avatarEdward John

Summary

The article questions the human consumption of cow's milk, advocating for the nutritional benefits of plant-based calcium sources and highlighting the historical context that normalized cow's milk consumption in humans.

Abstract

The article critically examines the cultural norm of adult humans drinking cow's milk, challenging its necessity and health benefits. It points out that cow's milk is intended for calves and argues that the human obsession with dairy is misplaced. The author emphasizes that cow's milk has an imbalanced calcium to magnesium ratio, which could lead to magnesium deficiency, and suggests alternative sources of calcium that provide a better nutrient balance. These alternatives include chia seeds, soy milk, almonds, and leafy greens like kale and broccoli. The article also notes that a significant portion of the global population is lactose intolerant. Historically, the practice of drinking cow's milk became widespread due to surplus production during and after the First World War, which was then aggressively marketed by the dairy industry as essential for health. The author concludes by encouraging a shift towards a diet that reflects adult human nutritional needs rather than those of baby cows.

Opinions

  • The author suggests that drinking cow's milk as adults is as peculiar as consuming human breast milk, referencing a scene from the TV show "Friends" for comedic effect.
  • The article criticizes the dairy industry's marketing tactics, which have led to the widespread belief that cow's milk is necessary for human health.
  • It is argued that cow's milk is not an optimal source of calcium due to its low magnesium content, which can lead to health issues associated with magnesium deficiency.
  • The author promotes a variety of plant-based foods as superior sources of calcium that also provide a balanced ratio of magnesium, aligning better with human dietary needs.
  • The article implies that the historical circumstances of milk surplus after the First World War, rather than nutritional science, have dictated current dietary habits regarding dairy consumption.
  • The author encourages readers to reconsider their dietary choices, especially if they experience symptoms of magnesium deficiency despite consuming dairy.

Why Don’t You Drink Human Breast Milk?

If you’re going to drink baby food, at least stick to your own species

Image by Gregory Botha from Pixabay. Filtered with Canva.

I was reading Rory Cockshaw’s veganism rant. The bit about milk caught my attention:

“People who are obsessed with dairy are slightly embarrassing. It’s breastmilk intended for baby cows. The fact that we’ve convinced ourselves that human adults need the breastmilk of another species is absurd.”

This reminded me of the scene from Friends when Phoebe tasted some human milk:

To quote Rachel:

“Phoebe! That is juice squeezed from a person!”

As opposed to squeezed from a different species?

It’s great for babies to have human milk. But once the child reaches a certain age, cow’s milk is somehow more appropriate?

Cow’s milk isn’t even a good way to get your calcium

It’s far too low in magnesium. The ratio of calcium to magnesium is more than 10:1. Yet we need that ratio to be 2:1. Some even say a ratio of 1:1 is better.

Common symptoms of magnesium deficiency:

  • Muscle twitches and cramps
  • Mental health disorders such as anxiety
  • Osteoporosis
  • Fatigue and muscle weakness
  • High blood pressure
  • Asthma
  • Irregular heartbeat

Do you drink a lot of milk and get any of those symptoms? If so, you might want to have a rethink.

There are plenty of non-dairy sources of calcium:

  • Chia seeds
  • Soy milk
  • Almonds
  • Dried figs
  • Tofu
  • White beans
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Broccoli rabe
  • Edamame
  • Kale
  • Sesame seeds
  • Broccoli
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Mustard and collard greens
  • Okra
  • Oranges and orange juice
  • Butternut squash
  • Arugula

Almonds, for example, have a much better calcium to magnesium ratio than cow’s milk. It’s about 1:1. Broccoli is about 2:1. Sesame seeds are about 3:1. So, you’re far less likely to end up magnesium deficient if you get your calcium from non-dairy sources.

And 68 per cent of humans can’t properly digest cow’s milk.

So what the hell is going on?

Why is it so common for humans to drink cow’s milk?

It was a survival tactic during the First World War. To prevent malnutrition, the US Government sent lots of powdered milk to soldiers overseas. So then many farmers started focusing mainly on dairy.

But once the war ended, all that milk was no longer needed. So then the farmers had an overabundance of milk. So the dairy industry convinced us that we needed to drink milk every day to stay healthy.

Isn’t it time we all started eating like adult humans rather than baby cows?

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