As we head into the holidays, many of us will also face some well-intentioned interrogation from our relatives. โWhy hasnโt he proposed yet?,โ โAre you still stuck in that dead-end job?,โ โWhy arenโt you eating everything?,โ the list goes on. As much as we love the time together, thereโs no doubt some people use this gathering as a means to ask their burning personal questions, which could very well involve doubting your decision to go dairy-free. Read through the facts below and arm yourself with answers, so if asked, you can justify your choice with a solid yet polite response. Who knows, you might even convince a cousin or an aunt to reconsider a second serving of mac and cheese.
Dairy Is Not A Health Food
Despite what the multi-million dollar dairy marketing campaigns have led most of America to believe, dairy does not do a body good. This is particularly relevant for the 65 percent of the global population who are lactose intolerant, meaning their body cannot properly digest the sugars in cowโs milk, leading to an array of digestive issues, including bloating, gas, stomach pain, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Even for the 35 percent who are not lactose intolerant, cowโs milk can still cause health issues. Dairy has been linked to aggravating asthma symptoms. In fact, studies have shown that children who remove dairy and eggs from their diet see drastic improvements in their asthma symptoms in as little as eight weeks. Further, the Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) found in all cowโs milk has been linked to a number of conditions and diseases, ranging from acne and eczema to more life-threatening ailments such as heart disease and cancer.
Whatโs Really In Milk
Milk is not a pure white beverage – itโs a concoction of artificial and natural elements secreted by a female cow. To increase production, cows are often fed steroids, which may be present in their milk. Even milk labeled with a โno added hormonesโ sticker can still contain natural hormones; the presence is inevitable since cows must be pregnant to produce milk, and pregnancy stimulates the productions of hormones like estrogen. Pus is another natural element found in cowโs milk. While the amount is small (about one drop in a full cup), the thought of drinking pus is generally disturbing, especially when considering that it came from an infected udder.
Whatโs not in milk? Calcium your body can use. The human body canโt absorb the calcium present in milk on its own – thatโs why all commercially sold cowโs milk in the United States is fortified with vitamin D. Whatโs more, cowโs milk also contains high levels of phosphorus, which consumed in excess (three glasses of milk a day, for example), can lead to resorption of calcium from the bones. Cowโs milk doesnโt build strong bones – it can break them.
Letโs Talk About the Environment
If youโd prefer not to bring up pus and steroids at the family table, you could offer up some environmental facts when your uncle asks why you havenโt touched his famous sour cream mashed potatoes. As of 2005, dairy cattle account for 19 percent of the total water footprint for all livestock. Thatโs just shy of one-fifth of all the animals humans use for consumption – chickens, pigs, turkeys, beef cattle, etc. Considering that approximately 2.1 million people face water scarcity every year, this is a significant statistic. Further, the most comprehensive study to date on the impact of food and the environment has stated that ditching meat and dairy is the single most effective action one can take to lessen their environmental impact. Itโs not taking shorter showers or biking to work that will prolong the life of our planet – itโs saying no to cowโs milk.
For more information on dairy, including the health and environmental implications, check out our โWhy Ditch Dairyโ page.
