Most of us have been taught that we need a few glasses of cow’s milk each and every day to keep our bones strong. The reason? Cow’s milk is rich in calcium! Lately, there’s been quite a bit of negative media attention surrounding this advice, stemming from a new study in the BMJ (British Medical Journal). The researchers followed more than 100,000 people in Sweden over a period of 20 to 30 years. The result? Those that drank more cow’s milk were more likely to die from heart disease and cancer, and among the women, the milk drinkers suffered more fractures overall. Now correlation does not mean causation, however, this is not the first study to conclude similar findings.
As a Naturopath with a love of biochemistry, it has never made much sense to consume milk post-infancy, which, by the way, no other mammal does. In addition to this, keep in mind that we are the only species on Earth that consumes the milk of another animal. With 65-75% of the world’s population estimated to be lactose intolerant, is this our genetics telling us something? Maybe we don’t require the enzyme (lactase) to break down lactose after infancy? In some countries, more than 90% of the adult population is lactose intolerant… that’s huge!! I’m also concerned about the level of processing that goes into most commercially available cows’ milks. My concerns stem from the high levels of estrogen in processed cow’s milk, the genetically modified foods some cows are exposed to, and the potential for antibiotic ingestion.
…….But don’t we need cow’s milk to get calcium?
NO! Firstly, there are MUCH healthier sources of dairy – such as fermented cheeses (parmesan, cottage cheese, labna, ricotta, feta) and good quality yoghurt. Secondly, foods such as tofu, bone broth, sardines, salmon and tahini are all loaded with calcium and are completely dairy-free. Check out this comparison… gram for gram, sardines contain 3-4 times as much calcium as cow’s milk (AND they’re super high in Vitamin D, a bonus for bones!).
Calcium absorption from foods:
- High (> 40%) = greens with low oxalate load; broccoli, kale, Chinese greens, turnip, mustard greens
- Moderate (>30%) = tofu, cheese, milk, yoghurt
- Fair (>20%) = sweet potatoes, soy milk, legumes
- Poor (<20%) = foods with high oxalate load; rhubarb, spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard
One more thing… be mindful of bone calcium “robbers” such as soft drink, low Vitamin D, oxalates (found in raw spinach, beet greens, rhubarb, coffee), phytates (unsprouted cereal grains, legumes, nuts), alcohol, and caffeine. Excessive sodium, protein and a high metabolic acid load can also increase calcium excretion.
Bottom Line
Personally, I don’t believe we were designed to drink the milk of another animal as adults. If you’re going to consume milk, don’t choose poor quality processed milk, don’t over-do your consumption, and don’t drink it under the guise that you “have” to drink it to keep your bones strong. Remember that in many parts of the world (such as Africa and Asia) milk is not consumed at all and people’s bones do not crumble! Be educated about what your bones really need; which is a RANGE of minerals, exercise, and a minimally processed diet that’s low in “bone robbers”. Finally, if you choose to drink cow’s milk, know your dairy farmer and drink milk from cows that have been pasture-fed, organically-reared animals that did not receive hormone treatments, and choose quality over quantity.
Until next time,
Stacey.
