The dairy industry pours tens of millions of dollars into advertising cow’s milk as a healthy drink. Their Got Milk campaign has been very effective in convincing us that we need milk to be healthy. But how healthy is cow’s milk, really?
In fact, California Milk Processor board just spent $50 million launching a new campaign to help improve milk’s image as a good nutritional choice for kids. The Milk Processor board are the same folks behind the ubiquitous Got Milk ads that have been running on TV and in print since the early 90s.
The new campaign seems to target parents, touting milk as a healthy protein source for kids. Here’s an example of one of their ads:
Why does the dairy industry need to spend so much money on a marketing face lift? Part of the problem is that milk doesn’t stand on its own as a healthy drink. Jill Ettinger over at our sister site Eat Drink Better reported late last week on a 30 year study debunking many of milk’s health claims.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, followed over 100,000 participant for 20-30 years. They found that people who took the Got Milk advice – three glasses a day – were more likely to die from heart disease and cancer.
They also found that women who drank more milk were actually more likely to suffer bone fracture.
That doesn’t jive with what the California Milk Processor board wants us to think about milk.
This also isn’t the first piece of research showing that animal fat and animal protein are bad for our health.
The China Study is one of the largest long-term studies of how food impacts our health. Study author Dr. T. Colin Campbell has been advocating against animal protein – including from milk – for years.
Dr. Campbell talked recently about the strong link between dietary animal protein and cancer. He cites studies going back as far as the late 1960s.
Beyond ‘Got Milk:’ Healthy Alternatives
If you’re ready to move beyond cow’s milk but still need something to lighten your coffee and pour on your cereal, try one of these tasty milk alternatives.
Fortunately, you also don’t need milk or any other animal products to get adequate protein. Dr. Campbell points out that “most adults in the United States get more than enough protein to meet their needs. It’s rare for someone who is healthy and eating a varied diet to not get enough protein.”
Need some help finding healthier protein sources? We have gathered a few resources for you:
+ Learn about the benefits of hemp protein.
+ Try these sources of plant-based protein.
+ Cook up some delicious, protein-rich, plant-based recipes.
+ Read more about why we don’t need meat to get adequate protein.
Images: milk mustache photo via Shutterstock.
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