I’m a 90s baby, so of course, I’ve been an avid dairy milk drinker for most of my life. Ironically, after experiencing dozens of broken bones as an adolescent, I was diagnosed with osteopenia in my early 20s. My doctors warned I would likely experience a hip fracture and require double hip replacements by the time I was 30 years old. Got milk?

After I went plant-based and eliminated dairy from my diet, I got an updated bone density scan. It showed no signs of osteopenia or osteoporosis and no need for hip replacements (yay me)! Do I think this was a coincidence? No. Actually, I am sure my diet and healthier lifestyle had a major impact.

I’ll never forget the first time I spoke about my milk and osteopenia experience on social media. I was quickly ambushed by dozens of people who claimed I had no idea what I was talking about. Some demanded proof of my medical records. Others pushed the raw milk agenda. And of course, nearly everyone made claims with zero sources to back them up. Long story short, that’s why I wrote this article.

The Purpose of Cow’s Milk

For starters, humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy. We are the only species that consume milk from another species (1). I always found it odd that about 65% of the human population struggles to digest lactose after infancy. Yet, we still push others to drink it (I mean, come on, there was literally an entire milk campaign, which we will talk about later). Lactose intolerance affects 70-100% of East Asians (2). In the United States, lactose malabsorption is most common in African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos (3).

Now let’s get down to the science. A cow’s milk is designed with the sole purpose of a mother giving their baby calf the nutrients it needs to grow into a strong cow in a matter of months. According to Dr. Michael Klaper:

“The purpose of cow’s milk is to turn a 65-pound calf into a 700-pound cow as rapidly as possible. Cow’s milk IS baby calf growth fluid. No matter what you do to it, that is what the stuff is (4).”

A baby cow weighs approximately 60-100 pounds at birth. As a calf, it is expected to gain 1.5 pounds per day and up to 2-3 pounds per day if raised for veal (5). Additionally, cows have four stomachs and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds by the time they’re two years old (6,7). Now, imagine the nutritional value (and hormones) needed to make this happen. Why do we think humans need these nutrients when the milk isn’t even made for us? Not to mention, we already have human breastmilk, which is oddly shunned by some, but I digress.

The History of the Milk Industry

The milk industry wasn’t always what it is today. In 1955, America had 21 million milk cows on 21,044 farms. The farms housed approximately 8 cows each and made 5,842 pounds of milk per cow annually. By 1989, America only had 10.1 million milk cows on 10,127 farms. Each farm averaged approximately 25 cows per farm and produced 14,244 pounds of milk per cow annually. That’s 145,252 million pounds for the year (8). An article from 1990 stated (9):

“Until the 1980s, United States dairy policy insulated the industry from changes in agriculture, such as the shift to larger and larger farms. But in 1981, stuck with a glut of dairy products, the US government began dropping milk prices and moving toward a more market-oriented policy.”

Clearly, the 1990 milk industry was tanking, so the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) sprang into action. By 1993, the national “Got Milk” campaign, run by MilkPEP (Milk Processor Education Program), had started. Two years later, that iconic milk mustache was reestablishing and reshaping the milk narrative. This campaign made us believe we needed dairy milk (and were missing out). They used celebrities and manipulative emotional appeals to increase demand for their product (10).

Fast-forward nearly three decades to 2020; milk production is over 100 million metric tons (200 billion pounds) in the United States and over 530 million tons (1.06 trillion pounds) worldwide (11). However, what was once considered an essential nutrient-packed “food“ containing protein, calcium, riboflavin, phosphorous, vitamin A, B-12, potassium, magnesium, and zinc was now being urged by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) to be dropped from the 2020 dietary recommendations (12,13).

That brings us to 2022. U.S. farmers are down to 9.4 million milk cows (that’s even less than in 1989). Sure, America was producing 226 billion pounds of milk (14), but don’t let that big number fool you. First, think about the population difference from 245,110,000 in 1989 to 333,287,557 in 2022, and that’s after the COVID pandemic (15,16). Then one must consider the fact that a large portion of today’s dairy is used to make cheese. That’s 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese, to be exact (17). Do the math. In 1989, we had 10.1 million cows producing 145,252 million pounds of milk. Yet somehow, in 2022, 9.4 million cows produced 226 billion pounds of milk. Talk about overproduction!

Add in the fact that there are dozens of plant-based milk options on the market… It’s no wonder fluid milk sales have been trending downward, and experts have been struggling to reverse this trend (18). That’s, of course, until 2025, when the Trump Administration changed the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, emphasizing full-fat dairy as a part of a healthy diet (19,20). They even went as far as to sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law (21). Meanwhile, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended low-fat and fat-free dairy products (22). It’s almost as if history is repeating itself.

Risks of Dairy Milk

Before we discuss the risks of dairy, I want to reiterate how the Got Milk campaign taught us that we need the nutrients in milk. While that is true, there is far more in a glass of milk than our bodies need. Not to mention, these milk’s vital nutrients aren’t solely found in dairy; you can get these same nutrients from plants, too. Now, let’s discuss the risks associated with the consumption of conventional dairy milk.

Likely Contains Pus

A liter of milk is allowed to contain up to 400,000,000 somatic (pus) cells before it’s considered unfit for human consumption (23). There are 4.227 cups per liter, so nearly 100 million somatic cells per cup. YUCK!

What causes this pus? Well, the overproduction of milk, combined with the forceful lactation each day (despite their baby calves rarely seeing a drop of the milk made for them), results in dairy cows developing an udder infection known as mastitis (just like when breastfeeding). Since nearly all milk is pooled together in large refrigerated tanks, it’s safe to say virtually all conventional dairy milk contains pus. The only way to avoid pus in milk is to use a local farmer who bottles individual batches directly from the cow, but even then, if the cow has mastitis, their milk will contain pus. Even worse, the US Pasteurized Milk Ordinance mandates that milk samples only be tested 8 times per year (24).

May Cause Antibiotic Resistance

If you read my article, The Truth About Antibiotics, you know how harmful they can be. Not to mention, livestock accounts for approximately 50% of all antibiotic usage worldwide (25). Some sources even claim that the percentage is as high as 66% to 70% (26,27). The rampant overuse of antibiotics in the dairy industry causes surges in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Of course, drinking their contaminated milk would pass this onto us, leading to decreased or complete resistance to antibiotics.

So why the antibiotics? Well, most dairy cows receive antibiotics to reduce the amount of pus in milk from mastitis infections (28). Then, of course, there are the overcrowded living conditions, which make illness run rampant among livestock. The U.S. Department of Agriculture used to have a rule of thumb of 1.5-2 acres of land per cow, but this has since been scrubbed from their website (29). However, some sources recommend a stocking rate (acres per cow) of 2-5 acres for dairy cows (30). Yet most dairy cows in America are boxed up in overcrowded factories, overproducing milk and living quite terribly.

Contains Hormones

If you read my article, The Truth About Food Toxins, you know that genetically modified recombinant bovine growth hormone is given to dairy cows to increase milk production (31). For those who may not know, rBGH elevates levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and can influence breast, prostate, and colon tumors/cancers (32). Some may think they’re safe because they drink organic or raw milk, but that isn’t necessarily true. All mammal milk contains hormones, including steroids. The only difference is that organic or raw milk farmers may not have gone out of their way to add more, but they still have naturally occurring amounts of hormones meant for a baby calf. Nonetheless, hormones present in dairy products (naturally occurring or not) are problematic for human and animal health, even at very low doses (33).

May Increase Broken Bone Risk

Back to the “Got Milk” commercials that constantly told us we’d have strong bones if we drank milk. Well, that was a lie. Low bone mass affects an estimated 43 million older adults in the United States, leading to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures (34). Although many studies today claim the opposite (that milk strengthens bones), I believe, like in the late 1990s, the milk industry is trying to make itself relevant again. Of course, you’re likely not here for my opinions, so let’s stick to the facts.

A study of 77,000 women ages 34 to 59 found that those who consumed 2 or more glasses of milk daily had a higher risk of broken hips and arms than those who drank 1 or fewer per day (35). A review examining two studies, one with 61,433 women ages 39 to 74 and another with 45,339 men ages 45 to 79, found that participants who consumed more milk had a larger risk of mortality and fracture incidence (36). Surprisingly, even some mainstream sources discuss the risk of mortality and fractures, suggesting the moderation of milk (37).

High in Saturated Fat

The oh-so-controversial saturated fat. Saturated fat is a dietary fat often categorized as unhealthy because of its association with trans fat. The current recommendation is that no more than 25% to 30% of daily calories should come from fats, meaning on a 2,000-calorie diet, at most 22 grams (38). Meanwhile, a cup of whole milk contains 5 grams of saturated fat, which is a staggering 23% of our recommended daily allowance (39). Not to mention, a single 8-ounce serving of whole milk has 29.9 mg of cholesterol (40)!

Now, if you read my article The Importance of Heart Health, you know healthy fats are great. Still, too much saturated fat can cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries, leading to increased LDL (bad cholesterol) and a greater risk of heart disease, even stroke (41). Of course, one could opt for 1 or 2%, even skim milk, but that’s probably not going to make much of a difference when you consider all the other risks at hand. No matter what you choose, all that matters is that you make an informed decision.

May Increase Diabetes Risk

As of 2020, 34.2 million (1 in 10) Americans have diabetes, and another 88 million (1 in 3) Americans have prediabetes (2). Many think that diabetes comes from sugar, but it really comes from high blood sugar, which comes from unhealthy fats (43). With one cup of cow’s milk containing 20% of the recommended daily allowance of fat, it’s no wonder it can increase the risk of diabetes.

An article written by Dr. Nandita Shah noted that infants given cow’s milk over breast milk were more likely to develop diabetes, likely due to nearly 50 percent of the milk calories coming from fat (44). On the contrary, some sources state that the risk comes from low-fat milk, not whole milk (45). I’m not a doctor, but I know foods like milk are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease and even diabetes. Some experts, like the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), agree (46).

May Increase Cancer Risk

In 2021, there were 1,777,566 new cases of invasive cancer in the United States, with almost 10 million people who lost their battle with cancer worldwide (47,48). In other words, one out of every six deaths was cancer-related. Although most mainstream sources claim there is no association between dairy products and cancer, I come bearing studies.

A Chinese prospective cohort study found that higher dairy consumption came with a greater risk of liver cancer, lymphoma, and female breast cancer (49). Another study confirmed an association between milk and colorectal cancer. They even recommended further investigation regarding an increased risk for breast cancer and premenopausal uterine cancer (50). Additionally, if there are concerns regarding the estrogenic effects of soy (which I discussed in my article Should You Consume Soy Products?), then it’s only fair to have the same concerns regarding cow’s milk, since it naturally contains small amounts of estrogen and progesterone.

Lactose & Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives

Some people may opt for raw milk, which seems like a better alternative to ultra-pasteurized milk in the store. However, there are very few studies regarding raw milk or its safety. Not to mention, naturally occurring hormones, pus, saturated fat, and most of the risks associated with milk are still present. As someone who’s lactose intolerant and very sensitive to animal products, I prefer plant-based milk alternatives, especially oat milk. Milk alternatives I recommend include:

• Oat milk is an incredible source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Additionally, oat milk is an excellent source of B vitamins; it may lower cholesterol and support bone health. Oat milk is usually dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free, and can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free rolled oats to make it at home.
• Almond milk is an incredible source of many vitamins, minerals, and fiber while remaining low in calories and carbohydrates. Additionally, almond milk is an excellent source of vitamin E and calcium; it may help with weight management, promote healthy skin, and support a healthy heart. Almond milk is usually dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
• Hemp milk is an incredible source of many vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats. Additionally, hemp milk is an excellent source of protein, iron, omega-3, and omega-6; it may promote skin health and protect against heart disease. Hemp milk is usually dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free.
• Cashew milk is an incredible source of many vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats. Additionally, cashew milk is an excellent source of protein, magnesium, iron, and potassium; it may boost heart and eye health, support blood clotting, help regulate blood sugar, and so much more. Cashew milk is usually dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
• Flax milk is an incredible source of many vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats. Additionally, flax milk is an excellent source of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids; it may benefit heart health, aid in weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and more. Furthermore, flax milk is naturally dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free.

Side note: I recommend caution when consuming fortified milks, as they contain synthetic nutrients. About one in three people (myself included) cannot absorb synthetic vitamins. This inability is due to a mutation in one or more copies of the Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) gene. Roughly 1 in 10 people has two copies of the MTHFR gene mutation (I have 1).

How to Join The Holistic Hipppie Community & Connect