How many times a day do your drink milk?
For many people, a meal or a snack isn’t complete without a tall glass of milk.
But did you ever stop and think about why you drink so much?
Sure, the USDA does recommend 3 servings of dairy products daily, but there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.
The dairy industry holds a lot of power in North America. Unlike other agricultural communities, like those growing vegetables and fruits, dairy farmers spend millions of dollars each year on advertising and political subsidizations.
This is because the dairy industry can’t support itself without help from the government.
If you go back to the dawn of World War One, you’d meet very few Americans who drank milk. The beverage was only really used to feed families during long cold winters when food was scarce.
When the war broke out, the dairy industry boomed as soldiers were sent evaporated milk to prevent malnutrition. After the war, demand plummeted and dairy farmers had to get creative to keep their industry alive.
Thus began a massive marketing program that targeted schoolchildren and families. The USDA even got involved and began increasing the daily-recommended intake of dairy.
Since then, the dairy industry has shaped the way Americans eat by enlisting celebrities and restaurants to promote their products. It’s gotten to a point that milk has become a symbol of North American food culture.
And while some scientists are trying to re-educate the public about the reality of milk, many people refuse to believe that dairy products are a healthy, but unnecessary, food group.
And if that wasn’t enough, here’s 6 good reasons why you should avoid milk explained by Dr. Mark Hyman.
