Some people claim that US Milk consumption was made purposely and the government faked its benefits. How true is this about milk?

by Cruz2028
Imjusthereforrecipes

Could you please clarify what you mean by "US Milk consumption was purposely made"? Regarding the government faking its benefits, it's difficult to prove a negative and so I can't say that at no point has the US (or any other) government overstated the benefits of milk, but there is consensus in the medical community that the consumption of milk can provide health benefits -along with some drawbacks, as with anything. Since there's not some Secret Conspiracy behind this, I hope you don't mind me going after it from a modern medical perspective.

As far as some benefits of milk go, it contains a significant amount of calcium and protein per serving, and in the US is also often fortified with vitamin D. Calcium and Vitamin D are both important for strengthening bones (one of the most often cited benefits of milk) and preventing health concerns such as Osteoporosis. Vitamin D has also been linked to reduced risk of mental health disorders such as depression, particularly seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Protein on the other hand is very important for muscle growth and is found in milk in a form that's very simple for the body to metabolize and use quickly. That combined with the sugars found in milk make it a good recovery drink option for many after exercise. This is the reason for the popularity of so many milk-based protein shakes ie. 'Muscle Milk' and others.

Sugars and Fats in milk are macronutrients that should also be mentioned, particularly from the angle that Milk is heavily marketed towards children in schools- and not only by well-intentioned doctors. Despite the bad rep, both sugars and fats are very important for human functioning and caloric content, but as I'm sure everyone knows, can also become too much of a good thing. For children, especially young children and infants, milk is a very important source of fat which is needed for neurological development and functioning. However, milk does have a high sugar content as well, and the habit drinking too much milk (especially flavored and additionally sweetened milk) on a regular basis can contribute eventually to childhood obesity and other health concerns down the line. It's rarely, if ever, an issue from milk alone, but it can be a contributing factor as a fairly sugary drink.

To note with all of these nutrients, however, is that they are good for you in limited amounts and excessive consumption does not provide additional benefit. There are some arguments that in western countries, particularly the US, a large portion of the population consumes more calcium or especially protein, than the body can use. Milk is of course not the only source of any of these nutrients either. All can be found in a wide variety of other foods and beverages, and for individuals who are lactose intolerant or should avoid the sugar or fat content in milks, it is recommended that they look elsewhere. The National Osteoporosis Foundation page I've linked below lists a variety of good alternative sources for Vitamin D and Calcium as well.

TLDR: Milk is not a government conspiracy any more than vaccines are. But like any other food or source of nutrients, you don't benefit from consuming excess amounts of it and there are always alternative options to meet your dietary needs.

Accessible Sources: Penckofer S, Kouba J, Byrn M, Estwing Ferrans C. Vitamin D and depression: where is all the sunshine?. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2010;31(6):385–393. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908269/

National Osteoporosis Foundation: https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/

John A. Milner, Richard G. Allison, The Role of Dietary Fat in Child Nutrition and Development: Summary of an ASNS Workshop, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 129, Issue 11, November 1999, Pages 2094–2105, https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/129/11/2094/4721978