11 Reasons to Stop Eating Dairy

Milk and dairy products are not the health foods we’ve been told they are. Here are 11 reasons to stop consuming them:

1. Cow’s milk is intended for baby cows. We’re the only species (other than those we are domesticating) that drinks milk after infancy. And, we’re definitely the only ones drinking the milk of a different species.

2. Hormones. Not only are the naturally-present hormones in cow’s milk stronger than human hormones, the animals are routinely given steroids and other hormones to plump them up and increase milk production. These hormones can negatively impact humans’ delicate hormonal balance.

3. Most cows are fed inappropriate food. Commercial feed for cows contains all sorts of ingredients that include: genetically-modified (GM) corn, GM soy, animal products, chicken manure, cottonseed, pesticides, and antibiotics.

1 of 3

Michelle Schoffro Cook

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Diane L.

2:41AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

"Carl N-your comment is akin to your avatar...idiotic"........why would that be, Mary Beth? Why is anyone's avatar something you feel comfortable insulting? I'm betting you aren't a tabby cat, either. We don't insult other members here, personally, Mary Beth. Disagree with what they say and explain why, but don't insult the memer who has said it..

send a green star

1:58AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

" Nondairy, fortified milks are now widely available".............yes, they are, and several have side-effects and dangers. Rice milk comes with an alert about arsenic in it, and many cannot tolerate soy, especially young, adolescent males. Why consume something that is synthetic or "fortified" with chemicals or additives when it's available in a natural form, UNLESS one cannot tolerate the natural form? Even lactose-intolerant individuals have access to supplements which eliminate or reduce almost all those risks. Unless one is allergic to dairy, it makes little sense. Avoiding dairy from factory-farms and CAFO's is always advisable.........for EVERYONE, but it's not necessary to eliminate dairy completely if one puts for a bit of effort to find it elsewhere. I wonder if the "capsules" they say we'll all take to survive nutritionally, eventually, will also provide the satisfaction for our "taste buds" or make our stomachs feel "full"? Just curious about that. I wonder about the lack of comraderie when families no longer gather around a table to eat meals and have conversation, and merely pop a pill? Will young people go out on dates and all go to Taco Bell (like in Demolition Man) and just look at each other, listen to the theme song from "Oscar Meyer Hotdogs" and then swallow a glass of water and a pill?

1:49AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

Veta, what would you suggest to those who put milk in their tea? Seems that would be a real "catch 22"! There are absolute scientific facts about when to consume certain things, and some will counter others as for benefits. Some foods should not be consumed at the same time with others, some are more beneficial before going to bed, and the list goes on. Some need another "food" consumed at the same time to be absorbed, for instance. Calcium is absorbed better if there is vitamin "D" present. Calcium needs to be in ratio with magnesium to be most effective. Too much calcium and that can be bad, etc. Far too many of these studies focus only on one aspect of a nutrient and not the total picture or being "in balance".

Nicole O.

1:46AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

it makes perfect sense

Tom R.

1:44AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

True I suppose, but...I`ll look for range fed and raised cows and will relish the food they produce.

1:24AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

"Really? Is that why Asians are generally lactose intolerant, have much lower rates of osteoporosis, stronger bones, little arthritis, and other diseases associated with dairy consumption?"......yes, really. Asians don't normally consume the amount of dairy we do in the West because they don't have the means to raise cattle.........land is too precious. Asians are no more likely to be lactose intolerant than any other group of people, and there are lactose intolerant people in all cultures. Asian diets happen to focus more on fish, veggies and rice than what we eat, or at least the traditional ones did. They also were more likely to have an active lifestyle, kept the joints "moving" and that alone, wards off arthritis and osteoporosis. Osteoporosis tends to be more prevalent in small-boned Caucasion females, especially of Scandanavian descent. As a volunteer in a clinical trial of an osteoporosis "med" and having a family member who had the disease, I know a bit about it :)

1:18AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

And the propaganda and running with myth still continues! "Calves die because of milk consumption. Cows are great mothers to their babies:.........sure, and cases of calves dying during birth and calves being picked off by predators, and calves dying of scours. "There have been cases of new born calves being thrown into wheelbarrels and the cows try to chase them to get their babies back".........what Mom wouldn't defend her newborn, except a few species that are not raised by the parent at all, or in the case of some, the male? Of COURSE the cow will try to defend her baby if it's removed! However, that is not always the case, and if you bothered reading the comments, or stickng to the facts, that happens in the factory-farming situations, not the others. . "The cows hearts are broken and they cry for weeks"......a cow will quickly forget her calf is gone and as long as she has her udder relieved of pressure, she won't care. They don't "grieve", the defend their young and I suggest you watch some of the documentaries where a herbivore has it's young killed and eaten by predators. The mothers WILL do what they can to fight off the predators but when they realize it's fruitless, they walk away. Same with domestic cows. Watch "Last American Rancher"........they showed several cases where calves didn't survive, and in one case, the rancher risked his life to go in and try, but as soon as the dead calf was removed, the cow walked away calmly.

paula e.

12:33AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

Calves die because of milk consumption. Cows are great mothers to their babies. There have been cases of new born calves being thrown into wheelbarrels and the cows try to chase them to get their babies back. The cows hearts are broken and they cry for weeks.

Danuta W.

12:21AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

Thanks for sharing

Kathy P.

12:10AM PST on Feb 23, 2012

Very interesting and thank you for this information. Anything is bad in large quantities.