It’s considered such a healthy, dietary staple that it has its own food group in the Canada Food Guide. But now that view of milk is being challenged in a book titled Got Milked? The Great Dairy Deception and Why You’ll Thrive Without Milk. Author Alissa Hamilton argues that we have been duped into believing that milk is essential by successful marketing campaigns and governments that have promoted the dairy industry over the health of their people.
Hamilton doesn’t believe that milk is necessary for a healthy diet, and actually argues that it can be harmful in large amounts. She explores how drinking too much milk can be connected to low iron and anemia in kids, and according to her research, 60 per cent of North American adults are actually lactose intolerant. And as for milk as a much-vaunted source of calcium – Mitchell says vegetables like broccoli and soybean sprouts can provide the same nutrient.
The book is part of the trend of taking on dietary staples like gluten, and exposing the role of the public relations in promoting unhealthy food. And it may add to the confusion over what constitutes a healthy diet. While we try to separate the latest science from the hype, the best advice is probably a balanced diet of unprocessed food with everything in moderation.