LIVING AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE #91

By Rhonda Jones

I have heard all of my life that milk builds strong bones and should be consumed every day. Now, after being plant-based for 17 years, my bones should be dust. Well, as it turns out, we may have been getting inaccurate information for a long time.

According to archeologists, humans have been drinking milk for at least 9,000 years based on examination of ancient pottery shards found in Turkey. The shards contained traces of milk fats, suggesting it could have been an early staple food.

Humans not only drank cow milk but also donkey and goat milk, and around 3,000 years ago, it appears that newborns were being fed cow milk. Adult humans did not drink much milk because it often caused gastrointestinal issues. The milk sugar, lactose, is only digestible with an enzyme called lactase, which babies produce before they are weaned, and is not usually produced in adults.

However, through genetic mutation, over time, more adult humans have evolved to produce lactase and digest milk, but many still cannot.

A major concern with milk was that it spoiled quickly, so when Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization in the 1860s, it prolonged the shelf life of dairy products and eliminated harmful microorganisms, making it more tolerable for everyone, not just babies. In the 1920s and 1930s, the government mandated pasteurization of milk, which increased shelf life and standardized the quality.

During the early 20th century, the US Food and Drug Administration promoted drinking more milk, even marketing it as a “square meal” because it contained butter fat, sugar, protein, and mineral salts. Because of the war, dairy producers ramped up production, and canned and powdered milk were sent overseas to the troops.

However, this eventually created a huge surplus, and milk was sold at lower prices just to move product. During the Great Depression in the ‘30s, farmers were forced to dump thousands of gallons of milk as demand dwindled. When things got really bad, the government stepped in and created an artificial demand for milk along with federal programs and policies.

The federal milk program started in 1940, and milk was distributed to low-income families in schools, and the price was subsidized by the government. In 1946, the National School Lunch Act made it mandatory that every school lunch contain whole milk. The government stated that it wanted to reduce malnutrition, even though it appeared to be forcing everyone to drink it.

When World War II began, the government started up the milk program again with materials highlighting the “nutritional values” of consuming milk. Posters featured celebrities and soldiers drinking milk to influence average consumers. By 1945, the average American was consuming 45 gallons of milk a year.

In the 1970s, we had another economic downturn, and the government again bailed out the ailing dairy industry, dedicating up to $2 billion in subsidies and price supports for dairy farmers. Farmers became rich overnight, and “milk does a body good” was born.

But what does milk do for the body? High in calories and saturated fat, it is linked to weight gain and cardiovascular diseases. Milk can actually weaken bones, as minerals are taken from them to digest it. This is why osteoporosis is prevalent in milk-drinking countries and almost nonexistent in those that do not drink milk.

For healthy bones, ditch the milk. Eat more greens and vegetables, and do weight-bearing exercise. Your bones will thank you.