Is milk bad for you, or any dairy products?

Put it this way-no other species of mammal consumes milk in adulthood. All other mammals become lactose intolerant after weaning. Even cats, who supposedly love milk (many don't), it doesn't love them. They get the runs.

Naturally processed forms of milk are more tolerable, even to the people who don't have the lactose tolerant mutation (that's right, it's a mutation that allows humans to drink milk at all). Cheese and yogurt are much more digestible.

However, commercially produced milk does contain hormones and antibiotics, as well as traces of blood and pus from the chronic udder inflammation caused by mechanical milking. Sounds yummy, huh?

The countries with the highest dairy consumption rates (the West) are those with the highest rates of osteoporosis. It is virtually unheard of elsewhere.

If people want healthy bones, milk should be the LAST thing they drink-

it causes blood acidosis, causing the body to leech calcium from the bones to neutralize it.

"Low-fat" milk (or products of any kind) are far from healthy- "low-fat" means the majority of calories come from carbohydrates. Healthy fats (not like those found in animal products) aid in weight loss. Avocadoes, nuts, and seeds. I personally try to eat as much fat as possible, and this helps me keep my weight down- if people prefer to consume carbohydrates (and protein, which the body can use to MAKE carbohydrates) and become overweight and diabetic, more power to them, I guess.

"I just learned...factory-farmed milk may contain hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and chemicals, that can not be healthy."

Not to be rude, but ALL industrially-produced foods contain those things, and that's common knowledge.

"Well mr.smarty if it's such common knowledge then why does everyone think milk is so healthy?"

"Everyone" doesn't- the average ignorant Joe does because of Industry propaganda, peddled by the federal government.

Ms, btw.

There are plenty of vegan options which will provide you with the Calcium you require. The thing about calcium is that you can have too much of a good thing. Excessive calcium does in fact increase your risk of getting osteoporosis. Maintaining health and staving of disease is all about balance. It isn't just that the Japanese eat less dairy, they also eat much less processed foods and all around lead healthier lifestyles. Veganism isn't for everybody, it isn't just about not eating dairy or eggs. Veganism is more of a lifestyle, requiring attention to everything you are consuming, wearing, and using on a daily basis. At the end of the day, do what is most comfortable to you. If you are concerned about osteoporosis, Start obtaining calcium from easily digestible sources, like Kale. Keep your dairy in moderation and lead an active lifestyle.

1) Acne is caused by hormone levels, milk nor any other food has not been shown to directly influence hormone levels. However some people (myself included) have anecdotal evidence from experience that a certain food can cause a flare up.

Steroids affect hormone levels which is why they are a side-effect/treatment for acne.

2) What your government does with your countries milk supply will vary, this information is freely available on the net however from governemnt sites & typically independent watch-dogs.

Pesticides/antibiotics/hormones etc are not inherently unhealthy, these are merely names for a group of certain chemicals based on their chemical makeup & effects in an organism. Typically these chemicals are bad for you if they fall within certain ranges, otherwise they have no effect or positive effect.

Chemistry isn't this black & white, this is why we've researchers who determine acceptable levels & concentrations of chemicals in foods, And why there is independent testing in factories & such to ensure these concentrations are within normal ranges.

3) Whether dairy hurts an individual or not is still debated within science. Vegans disagree with milk consumption & are just as biased as others in what they believe due to personal conviction/scientific understanding. So skepticism goes a long way.

There is some evidence dairy may be harmful or at least certain components (I believe New Zealend have removed a specific alpha protein thought to be correlated with cancer & is on the market). There is also evidence it is fine & recommended for various groups.

Some people's skin does clear up when they give up dairy products...and some people's skin gets worse. There's no magic in giving up dairy products.

You get one chance in life to build strong, healthy bones...the bones you will live with the rest of your life. To build strong bones, you need a good supply of calcium that your body can use efficiently. Dairy is the best choice. You'll have to drink about twice as much soy "milk" to get the same benefit as cow's milk. Yes, protein does leech some calcium out of bones, but milk contains so much calcium that you still come out ahead of other substitutes.

Your bf is wrong. The govt does not put hormones in the food supply.

We've been drinking milk for it's health benefits for thousands of years. Only since Monsanto took over the soybean industry has the deluge of false information started. They've got to do something with all of that genetically modified (GM) soy they are selling.

Link below to a vegan registered dietitian on dairy myths...a VEGAN RD.

Milk commercially produced today is nothing like the milk people drank 100+ or so years ago.

The problem with modern-day milk/dairy (and other animal products) has more to do with what is passed into the food product by the livestock when they are fed cheap, low-quality, GMO, chemical/pesticide-laden feed, pumped full of commerical-grade antibiotics, etc.

In addition, pasteurization kills much of the nutritional value of milk/dairy, but conditions at modern factory-farms are so nasty that they have to do this just to make the milk safe to consume.

Also, the asinine cosmetic habit of homogenizing fats in milk in order to make it "more pretty for the consumer to look at" actually affects the way our body digests those now-unnatural fats - making them unhealthy to our system (fats with that sort of molecular density do not occur in nature).

In my opinion, the only remotely acceptable dairy found today is quality organic raised, and does not contain any homogenized fats in them. That means either buying organic "nonfat" or finding that elusive brand of organic milk that doesn't homogenize the milk (the fat/cream floats at the top in its natural molecular state/size). If you buy "nonfat", be sure to consume some healthy unrefined fats with it though, since natural fats in proper mix/balance are very important for metabolizing and utilizing nutrients in food - including milk.

Personally, the only dairy that I choose to consume in my vegetarian diet is my daily morning bowl of organic plain cultured nonfat Greek yogurt, spruced-up with healthy fats and additions, such as unsweetened coconut flakes, chia seed, raw/dry-roasted nut pieces, cinnamon, cold home-prepared black/pinto beans, etc.

"I just learned...factory-farmed milk may contain hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and chemicals, that can not be healthy."

Uh...do you live under a rock? ALL (and I mean ALL foods produced industrially) meet this description.

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Seeing as it contains calcium, vitamin D and some trace amounts of minerals, it can be health beneficial.

The only time it would be bad is if you're having too much of the high fat options too often, or if you can't have it for a medical reason such as if you have an allergy to it or are lactose intolerant.

Whole milk is very fattening, however skim milk isn't and is very healthy for you!! If you are having trouble maintaining weight, whole milk will help and is good for people who needs to gain weight. Milk has calcium, good for the bones and older women. It lowers blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, reduces diabetes, boost immunity, and is a complete protein.