The Unpleasant Truth Behind America’s Favorite Beverage
In recent years, the dairy industry has proclaimed that dairy products are effective weight loss tools. 
Millions of dollars have been spent to advertise this claim. But a scientific review of the evidence leaves no room for doubt: neither dairy nor calcium intake promote weight loss but instead milk and weight gain go hand in hand.
Amy Joy Lanou of the University of North Carolina at Asheville co-authored a comprehensive review of 49 clinical trials examining “the effect of milk, dairy products, or calcium intake on body weight and BMI.” The studies were conducted between 1966 and 2007; some used dieting, some did not.
Of the 49 trials, only 5 showed weight loss, one showed a lower rate of weight gain, 41 showed no effect whatsoever, and 2 who drank milk gained weight.
The authors believe the apparent link between milk and weight loss in some studies was due to other factors, such as:
- Exercise
- Decreased soda intake
- Lifestyle habits
- Increased intake of fiber, fruit, and vegetables
With out informing people of this, milk and weight gain is now an issue. In addition to decidedly not aiding weight loss, milk also presents a number of other unpleasant health risks that the industry strives to hide from you.
Bone fractures are just one example of the problems associated with drinking milk. While you’ve surely heard that milk builds strong bones, research says otherwise. In a 12-year Harvard Nurses’ Health Study of 78,000 women, those classified as “heavy milk drinkers” suffered more fractures than those who consumed little or no milk.
Drinking milk has also been connected to increased risk of myriad other conditions, including…
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Prostate cancer
- Allergies
- Breast cancer
- Chronic constipation
- Ear infections
- Colic (in infants and children)
- Asthma
- Skin disorders
As Frank A Oski, former director of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, summarized, “There’s no reason to drink cow’s milk at any time in your life. It was designed for calves, not humans.” Who could argue with that?
If you do choose to enjoy dairy products occasionally, make sure to choose organic. Conventional dairy products often contain traces of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.
