org.br/mamifero.htm](http://www.waba.org.br/mamifero.htm) ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/15 "2000-03-17T20:26:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by SoMoMom: > \*\*I host a forum for dairy-free people. You’re welcome to come look around at the information there. \*\* Ok, Delphi is apparently having a couple problems right now. Hopefully the forum will be up and running soon. Just wanted to let you know if you tried to use the link. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/16 "2000-03-17T23:24:00Z")
> [@](#): > > SoMoMom wrote: > Well, since you asked…I host a forum for dairy-free people. You’re welcome to come look around at the information there. I checked at your web site - I expected things for people who are lactose intolerant. Instead I found a lot of scary claims about the BST and rGBH. The FDA had reviewed extensive evidence about BST, and found that milk from BST cows is completely safe. Donna Shalala herself announced the findings, and she’s not my favorite politician, but no one will ever accuse her of being a corporate sell-out. Also agreeing with the ruling were the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and my favorite, the American Council on Science and Health. And just who is it that claims it’s not safe? The notorious Sam Epstein, a name widely recognized in the food safety communtity for making unsubstantiated claims. The story behind BGH is similar. ---
**Author:** ![ASPA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@ASPA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASPA)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/17 "2000-03-18T01:04:00Z")
You ask us “What’s the verdict,” but say you want to take information not at face value. Aren’t the postings only to be taken as “face” in value? You are directed to the library card catalogue or computerized index of journals for something beyond chat, isn’t that so. Anyway, enforce this verdict: animal milk produced for commerical husbandry is UTTERLY that. UTTER dan dat… ---
**Author:** ![GasDr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@GasDr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GasDr)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/18 "2000-03-18T01:05:00Z")
According to the loons at PETA, we should be drinking beer instead of milk in order to free the enslaved milk cows. There was an article about this in today’s (3/17) paper. What a bunch of idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Robbespiere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/47e85d/32.png) [@Robbespiere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robbespiere)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/19 "2000-03-18T01:57:00Z")
Funneefarmer! Come defend your cows!! ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760/20 "2000-03-18T02:45:00Z")
It has been proven again and again, most every study that involves a food item and its downfalls is later recanted and the usual outcome is, use it in moderation. Coffee Tea Wine Cheese Eggs Meat etc, etc, etc. Number One, I think that PETA is an organization that uses propoganda and scare tactics. The beer thing was a scare tactic to get it’s attention on this, they didn’t pull the ads, I believe, because MADD was upset but they wanted to create a controversy to bring their little facist organization back into the limelight. Not since the throwing of blood on people that wear fur has PETA gotten such free publicity. I am all for people not wanting to consume things they don’t want to, but I am against such blatent tactics to get free publicity by creating a controversy…they have been at it for years and based on their tactics I refuse to take anything they say seriously. I hope that I am not creating a GD out of this, but I look upon PETA as a facist group. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-not-be-drinking-milk/8760.md?page=2)