The Milk-Industrial Complex: Why You Don't Need to Drink Milk 

ok but if i stopped drinking milk will i start teleporting randomly around the room like you?

Looks like the milk companies were really....milking it.....heh...heh...he-ok I'll leave

Having grown up in Europe and moved to the US for college, it's amazing to me how people here in the US obsessively delineate between bad foods to shut out at all costs and good foods to be ingested militantly. Of course they end up out of balance. Then they feel this huge sense of betrayal when it turns out a good food is a bad food. But other than poison, nutrition is never about good and bad. It's about balance.

I lived in an Asian country for 11 years. They ate almost no dairy and had rates of osteoporosis much lower than that of Western countries. Dairy is supposed to prevent that, too.

THANK YOU. I was talking to my coworkers the other day about how they don't need milk and they remained unconvinced. Now I can show them this video and the studies to show them.

This is the first time one of these videos has straight up busted one of my preconceptions. I like it.

The moral of the story? Everything in moderation. Don't feed your two-year-old child a third of a gallon of milk every day.

im becoming masochistic for having life long delusions debunked

I live in Sweden, a place where a lot of people drink milk with basically every meal. As long as the milk is 100% organically produced, with the health of nature, the cows and humans in mind, I feel like it's a great compliment to a healthy diet! As a vegetarian I often end up eating less calories than recommended for me, so milk is a fantastic way for me to get the nutrients that I need and keep my diet varied!

That intro about us being the only mammals to drink Milk beyond our infancy isn't a really strong point. [I feel] We are also basically the only mammal that doesn't sniff one another's asses to get acquainted. We do dozens, if not hundreds, of things no other mammal does. That doesn't inherently mean its not good. Doesn't mean its good either, just seemed like the weakest point you've made in this series. The rest of the video was rock solid though. Healthcare Triage

Became a vegetarian and stopped drinking milk a few months ago, now I'm trying to cut out all dairy out of my diet completely, for all the reasons you stated. There are other ways to get "calcium" in your diet, although many studies say that too much can be harmful.

My problem is that milk is delicious. Especially when ice cold.

I've been allergic to milk protein my whole life and when I was a toddler, my mum got told by a bunch of doctors that to stop giving me milk would be outright dangerous (because it's so natural to drink baby cow food). Luckily my mum called bullshit and decided to quit giving me milk despite the "danger". My stormage would have been seriously messed up.

"An Oreo without Milk is close to a SIN." Best line.

Guys, calm down, he's not saving milk is bad. He's just saying it isn't some miracle health-food and parents shouldn't be pumping gallons of it into their kids. Like he said, everything in moderation is fine. And yeah, for an adult a glass of milk is still probably more 'healthy' overall than a glass of coke. It's just not going to give you Wolverine bones, ok? He's a smart guy, he's just pointing out the oddity of the slight obsession we seem to have with milk. He noted that people keep saying 'eat less calories', but it doesn't apply to milk. Note he didn't say that calories were BAD or that milk was BAD or anything like that. He's also not one of those idiots who think that stuff like milk/dairy/cheese will give you cancer or autism something (yes, those people are real, I have talked to some of them). He's just pointing out a breakpoint between cultural appropriation and scientific fact.

Thanks, you have rid me of the guilt of lying to my mom that I have been taking my calcium supplements. I always had a feeling they didn't do much, since I have read that regular exercise does more to strengthen bones than calcium does. I'll just stick to running.

I'd rather have kids drinking milk than soda or sugar-loaded fruit juice

Aww.... but milk is my favorite. Though this would make Edward Elric really happy.

Amid the heaviest training during my hockey days, I averaged some 1.3 gallons of milk per day. Taking average care of my dental hygiene, I've had no issues what so ever with my teeth, my nails are still strangely well-kept in spite of me not using (or ever having used) any kind of cosmetics for it, I still have healthy hair, and have seemed rather resistant to bone fractures and breakage. I've never suffered any deficiency of iron, but that could perhaps be explained through my regular consumption of blood-based dishes, such as swedish blood pudding. Nor have I had any stomach issues with my milk intake, but then again, I can basically eat spoiled food and get away with a bit of an upset stomach the next day. Conversely, my girlfriend's mother suffered from calcium deficiency, and is now stuck with some manner of bone brittleness. I'm well aware that anecdotal evidence requires statistical backing to be of any use (and that my consumption was, to say the least, excessive), making my above story virtually worthless in an actual, formal argument, but I just wanted to establish that I come from a very... milky background. My issue with this video is that I can't help but feel that Aaron makes it sound like we basically don't need the milk's calcium at all, as adults; but for many up here in the north, milk is the prime intake of calcium, and for some it's the only one. Equaling it to a beverage like soda, or some manner of garnish to add a "tasty" factor to other foods, is in my eyes potentially detrimental for those who require calcium through their milk intake. And hip fractures be damned, what about all the other benefits of calcium? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium#Nutrition I'm not saying "drink like me, you bastards", I'm just concerned that dissing excessively on milk in terms of its actual benefits and downplaying calcium's functions of the body can make some people swing the other way entirely, and think you don't need it at all.

In case anyone else was wondering, I decided to check some labels. Skim Milk: 90 Cal per 250 mL 2% Milk: 130 Cal per 250 mL Pulp Free, Unsweetened Orange Juice from Concentrate: 120 Cal per 250 mL (Edited: oops, I misread the label!) Yes, skim milk has very slightly more sugar content in it, but only because when you remove one thing from a set of things, everything else now takes up a larger portion of the total. Removing fat from milk increases the percentage of everything else, so 250mL of skim milk has a slightly higher amount taken up by sugars. The difference is negligible when compared against the sugar content of juices or pop / soda / fizzy drinks.

When i was a teenager, i developed (what i interpreted to be) a slight intolerance to dairy. I switched most of my dairy intake to soy substitutes, which took some getting used to. After a while, i found i was still able to eat dairy based cheese, yogurt, and even milk in small amounts, but by then dairy milk had lost its appeal for me. I started drinking almond milk instead, which has a better taste, and works great in tea and cereal. I still eat cheese (in large amounts, because i love it), but i don't miss milk at all.

But cheese is still fine, right? Right?! Please tell me my ass won't bleed from too much cheese.

"There really is no reason for us to keep drinking this stuff." Then what do you expect me to put in my cereal, Mr. Triage? Water? I'd sooner use arsenic.

Thank you! My family has denied my lactose intolerance for years. I am glad that I can show them this when if they think my crippling stomach pains and frequent trips to the restroom I am not alone. Excessive milk consumption is bad for everyone.

This video was shocking to me! My whole life I was told that I had to drink at least 3 cups of milk to get strong bones and to help my body grow by both my parents and pediatrician. As a child going into my teen years with Type One Diabetes, I would visit multiple doctors and all of them started to get worried when I wasn't growing at the average rate of most children my age. My parents made sure that I drank 3 cups of milk a day with a certain substance to try and help my growth rate increase that was prescribed by my pediatrician. I ended up growing only a little bit more after drinking the milk that was prescribed to me but not much before I stopped growing completely. After watching this video I wonder if the prescribed milk I had to drink actually worked or if my body just took it natural course. I found it extremely interesting that drinking milk has actually been proven to have no kind of effect on a persons risk for fracture or benefitting it. I also think that he made a good point that doctors are always trying to reduce an adults calorie intake but never seem to mention to decrease their intake of milk since it has so many calories. I never knew that non-fat milk has more sugar in it then whole milk does either. I do agree with him that infants and children under 2 should be breastfed and drink milk daily to stimulate their initial growth. However after watching this video I don't think everyone needs to drink milk every day for their is really no benefit like he said as well.

Please do one about our need for meat and/or for meat-replacers (if vegetarian/vegan) in our diet. I think you only need to be careful with not getting enough B12, but many people seem to think you have to be really really careful.

Through the whole video I was just thinking, "but, but, it's so delicious, and what will I drink with cake and chocolate and....." >Oreo without milk is close to a sin I agree completely.

Interesting video :) my doctor told me that although dairy consumption is lower in Asia, the rates of osteoporosis are lower there than in the West due to a higher consumption of green vegetables

You know why we drink milk? We drink milk because we like it, and, according to you, it's a perfectly viable means of getting necessary substances (sugars, fats, calcium, etc.). Just leave people be with their choice of beverage.

I don't really care for milk as a beverage but I eat a lot of milk products like cheese and yogurt. While they may not make my bones stronger they do improve my life by being delicious.

Crazy how many people seem to be completely missing the whole point of this video. It's almost seems like these people didn't even watch the video.

I drink a moderate amount of milk. Not because of any facts that the milk industry has told me, but simply because I like milk.

Forgive my skepticism, but why the fixation on hip fractures?

I would like to hear about the health implications of drinking other types of "milk" such as soy, almond, and rice milk. Especially given that there has been some concern over whether the estrogen in soy really does cause anything.

I've spent most of my life trying to figure out why I get outbreaks of pimples. It wasn't until a few years ago I found out it was milk, AND IM NOT LACTOSE INTOLERANT... thats the kicker. Something in milk messes me up.

In these studies did they take into consideration vitamin D intake?, and exercising because supposedly exercising will make your body reinforce your bones, but if you don't have the calcium for it then what will your body use?

Huh. How exactly does milk cause you to bleed? And what amount of milk are we talking about?

My issue with your argument is the extensive emphasis on calories. Calories are good for a person... it's what allows us to function. The only issue with calories is intake vs usage of calories. I also wonder how would milk straight for a cow (or with minimal processing) compare to heavily proccesed milk?

Thanks. I have been waiting on this for years. :)

Did anyone really drink milk because they thought it was health food, or because good, homemade chocolate chip cookies virtually require it? And how much milk does a person have to drink to cause _bleeding_? Seems like it would take a freakish amount of any food to cause bleeding.

Drink with hot apple pie? Red wine... cause it goes great with the stanky old cheddar melted on the pie What else do you put on cereal? Honey. (If by cereal you mean oatmeal.) Dunk an Oreo into? Who eats that trash? I haven't had a glass of milk in decades.... and my stomach flips at the idea. Cheese however, you can take from my cold dead hand

Sir Aaron, what to do with Osteoporosis? My gf was tested due to family, doctors found she has a very early stage. To prevent a life of pain and collapsing in old age, she's on higher dosages of calcium (as well as vitamin D), besides following the diet advice to consume diary products. If calcium (via for instance milk) doesn't associate with stronger bones to prevent fractures, what about the association with bone mineral density, as with osteoporosis? Greetings from Denmark....

So i drink milk because i use it as a supplement to my diet, because its a good way for me to get the calories in form of milk sugar and protein i need to do my sport. Is he saying that i might aswell drink cola instead for the sugar?

So.. where should we get calcium from? And why the hip?

My mum has been telling me this for years. Thanks for confirming :D

I've read that the amount of acid contained in milk is so high that you actually end up losing more calcium than you're taking in as your body's way of balancing the PH. Of course this is all here-say, but I felt it was worth mentioning.

I'm mildly lactose-intolerant so I don't drink milk except a bit in my cups of tea, but I do eat quite a bit of yoghurt. Does that have the same problems as milk?

Such an awesome episode! Kudos!!!

I don't drink milk because it is healthy, I drink it because I enjoy the taste. I will compare the calories and sugar to the soda pop in my house, though, because now I'm curious. However, I am not going to stop drinking milk. I think it's like anything else, and it is fine as long as you drink it in moderation, even if it doesn't "help" you in any way.

Question: why aren't there any studies you listed about bone strength not related to hip fractures? It seems rather inconclusive to just have this one kind of thing measured...

I really don't understand why a liquid which is meant to turn a 40lbs calf into a 400lbs cow should be ever considered an important part of a childs diet. That's disgusting.

Thank you for doing this topic. Up until now I was the only person I knew of that had a reaction to milk where my GI track would bleed when consuming milk. This doesn't happen with cheese or yogurt, just milk, cream, and ice cream. I stopped drinking milk and eating ice cream when I was 27 (about 6 years ago) when I realized the connection between milk and the bleeding. I'm a little late to the party on watching this show, but I've gone through and watched quite a few episodes this week. I understand Dr. Carol's position on organic vs. non-organic foods and I get that 'organic' doesn't necessarily mean 'healthier' or 'better'. The reason I bring this up is because organic milk (and non-organic milk I've consumed outside of the U.S.) doesn't cause the bleeding. I only drink organic milk on rare occasion, and I'm wondering if my lack of symptoms is because I lowered my intake so dramatically or if it's because there is something about organic milk that is legitimately different than non-organic milk in the U.S. I still get the bleeding if I accidentally consume non-organic milk, and it's usually noticeable within a day of consuming it.

Woo hoo! Cutting through the propaganda and going straight to the science, that's why I love this channel! Very informative video HT, thanks.

My mother forced me to drink my for years, well in to my teens, because 'it's good for you' turns out i am lactose intolerant and she was making me sick for most of my life. thanks mom.

As I got older consuming whole milk became difficult does my age have anything to do with it? It's like I got lactose intolerant

So what should we eat or drink for calcium intake? What about cheese and other dairy products? I was left with more questions than answers.

lol, way to knock the food pyramid down a peg. have you down a video about the food pyramid yet? could be a good one to do

I don't think that "no other mammals drink milk as adults" is a valid argument. No other mammals wear shoes, either. Humans aren't other mammals. Many groups of humans have evolved to metabolize dairy, and that's fine. This said, I agree with the basic premise of the video. Milk is a caloric beverage that should be limited like anything else. However, the feeding habits of "other mammals" are completely irrelevant to the discussion.

can you make a video on how getting a tattoo should not allow you to give blood?

I can tell by the way he delivers his data that he has seen too many youtube comments questioning set-in-stone, peer reviewed facts. I, for one, appreciate what you're doing here. Peer reviewed information is valuable nowadays.

...I feel so disillusioned...

Fortified soy milk, rice milk, oat milk, hemp milk, buckwheat milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk. Better for you than milk.

For someone who is very underweight (such as myself) is milk a good beverage choice for weight gain, or are there healthier beverage options?

Hey what about the protein? Is it good for post workout?

Okay, but I feel fine... Question, about how much is 'too much?' The dose makes the poison after all.

What about the protein benefits, specifically for athletes? Been drinking a lot of chocolate milk (so supplement my caloric intake as well as for protein). Am I wasting time?

Wow! Thank you so much for the awesome video.

This is really important. Thanks for sharing!

Beside the extra profit that milk companies and farmers are able to make... wasn't the original increase in milk intake because of the Great Depression? They needed something that wasn't too expensive that would allow for greater calorie intake. That's why after the war, when we had an economic boost, milk intake went down. It was during this decrease intake that farmers and companies lobbied the government. Which started the government campaigns. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I remember reading that somewhere.

Talk about soy! (If you haven't already. I am new here.) It seems all over there are stories about soy being the number one killer of consumers. Except they fail to mention (or misrepresent completely) the half of the world who owes their existence and continued existence to soy and soy products. Whats this guy's take? Is soy good, or does it just kill western people?

Just saw an article on bbc that quotes you and this video verbatim! Very cool.

Love this guy's attitude , subscribed

Can you do an episode on Soy products and whether they are beneficial or not?

"milk industrial complex" No exaggeration. When I grew up, we learned the "4 food groups" in elementary school, which was the US government approved dietary guideline. One entire group was dairy. The "educational" materials we learned from in class were provided by the Dairy Council. We've got the same nonsense going on right now in pharmaceuticals for kids. Far worse IMO.

I just checked several local milk distributors and in every case, the lowfat and nonfat milk had the same or slightly less sugar per serving than whole milk.

Have you ever considered doing a video on protein supplements? I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on the subject

"TO THE RESEARCH!" - Got to make that a thing.

I used to drink a ton of milk...but then I moved to the US where milk is disgusting and my intake has drastically decreased.

What about products that contain milk, like yogurt and cheese? Should we limit those too?

So how much is too much? if a kid is drinking 1 or 2 glasses a day is that excessive? and going to cause bleeding?

Are milk alternatives like soy milk or almond milk good swaps for your cereal and coffee? I'm planning to go no-cow soon (for environmental reasons rather than health reasons) and plan to switch anyways, but it would be an added perk to know that there are health benefits to limiting intake PLUS switching!

Listen, I hear what you are saying. But a world without milk is a world without cheese, and that is not a world I want to live in.

It sounded like what he's saying earlier in the video is excess calcium will hurt your bones, not help. I've been drinking calcium fortified orange juice every morning for years because I drastically cut back on my milk consumption. Disregarding calorie intake from orange juice, am I doing my body any good?

So.. What do I do to prevent hip fracture? Exercise regularly?

I drink milk because I am underweight and it's a great source of protein, fat, and calories. Also it tastes good.

Why include so many bad arguments, such as "no other mammals" and "a lot of people does not tolerate"? These subtract from the otherwise valid arguments. I drink lots of milk because it's fucking delicious.

Hello, did I hear that right? Calcium supplements increase hip fractures? I am using one. Thank you.

So I got really excited at the mention of Life Cereal. Really dug that stuff as a kid. Also informative video, and I'm a bit relieved that having a bit of milk in my coffee every day isn't cause for alarm. Had no idea it could cause bleeding from that amount.

He's freaking out about 240 calories? That's not very much... And cheese is the best thing ever. I don't eat cheese or drink milk to keep my hip joints from breaking; I consume them because they taste good.

Those studies are all on drinking milk or taking calcium supplements as adults which clearly doesn't make a difference to fracture risk. However, iv seen systematic reviews showing kids who drink more milk while they are growing benifit from it. And not just for kids and bone health, iv seen lots of other systematic reviews showing milk consumption reduces risk for diabetities, metabolic syndrome some cancers and childhood obesity. But I agree it's not nessesary to drink milk beyond childhood and the American recommendations is way too high. In he UK it's just one cup a day of milk or yogurt, or a small bit of cheese. Yes it's high in calories and should be limited. Also, we are not the only spiecies which milks other animals. There are spiecies of ant which farm and 'milk' aphids, rubbing their abdomen so they release a sugary liquid which the ants drink. And there are many other spiecies who farm other spiecies, it's not just humans that do it.

+Healthcare Triage What do you recommend to prevent fractures especially as people age instead of calcium supplements? Are weight bearing exercises and balance practice then the best options?

Within the first 5 seconds of this video starting, I thought, "huh, this guy looks and sounds like John Green!", but he wasn't. Then I read the description and it said that John Green was the executive producer!! What a pleasant surprise!

Its not the milk; its the yogurt and cheese I love. Oh yes, let it curdle! Yummy yum yum!

So I get the idea that you want to dispel myths about milk and it's marketing. But this was one overly dramatic video, and the studies citied needed some explanation, why do hip fractures matter so much, over studies about bone density? The condescending presentation of things makes it far less likely that your point will actually be taken seriously. You shouldn't have to talk down to and insult people to make a point.

I have a question: What is your opinion on studies that find that animal protein (like milk) results in better muscle synthesis than plant protein (such as soy milk). I had been drinking soy for quite awhile due to some of the evidence against drinking milk as an adult. However, while trying to put on muscle, do you think it is worth it to switch your milk to animal protein? I've currently swapped back due to the studies in question (and the price drop hasn't been bad either for an underemployed BS graduate). That said my only milk consumption comes from a little in my morning omelet and my protein shakes. Probably about 600-650ml a day.

So how does this work with other dairy products -- like yogurt, or cheese?

The only milk I drink is with my cereal or in milkshakes, simply because it tastes good

who cares it's your life. Eat or drink whatever you want to

is it just milk or all dairy product?

Do you agree with the recommended 1000 mg of daily dietary calcium. What benefit, if any, does dietary calcium have at this volume?