May of you know by now that dairy is not good for getting lean. Others probably know that the consumption of dairy products has been linked to a decreased immune system response.
But there may be a few things about milk that you don't know.
Before you have another glass of milk or consider chugging another whey or casein shake or loading an extra slice of cheese on your sandwich you should know that most of us are lactose intolerant to some degree.
All human beings can handle lactose as babies. Most of us lose this ability as adults. The majority of adults have some level of lactose intolerance. It is not a rarity but rather the normal state for fully grown adults; we simply don't need milk anymore.
Below are some more accurate numbers, although as stated, most of us have lactose intolerance to some degree.
Lactose Intolerance Among...
People of Asian descent- 90-100%
People of Native American descent- 95%
People of African descent- 65-70%
People of Italian descent- 65-70%
People of Hispanic descent- 50-60%
People of Caucasian descent- 10%
You also have to consider that human beings are the only species that actually drinks the milk of another species. Think about that for a second and really let it sink in.
If I poured someone a glass of milk that I just squeezed out of a pregnant womans right breast they would freak out and not even consider drinking it. But if I poured them a glass of milk laced with 80 different allowable antibiotics (according to the FDA) that I just got down on my knees and squeezed out of a smelly, disgusting cow that same person wouldn't think twice about slugging it right down.
Pretty disgusting if you ask me.
High milk consumption has also been shown in studies to actually increase the risk for osteoporosis instead of decrease it. In fact, the calcium absorption rate of milk is quite low.
Below are calcium absorption rates for a few different foods:
Brussel sprouts- 63.8%
Mustard greens- 57.8%
Broccoli- 52.6%
Turnip greens- 51.6%
Kale- 50%
Cow's milk- 32%
As you may have guessed I am not a fan of milk consumption and no longer recommend it for anyone. But the choice is yours.
What should I drink instead?
Water.
What about in my cereal or with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Soy milk, rice milk, almond milk or oat milk.
Doesn't soy increase estrogen?
The research is not conclusive in my opinion but even if it does, 1-2 cups of soy milk won't be enough to do it. Of course, if you are a pear shaped fat ass who already has a pair of D cups I wouldn't go near anything that even had a one in a billion chance of being slightly estrogenic.
I drink a glass or two of soy milk a day and haven't noticed anything negative from it. I also use rice and almond milk.
