Let’s play a little game. Pick out which item does not belong in this group: apples, bananas, spinach, quinoa, sweet potato, and milk. If you picked milk because it’s the only beverage in the group, you would be right, but there’s another reason the drink doesn’t belong. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are unquestionably good for you, while milk is … well not, entirely. That’s right. Despite what the dairy industry would like us all to believe, milk is not needed for a balanced diet. In fact, since only one in four people can digest the stuff, we’d say it makes for a pretty imbalanced diet.
This video by Vox illustrates the facade of the dairy industry perfectly. As they point out, despite the fact that consumers can get the daily recommendation of calcium, potassium, and protein from fruits and vegetables, the dairy industry has spent billions of dollars to convince you otherwise. The dairy industry convinced parents and children that the only way they were going to “grow up to be big and strong” was by chugging a big ol’ glass of milk. What they left out was the fact that milk actually doesn’t protect against bone fractures, and oh yeah, it’s linked to certain types of cancer.
Source: Vox/Youtube
With this vital information left out of the equation, the dairy industry has been able to lobby their way into schools, touting milk as a nutritional powerhouse. Luckily, despite all of their embellishing, many people have been able to wake up to the fact that milk is not as amazing as they paint it to be. Research shows that hormones and cow’s bodily fluids make their way into the milk, disrupting our own systems. Even some governments have started to lower their daily dairy intake, and are instead placing emphasis on the other portions of the dietary guideline “plate,” such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
With new information about the dairy industry coming to light, consumers have started to look for cleaner options to replace the creamy beverage.
“U.S. milk consumption has been steadily declining by 25 percent per capita since the mid-1970s. Americans, on average, drink 37 percent less milk today than they did in 1970, according to data from the USDA,” said Nil Zacharias, Co-Founder of One Green Planet, “On the other side, non-dairy milk sales are up 30 percent since 2011, representing a $2 billion category, and growth is expected to continue outpacing dairy milk sales at least through 2018. Consumers don’t want milk anymore, and better alternatives are growing every day.”
In fact, the non-dairy milk market has surged within the past few years. Almond milk sales, in particular, have increased by 250 percent from 2000-2o15 to almost $895 million. New nut-free and soy-free alternatives, made from hemp, rice, and vegetables, have also been cropping up. The latest release, a milk formulated from pea protein, shows great potential since it appeals to consumers looking to avoid soy as well as nuts. Plus, pea-protein milk has a much smaller environmental impact than almond and boasts more calcium and nutrients overall.
The combination of milk prices going down, consumers looking for cleaner alternatives to milk, and a general awakening to the dairy industry’s deceptive ways, has led to a major decline in dairy consumption in the U.S. and around the world. While, this archaic industry has not been completely wiped out, at least the end appears to be in sight.
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on the story about the polar bear I lambasted someone for not thinking and merely being cruel. Milk is not good for you and is produced for calves to drink. Sadly, it is no just as good as advertisers like for you to believe but milk is not made for us and calves are separated from their mothers at birth causing both great stress and sadness. I used to like dairy as well but for me the suffering of animals is a good reason to stop consuming it. Males calves are often dumped and left to die and the list goes on.I really don\’t care what others do to their bodies but I do care about what happens to cows and other animals as they have no say but must submit to the cruelty inflicted upon them. Drink your milk, eat your cheese but it is they who pay for it with their lives. I am sure I sound extreme but animals should never have to suffer for wants or purposes of people.
You\’re right, I agree.
For health reason, I had to stop drinking milk and I don\’t miss it at all. And it makes me happy for cows.
Can someone let me know of a food probiotic besides saurkraut or yogurt? Thanks.
Miso is a good probiotic and tempeh is a fermented food as well. There are more options but I can not remember them all. Kimchi works as well.