Are you a heavy milk consumer? Can’t live a day without milk? If you are experiencing acne, hormonal imbalance, fatigue, poor immunity or digestive issues, then you need to read on.
Just like any other human being, my breakfast was incomplete without a bowl of cereal and milk, while lunch was incomplete without a bowl of curd. Unfortunately, my body didn’t quite agree with my love for dairy. My digestion started acting up, I started breaking out into acne and I was always low on energy... Of course being a nutritionist I had to do something to fix myself before I could even guide anyone else. Though, according to me I was eating a healthy well balanced diet I somehow still wasn’t feeling my best.
That’s when I introspected my diet on closely studying the foods I was eating and with some research, I came across a lot of facts which actually explained how damaging dairy is for the body. So, I stopped consuming milk and milk products in my daily diet and saw a tremendous change in the way I felt. My skin looked better and my digestion became smoother. If you’re tempted to jump on to the Vegan bandwagon, but are unsure, I have listed the main reasons why milk is not beneficial for humans:
- Not the best source of nutrition
We are the only species who drink another species’ milk after weaning. Our common practise of heating milk excessively to kill the bacteria, also kills the good bacteria and enzymes present, this changes the chemistry of the milk and destroys all the heat sensitive vitamins, leaving you with a dead and heavy to digest white liquid.
- The nutritional balance is off
Human milk is ideal for the growth of the baby. It has the perfect blend of nutrients in the right proportion to help a baby grow. Animal milk, on the other hand has 3 times more protein than human milk. The amount of growth hormones present in animal milk is excessive for human growth, but it’s perfect for the growth of its own baby.
- We cannot digest it
By the age of 3-4 humans start losing enzymes which help digest the protein and lactose in the milk, no wonder why so many kids dislike or throw up when they drink milk but we don’t get the point and force it down their throat. With the lack of enzymes, the undigested milk stays in the stomach surrounding the other food we eat, hampering the digestion process. This leads to gas formation, bloating and heaviness, becoming toxic for the body. So, the milk which we were supposedly having for energy gives us none and drains us because the body has to work harder to break it down. That explains the lethargy and constant fatigue we experience.
- Milk is acidic and causes bone loss
Milk is alkaline but on digestion becomes acidic. So, to keep our blood at 7.3 pH, our body uses calcium from our bones to neutralize this acid. Also, the calcium in Cow’s milk is not easily absorbed, so dispel any notions of milk being the best source of calcium.
- Mucous overload
Milk is a mucous causing food which leads to respiratory issues, cold, cough, asthma, etc.
- Pure milk is a modern day myth
Gone are the days when our ancestors had fresh, raw, milk directly from the udder of the animal. Today the milk we consume is not even 1 % close to what milk use to be like back then. Animals are given oxytocin hormones to produce excess milk, they are subjected to mechanical lactation process which actually bruises their udder and sometimes causes the blood and pus to even enter the milk. Cows are also given antibiotics to sustain all this and ultimately the absolutely impure milk is further adulterated with unclean water.
These hormones and chemicals ultimately make way into your body causing acne, skin issues, allergies and hormonal imbalances. No wonder why we see girls attaining puberty as early as the age of 6 now a days and why some women menopause way before their age.
I know it might be a task initially to remove milk, it’s a childhood habit which makes it difficult for you to wean yourself off it. But, there are a host of other options like almond milk, cashew milk and coconut milk that are not only nutritious, but delicious too!
Don’t follow the crowd, listen to what your body is saying and see the difference for yourself.
Content by - Neha Chandna
Edited by - Farozan Dossani
About Neha
A nutritionist, counselor, writer, motivator and wellness expert. As a nutritionist slash wellness coach, Neha creates customized diet plan and guides in tweaking your lifestyle based on your fitness goals. Spanning over 8 years of experience in diet & nutrition, Neha has worked with reputed gyms, fitness trainers, doctors and physiotherapists, delivered health talks for corporate, written articles for magazines and health portals and haven been associated with well-known brands as their nutrition consultant.
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