I have spent 30 years in the field of advertising and marketing, and so I 
know the power of advertising. One of the most successful marketing campaigns over the past 50 years has been that of the dairy industry. They have convinced us that drinking milk is essential to our health. However, the more research I do, the more I realize that this is totally untrue! Casein, the protein found in milk and other dairy products is in fact detrimental to our health. Did you know that:
- 75% of the people on the planet don’t consume any dairy products because they are lactose intolerant and they are doing just fine.
- The Japanese consume much lower levels of dairy than we do, yet they maintain a higher life expectancy and better health than the United States.
- Calcium can be found in non-dairy foods such as spinach, kale, broccoli, tofu, soybeans, almonds and molasses, and these foods provide more calcium per calorie than milk.
- As for cow’s milk’s role in building strong bones, that the countries with the highest dairy consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis
- Dairy consumption has been linked to cancer, diabetes, autism and schizophrenia, and many autoimmune disorders including Multiple Sclerosis.
- The fat and hormones in dairy have been strongly linked with a variety of hormone-related illnesses in humans, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and acne.
- Most of the milk in the US is produced on large factory farms, where cows are kept in unhealthy conditions, and fed hormones and antibiotics, we need to pasteurize the milk so we don’t get sick, but this process destroys many of the nutrients
- And lastly dairy cows suffer immensely in dairy farms/factories, and they also account for huge amounts of CO2 emissions, land degradation, water consumption, and water contamination
I strongly recommend that you read The China Study and read or watchForks Over Knives for more information.
For more information and references please refer to my earlier post on this subject.
Let's Get in Shape Together 
I remember reading once that the calcium in cow’s milk was too big for our body to absorb plus milk was made for babies not to drink for our entire lives – this makes sense to me. I’m not a big dairy fan either. When I do eat cheese or drink milk, I see it as splurging. The only statistic I’d question is that 75% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant – that’s pretty high. I’d love to see where you got that statistic.
Joanne, here is a link to the original post I wrote which gives you the references for my statistics. https://graceyb.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/spill-out-the-milk/
I am going to go back and add that into this post for others who may be curious — thanks.
Also there is a wealth of information in The China Study, far more than I summarized here
I love cheese but I am not a big milk drinker. This makes me wonder why we were given milk all those years during school lunch.
Incredibly informative. But I love milk, even as an adult! Now my milk and cheese consumption has me feeling a bit guilty. My grandfather raised beef cattle, but in most humane way. Sadly the family farm has given way to the corporate farm. So I’m reminded that I need to re-think my choices.
All part of the dairy industry’s marketing. Get into the schools and convince us that it is good for us!
Amen
Agree with you, Joannae. Dairy products cause a lot of trouble and are seriously bad for your health. If you have a sore throat the worst thing you can do is consume a lot of dairy products since it will take much longe to get rid of the sore throat.
Cows really are the enemy in more ways than one, though I do drink milk on occasion (especially with chocolate) and I love cheese. It’s hard to change one’s diet even when knowing the truth… mostly my tastebuds know what they like 😉 Still, all things in moderation.
I find almond milk a great alternative and the chocolate almond milk is excellent, even heated up as hot cocoa!
As with everything we need to be able to moderate our dairy consumption. I do not drink milk often but as Jeri, I love cheese. 🙂
I was never a milk drinker, but boy put cheese in front of me and a loaf of french bread a glass a wine and I was a happy camper. After having breast cancer I am very aware what I put in my body. I no longer eat cheese for the reasons you give and also it is hard to digest. I now eat hummus instead. I thought I would still have the cravings for cheese but I don’t. My diet is now more alkaline and I really feel great. Wish more people realized that dangers of many foods we consume.
I too thought I couldn’t give us cheese, but the more I read about dairy in general, the less I want any of it — milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, etc! There are pretty good alternatives out there for milk and ice cream. (Not so much for cheese!)
IGood to know about dairy products. ‘m not really a milk drinker unless it’s in cereal, with cookies, or in a milkshake. As for cheese I like it but I don’t think I eat a ton of it.
I’m a follower of Vivian Goldschmidt who writes about saving our bones. What you blog about here is indeed a problem, and true. And just the beginning as you said with milk being toted to BUILD bone strength. I have all but cut it out because I still enjoy the occasional cup of coffee and like half and half in it. Great work in bring this to our attention. PS – I also cut out cheese and now am always on the hunt for veggie cheeses.
Patricia Weber, LinkedIn Group BHB
Yeah, switching from light cream to almond milk in my coffee was the hardest part of giving up dairy!!!
Please let me know if you find a good veggie cheese. Any I have tried have been dreadful!