Milk Does a Body Good?  Maybe. 

It dons your pumpkin, decaf latte and makes your Strauss Egg Nog oh-so creamy.  It yums-up your smoothies and is essential for your afternoon-with-a-book cup of hot chocolate.  Most people think it's the best source of calcium and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends at least 3 (yes, 3!) cups a day.  It's milk.  It might or might not do a body good.  

Aside from the intolerancy of milk by certain individuals, milk is fourth most consumed beverage in the US behind, you guessed it, soda, bottled water and beer(!).  Energy drinks are catching up.  Consumption of milk is slowing falling as other beverages are catching up, like energy drinks.  

Milk does provide health benefits, like sources for calcium, potassium, vitamin D and protein.  Other sources, however, can be cheaper, more environmentally sustainable and more readily available.  There are over 20 plant based foods that contain more calcium than milk on a pound for pound basis. And the calcium in these plants is actually more easily absorbed by our bodies (more bio available) than that in milk.  There is more and better calcium from plants, like dark leafy greens, broccoli, kale, cabbage.  

But, the bigger picture is why we would drink a substance that was made to grow a baby cow.  No other species drinks the milk from another animal species and no animal drinks milk after it's been weaned.  It is not natural for grown humans to consume what was meant for a baby cow.  

The NYT last week presented lots of data regarding the lack of health benefits and bone-protecting properties of milk.  Additionally, milk is not low in calories, and the recommended 3 cups a day can add 250 calories to the already bloated calorie intake.  The article questions that "in an era when every caloric beverage is being marginalized because of obesity concerns, it's odd that milk continues to get a pass".  Author, Aaron E. Carroll , tells his patients, "almost everything is perfectly good in moderation, milk included. . . . There's nothing wrong with a periodic glass because you like it. But there's very little evidence that most adults need it. There's also very little evidence that it's doing them much good."

But wait!  Coke's in the game.  Coke?  Yep.  Coke is planning to introduce a new "premium milk" that will cost twice as much as "regular" milk.  It'll be called Fairlife and it involves a filtering process that results in 30 percent less sugar and 50 percent more protein and no lactose.  As reported at Jezebel.com, it's considered the "premiumisation of milk".  Is this a good thing?  One thing we do know is that it will be advertised to death.  

If you find this topic intriguing or if you'd like to know more, there are many sources on the internet.  Below were a few that I used.  Next week:  Alternative "milks" and why milk is OK to drink.   

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/291350 

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/is-cows-milk-meant-for-human-consumption-part-1/ 

http://zerocarbonista.com/top-ten-food-choice-myths-busted/ 

http://www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005116 

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/dairy-lobby-cows-milk-calcium/ 

If your Food can go bad, it's good for you.  If it can't go bad, it's bad for you.  Originally pinned by  Michael Leaming, Ed.D. onto Fitness, Nutrition & Wellness