Milk Does a Body Good?

Milk, it does a body good was the beverage’s slogan during the 1980s, promoting the idea that milk helps build bones and muscles. I grew up hearing that slogan along with the importance of drinking milk for its calcium. Undoubtedly, cow’s milk is a staple in most homes, used in coffee and cereal and as a replacement for mother’s milk. For that reason, it was so shocking to hear that the nation’s largest milk producer, Dean Foods, filed for bankruptcy in November 2019. One main reason was that milk sales have declined over the years as people are drinking less milk and more alternative milks. In addition to other reasons such as environmental concerns, the rise in milk allergies has contributed to the popularity of alternative milks. I am one of these people being sensitive to dairy (and gluten). Hence, I have tried various alternative milks and review the most popular brands.

Before I get to my reviews, I have to ask, does milk do a body good? Consider that cow’s milk is the leading cause of allergic reactions in children.  Also, a great question is posed in the article, “Why are Humans the Only Species that Drinks Milk Past Infancy?”   (https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/06/06/why-are-humans-the-only-species-that-drinks-milk-past-infancy/#4c2125236aaf) Does it make sense for humans to continue drinking milk past infancy when animals don’t? By contrast, they nurse their young and then switch to another diet such as plants or fruit.

Marion Nestle, food studies professor at New York University stated, “long ago, the public figured out that diets do just fine without milk, and no, we don’t have to drink three glasses a day. Maybe plant-based milks are the coup de grâce, but this industry just can’t seem to keep up with changing tastes.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/13/business/dean-foods-bankruptcy.html)