Top 10 Tuesday: Reasons to Ditch Dairy Products!

There are just way too many reasons to dump dairy products to fit onto this list. But here are 10 simple reasons why you should wipe off that milk mustache for good:

1. “Moo” is not your first language. Cows give milk for the same reason that humans do—to feed their babies.

2. Cows are not milk machines. Milk is made for babies, so cows are kept pregnant (and fed growth hormones) every year just to maintain a steady, unnaturally large supply of milk.

3. There’s a bit of veal in every glass of milk. Male dairy calves are considered “byproducts” of the dairy industry. Sent to veal farms, they’re chained inside cramped dark crates for a few months until they’re killed for their tender flesh.

4. That milk mustache can lead to a milk gut. Milk is high in saturated fat and contains no complex carbohydrates or fiber.

5. Dairy products increase your risk of developing heart disease and cancer. Besides containing artery-clogging cholesterol, dairy products have been linked to various types of cancer, including prostate and breast cancer.

6. Lactose intolerance is no fun. Up to 90 percent of all Asians suffer from lactose intolerance, a condition that can cause gas, nausea, cramps, bloating, and diarrhea.

7. Cookies and colic don’t mix. Research links the consumption of cow’s milk to anemia, diabetes, allergies, and a variety of other ailments.

8. No bones about it—milk doesn’t prevent osteoporosis. In fact, both clinical and population evidence strongly implicate dairy products in the development of osteoporosis.

9. There may be extra chemicals in your milkshake. Cow’s milk is contaminated with bacteria, blood, lots of pesticides, antibiotics, and pus. “Chocolate milk” is nothing more than milk that contains flavoring to entice you to consume all these horrible things. Chocolate flavoring is often added to milk with a higher somatic cell count (think more pus) to cover the unappealing taste and smell.

10. Milk’s Not Green. Milk production wastes energy and water and is also a major source of water pollution. One dairy cow produces 120 pounds of waste every day, which is about as much as two dozen people produce. But cow manure doesn’t end up in toilets, sewers, or treatment plants.

Fortunately, you don’t have to ditch the taste of milk, ice cream, cheese, and other “dairy” products. There are many varieties of nondairy milk, ice cream, and cheese that do your body a lot better!

Posted by Ashley Fruno