Is milk healthy or unhealthy?

Hardly any food is discussed as hotly as the milk. In the seemingly eternal discussions it is raining from both sides studies and most consumers have long given up hope for a clear answer. Here is a summary of the main arguments - and an answer.

The disadvantages of milk The following are the most common allegations against milk. I link to detailed information. Lactose intolerance: Many people do not tolerate lactose, the milk sugar.

1 Casein allergy: Some people are allergic to casein, a milk protein.
2 Beta-casomorphine-7 (BCM7): Morphine-like substances in the milk may have an anesthetic effect (see also A1- and A2 milk, constipation, fatigue, slackness) .
3 Milk is growth-promoting: this can be a problem because it can also promote tumor growth. It is advantageous if growth is desired, which many bodybuilders like to confirm. That sounds pretty threatening. However, lactose and casein are also essential constituents of human breast milk.
4 And the problems mentioned are not always the case: the dangers are merely potential and thus hardly more difficult to assess than the ability to catch unfavorable bacteria, for example, through fresh, raw foods.

Manslaughter arguments Here are some popular manslaughter arguments with corresponding answers "Man is the only animal that consumes the milk of other animals." Man is also the only animal that builds computers and has visited the moon. Man is the only animal that has developed culture.

Our past, and especially the invention of agriculture and livestock, has enabled us to build our civilization. Incidentally, man is not the only animal that milks other animals: ants keep and milk aphids.

"Cow's milk is meant for calves, not for humans." And lettuce leaves are meant to capture the sun's energy - not food. And cherries are made for animals to eat and excrete the kernel elsewhere to spread the seed; not to throw him in the trash. Humans are an opportunist and the spread of people who can digest milk in adulthood (lactase persistence) is an indication of this: Drinking milk of a different kind might be a good idea.

"We did not drink any animal milk in the Stone Age." We did not eat cauliflower in the Stone Age. Just because a food is new to the human species does not mean that it should or could not eat it. Does milk extract calcium from the body? Advertising for milk often takes place with an indication of their high calcium content and its value for the bones. Whether the contained calcium actually arrives in the bones, is controversial. Representatives of the controversial acid-base theory claim that milk acidifies the body and deprives it of calcium.

This is proven by studies showing that in countries with a high prevalence of osteoporosis, many dairy products are also consumed. But do these people have osteoporosis because they consume dairy products? Or do you consume more dairy products because they promise a cure for osteoporosis? That is unclear. Calcium deprivation remains a theory. Especially since the accusation is apparently only the milk and not the other than acidifying foods such as cereals or animal products. In addition, many people who regularly consume larger quantities of dairy products enjoy the best bone health.

The Benefits of Milk Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA): These fatty acids can protect against cancer and neutralize the beneficial effects of milk on tumor growth.

High nutrient density: Milk is baby food and therefore contains valuable nutrients. Insulin sensitivity: According to some studies, milk can be beneficial for insulin resistance and diabetes.

Overweight: Studies show that milk has a positive effect on obesity.

Milk has a growth-promoting effect. We should also call this an advantage for the sake of fairness Bodybuilder helpful. Milk therefore also has a strong health-promoting potential. It depends solely on the perspective, here again there is much Kann and little must. The game can be continued as long as the stamina is sufficient to excavate and interpret studies pro or contra. Is milk healthy or unhealthy?

Why is the study situation still not clear after decades of investigation? The question is wrong. Because what is meant by milk? Bovine milk? Yak milk? Goat milk? What kind of housing conditions are we talking about? What kind of feeding? And what is the context? Do we examine individual milk constituents, milk alone or milk in the context of a complete diet? And what quantities do we speak of? How was the milk processed?