Despite the reputation milk carries around, it is not as beneficial as one may think. In fact, milk can even be harmful.

There is so much false information that tags along with each gallon of milk. It’s time to debunk these myths.

Milk does not have the strengthening properties that it is said to have. Instead, because of the animal proteins that it contains, milk actually robs the bones of calcium. When people say drinking milk makes you big and strong, they’re only retelling fables.

You may have been told to drink a glass of warm milk to cure a cough while you are sick, but that is a suggestion that you are better off ignoring. Milk creates more mucus in your system, which will, in turn, worsen your cough.

Some say it will help skin but it actually irritates acne in both boys and girls. A single serving of milk can contain 24mg of heart harming cholesterol. Some people may even have or develop milk allergies. Milk has a lot of saturated fats and it is unhealthy to consume a large amount daily. 

Milk is not to be consumed in large amounts or daily by people. There are a lot of health risks that come with drinking milk regularly.

It is said that if a woman drinks milk regularly, she will be at a higher risk for bone fractures and if a man does so, he will be at a higher risk for prostate cancer. 

In adults the problems are centered more around heart disease and arthritis. In children, intestinal irritation, and anemia are the worries at hand.

Digestion problems are another issue that milk creates. The lactose in cow’s milk can be difficult for people to digest, resulting in nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. If a lactose intolerant person consumes milk and other dairy they will fail to receive the calories normally supplied by the undigested carbohydrates; resultant diarrhea may lead to loss of protein as well. 

There are upsides to milk but, because of all the downsides, it is to be consumed in careful amounts by people of all ages.

Unpasteurized milk contains harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, coli, Listeria and Campylobacter and more that cause food poisoning. These are harmful bacteria that can be found in milk.

If whole milk is drunk it can cause the individual to gain weight because of all the fat it contains. Even skim and 1% milk cause more weight gain than regular milk.   

Milk should not be a drink consumed daily or regularly. Making sure it is pasteurized, organic, is a better idea other than being careless with the consumption amount and type of milk. Other good alternatives are almond milk, oat milk and coconut milk.