Nutritious or Dangerous?
Milk has been a controversial topic for the past decade. While some people argue that milk is a necessary and nutritious food that is essential for healthy bones, others claim that it can lead to cancer and even early death. In this blog post, we will explore the science behind milk and its benefits and drawbacks.
Brief History of Milk
Milk has been a part of mammal’s diets after birth for thousands of years. It is rich in fat, vitamins, minerals, and lactose, a milk sugar that helps babies grow and develop. Milk also contains antibodies and proteins that protect us from infections and regulate our immune system. However, it requires a lot of effort for mothers to produce milk, and eventually, humans stop drinking mother’s milk and transition to the diet of their parents.
This changed around 11,000 years ago when our ancestors settled down in the first agricultural communities and domesticated dairy animals like goats, sheep, and cattle.
Lactose Intolerance
As humans grow older, the fewer lactase enzymes our body produces. Worldwide, about 65% of the population do not have the enzyme after infancy, which means they are not able to digest more than about 150 ML each day.
In some East Asian communities, it’s up to 90%, while in Northern Europe and North America, the rates are the lowest overall. The trait was first introduced by a random mutation, which happened independently of each other in a few populations.
The fact that farming replaced hunting and gathering more and more created natural selection pressure, pushing back populations there that didn’t have the trait.
Is Milk Healthy?
While there are a number of claims regarding the negative and positive health effects of milk, the research seems to show that if you drink between 100 to 250 milk per day, cancer is not a concern. Similarly, meta-analyses could not find any impact from milk or dairy products on your risk of heart disease, stroke, or your total mortality.
Some studies even suggested that high blood pressure might be rarer in people who eat a lot of dairy, although the evidence is not strong enough to claim this with confidence. However, milk can be a problem for those with lactose intolerance, allergies, or general discomfort after drinking milk or eating dairy products.
Skimmed milk has been found to statistically increase the rate of acne by 24%, and one in 18 kids in Germany suffers from milk product allergies.
Pesticides, Antibiotics, and Hormones
One of the main concerns surrounding milk is harmful amounts of pesticides, antibiotics, or hormones. There are hormones in milk, but only in very low concentrations.
For example, to get the same amount of hormones as from the pill, you’d need to drink about 5000 liters of milk. And even if you did, most hormones would be destroyed by your digestive system before they could affect you.
For pesticides and antibiotics, there are regulations in most parts of the world that only allow completely harmless amounts. Milk that surpasses these thresholds is not allowed to go on the shelf, so there’s nothing in particular to worry about.
Conclusion
In conclusion, milk is a nutrient-dense food that can contribute to a healthy life and lower child mortality, especially in regions where people struggle to get enough calories. While it may not be harmful in moderation, milk can be a problem for those with lactose intolerance, allergies, or general discomfort after drinking milk or eating dairy products. However, it is important to note that the negative health effects associated with milk consumption are not well supported by scientific research.
