We’ve all seen the images of farmers providing us with glasses full of bright white milk — the reality is that the animals suffer a lot throughout the process and we don’t even need to drink their milk (which is intended for their baby calves). Lactose can be worse than we think.

We all grew up with the image of happy cows roaming across a beautiful countryside or cheerfully walking around farms with cute red barns, waiting for farmers in overalls to milk them so we could eat a delicious cereal bowl. Well, the reality is that most cows are treated like assets and not living beings, forced to survive in horrible conditions, mass-producing milk that’s intended for their calves (who are stripped away from their mothers so that they don’t drink their main source of food in infancy). 

Yes, the image that the dairy industry wants us to believe to sell more isn’t remotely true. Not only do the animals suffer every day—but milk can in fact be really bad for you. 

Here’s why:

Casein

This is a protein that makes up around 80% of cow’s milk. You’ll see it in the nutrition charts on the back of many products as sodium caseinate. Elevated levels of the protein are connected to increased cell growth and replication of normal and cancerous cells, which undergo a process called angiogenesis. In layman's terms, these bad cells create ramifications that then connect to main capillaries or veins, receiving blood that feeds the mutations and helps them grow into tumors. 

Bone Fragility

This one is probably unexpected, especially because most of us were bombarded with campaigns that urged us to drink lots of milk if we wanted to have healthy bones. Scientific research has shown that people who consume it have a higher risk of fractures and osteoporosis, according to doctor T. Colin Campbell, professor of nutritional biochemistry at the University of Cornell. But how can this be? The thing with animal proteins is that they produce a lot of acids when broken down and calcium does a great job at balancing the excess, so… whatever calcium in the milk ends up being used for other purposes different from bone density. 

Lactose Intolerance

When we’re born, our digestive system is packed with enzymes that help us break down our mother’s milk. The most important is found in the small intestine: lactase. It helps babies digest lactose and all its sugars. But we only have a certain amount of it stored in our bodies, which is why babies stop breastfeeding after two or three years of age. That should be enough of a reminder: humans don’t need milk after the infant stage (and definitely not milk from another mammal). 

Antibiotics

The livestock industry needs to keep its cash cows (quite literally) alive and to do so, most are given large amounts of antibiotics which are then passed on to us via their milk. This is problematic because overuse of antibiotics can lead to becoming resistant to the drugs, meaning that even a small cut infection could be impossible to treat, potentially leading to septic shock (infection of the blood) and death.

Cholesterol and Saturated Fat

High cholesterol and saturated fat intake are directly linked to heart problems and stroke probability. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats found in milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese. These foods will raise your bad cholesterol and increase your cardiovascular risk. Approximately one glass of whole milk contains 20 percent of the daily saturated fat allowance! Besides cardiac arrest, consuming milk can result in obesity.

If you’re ready to ditch milk, consider trying plant-based and nut milk. These days you can find a wide array of options, from oat milk (which you can make yourself at home) to hemp, rice, soy, cashew, and even potato milk! Almond tends to be the most popular, but the reality is that the land use and excess water consumption to grow these trees and the impact the pesticides have on the bees that pollinate them make it the least sustainable of all. That said, it’s much better than exploiting animals! So… are you ready to ditch cow milk and switch to plant-based milk?