Some thoughts against dairy

The great dairy debate—should you or shouldn’t you? Put simply—eating dairy isn't the best choice, and if you currently consume it, you may want to remove it from your diet. Here's why.

The arguments in favor of eating dairy surround: we need dairy for calcium; we drink milk as babies and kids, so why not continue? Dairy is good for you.

The calcium factor

Yes, calcium is an essential nutrient for healthy bones, teeth and is necessary for a healthy, happy, long life. Yes, dairy products do contain calcium—but how? Are there foodstuffs with higher calcium levels?

Because the truth of it is that dairy doesn’t contain all that much calcium (119 milligrams per 100 grams) and there are non-dairy alternatives that have vastly superior amounts.

Hijiki Seaweed – this is the richest food source of calcium in the world with a whopping 1,400 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams. Wakame, Kelp and Kombu seaweeds contain similar amounts.

Almonds – contain high calcium levels (more than any other nut at 233 milligrams per 100 grams) and have protein, magnesium, potassium and folic acid to boot.

Broccoli – high in calcium, vitamin C and E, iron, magnesium and potassium.

Figs – 4 figs contain around 100 milligrams of calcium! Iron, potassium, phosphorous and magnesium are also included.

Why dairy is not good for the body, even though we drank milk as babies

"We drank milk as babies." Yes, we drank our mother’s milk as babies—this milk is specially formulated just for human babies. And then we all get weaned from it. Just like a baby cow drinks its mother’s milk and gets weaned from it.

Once we grow out of the milk drinking phase, we no longer have the proper enzymes in our stomachs to digest it, so why keep drinking it? This question is more pertinent given that dairy is highly acidic, creates excess mucus, and is the milk of an entirely different species.

Human beings are designed to drink human milk, for a certain period of time while we still have the specific digestive enzymes in our stomachs. Other than that, Mother Nature simply never intended for us to drink another species’ milk all the way into our adulthood.

If you simply can’t do without milk on your cereal or in your daily coffee, why not give unfortified almond milk a try—Blue Diamond Almond is an excellent choice. Soy milk would normally be another alternative, but given the high commerciality of the market, soy beans are starting to be genetically modified. Hemp milk and rice milk are pretty decent choices as well, just watch for the sugar and vitamins some brands try to pack in there—you don't need either. 

For a little bit more detail on the subject, you may want to read Dr. Binal Shah's Milk, does a body...?.

A here's some more of the same from Mark Hyman, MD.