Milk Myths | Milk For Health

Myth:

Cows are hooked up to milking machines all day long.

Fact:

Cows need time to nap, and hang out with their cow buddies. This couldn’t happen if they were attached to a machine all day. Cows are milked on a regular schedule, only 5 minutes or so at a time.

Myth:

Cows stand up in stalls all day.

Fact:

Cows like to be comfortable. Sometimes a barn – with fresh circulating outdoor air cooled with fans – is their best place to be, near food and water and a cozy place to rest. Sometimes cows like pasture time, too.

Myth:

I can’t drink cow’s milk. I’m lactose intolerant.

Fact:

Lactose intolerance occurs when your body doesn’t make enough of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose (the natural sugar in milk and dairy products). The good news for you is that there are delicious REAL dairy products available with the lactose removed, so enjoy! There are some people who suffer from a milk allergy, which is an allergic reaction to the protein in milk. Both are digestive disorders but are distinctly different in cause.

Myth:

Cows are pumped full of antibiotics and that’s not good for me.

Fact:

Healthy cows are a dairy farmer’s number 1 priority. Cows are only given medication when they are under the weather. While a medicated cow is still milked on her regular schedule, her milk is discarded until she’s healthy again and the medicine has cleared her system.

Myth:

All “milks” are created equal.

Fact:

Alternative “milks” can’t match the perfect nutrition profile of REAL cow’s milk! For example, almond milk has 15 grams of added sugar and only 1 gram of protein, while cow’s milk contains only 3 naturally occurring ingredients and is packed with 8 grams of protein to fuel your body!

Myth:

cows have 4 stomachs.

Fact:

Cows are ruminants which means they technically only have one stomach, but it has four distinct compartments. These separate compartments allow them to digest high levels of fiber which animals like humans could not.

Myth:

there are antibiotics in milk that reaches the food supply.

Fact:

All milk—both regular and organic—is tested for antibiotics, both on the farm and at the processing plant to ensure that all milk for sale is antibiotic free!

Myth:

cows with udders are pregnant

Fact:

A cow starts producing milk once she has a calf. She will not start to breed again for 30-60 days after freshening, so it depends on each individual cow.

Myth:

All dairy farms are all factory-owned.

Fact:

This is false! In fact, 97% of dairy farms across the United States are family owned and operated.

Myth:

there are harmful hormones in milk.

Fact:

Hormones are naturally present in many foods of plant or animal origin. All milk naturally contains very low amounts of hormones. The level of hormones in milk are essentially the same in milk labeled hormone free, organic, or regular.

Myth:

Soy, almond, coconut and rice beverages are healthier than real dairy milk.

Fact:

While some milk-alternative beverages are a good source of plant protein, they are fortified and do not offer the same package of healthy nutrients ; calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin that are found in milk and milk products.