Browsers are
difficult
Please wait, loading your map...
Is drinking cows' milk good
for humans?
You decide!
1.1
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What makes a food "healthy"?
2. What should you do when there appear to be different
scientific studies making contradictory claims?
3. Do any of the arguments on either side of this map
motivate you to change the way you think about your own
consumption of milk and dairy products?
YES: Drinking cows' milk
is good for humans
1.3
Dairy milk and milk-
based products
contain a high
amount of various
essential nutrients
2.1
Milk is an excellent
source of many
vitamins and
minerals, including
vitamin B12, calcium,
riboflavin, and
phosphorus
3.1
Milk is an excellent
source of high quality
proteins
3.2
Animal proteins
found in milk and
dairy contain all the
necessary amino
acids for humans in
the right ratios for
our bodies to put
them to full use
4.1
Cows and other
mammals have very
similar cell tissue
structures to humans
5.1
Proteins are vital for
health
3.3
Every cell in the body
contains proteins
4.2
The body uses
proteins to build and
repair cells
4.3
Proteins are
especially important
for children, teens
and pregnant women
4.4
Childhood,
adolescence, and
pregnancy are times
of increased growth
relative to other
stages of life
5.2
Proteins, especially
enzyme proteins, are
necessary for building
new cells
5.3
Drinking milk may
help to decrease the
risk of cardiovascular
disease or failure
2.2
A study by the
Wageningen
University and
Research Centre in
the Netherlands
found that intake of
low-fat dairy products
may contribute to the
prevention of
hypertension at an
older age
3.4
Hypertension, or high
blood pressure, puts
people at risk of
cardiovascular
diseases, heart
attacks and strokes
3.5
Drinking milk in the
morning can reduce
the risk of obesity
2.3
Consuming high-
quality proteins early
in the day can reduce
risk of obesity
3.6
Consuming high-
quality proteins
reduces overeating
tendencies
4.5
Consuming high-
quality proteins
reduces the appetite
5.4
A lower appetite
reduces desire to
overeat
5.5
Overeating can lead
to obesity
4.6
Milk is a high-quality
protein
3.7
Milk provides more
health benefits than
alternative non-dairy
milks
2.4
Dairy milk provides
more protein than
non-dairy milk
alternatives
3.8
Dairy milk provides a
greater diversity of
vitamins, nutrients,
and minerals than
alternative milks
3.9
Drinking milk can
help build strong
bones
2.5
Milk and milk
products are an ideal
source of dietary
calcium
3.10
Milk is naturally rich
in calcium
4.7
Calcium in dairy
products is easier for
the body to absorb
than calcium from
other sources
4.8
Oxalate and phytate,
two naturally
occurring compounds
in plants, restrict
calcium absorption
5.6
Milk and dairy do not
contain oxalate or
phytate
5.7
Milk and dairy
products contain
nutrients that aid in
absorption of
calcium, including
vitamins D and K,
phosphorous and
magnesium
5.8
Calcium is used to
maintain bone
density and strength
3.11
NO: Drinking cows' milk
is not good for humans
1.4
Consuming milk and
other dairy products
can increase the risk
of heart disease,
including heart
attacks or strokes
2.6
Milk and dairy
products are the most
significant sources of
saturated fat and
cholesterol in the
American diet
3.12
High intake of
saturated fat and
cholesterol can lead
to various heart
diseases, including
heart attacks or
strokes
3.13
Cholesterol and
saturated fat cause
plaque to build up on
the inside of arteries
4.9
Plaque buildup, or
atherosclerosis,
causes narrowed or
blocked blood vessels
that can lead to a
heart attack, chest
pain (angina) or
stroke
4.10
Heart disease is the
world's number one
cause of death
2.7
According to the
World Health
Organization,
ischaemic heart
disease has been
responsible for 16%
of all deaths since
2000
3.14
Dairy milk often
contains harmful
chemicals, bacteria,
and other substances
2.8
A study by
researchers at the
University of Córdoba
found traces of
various
pharmacological
substances, such as
niflumic acid,
mefenamic acid and
ketoprofen
3.15
The milk of any
lactating mammal
contains traces of
chemicals and toxins
to which the mammal
has been exposed
3.16
Dairy cows are often
exposed to
hormones, toxins and
other chemicals
3.17
Some dairy cows are
injected with a
hormone called
recombinant bovine
somatotropin (rbST)
to increase their milk
production
4.11
Some equipment
used in the
production of dairy
products contain
hormone-disrupting
chemicals called
ortho-phthalates
4.12
Dairy cows kept in
drylots or semi-
confinement are
especially susceptible
to parasites
4.13
These environments
expose cows to fecal-
contaminated feed
and drinking water
5.9
To protect cows from
parasites, farms
administer chemical
pesticides called
"wormers" by
injection, ingestion,
or "drenching"
4.14
Cow milk often
contains significant
traces of pus
3.18
Many US dairy cows
have a disease called
mastitis
4.15
The average quantity
of somatic cells in a
teaspoon of milk is
1,120,000
5.10
Somatic cell quantity
greater than 1 million
per teaspoon is
almost always an
indication of mastitis
5.11
Mastitis is a disease
that causes pus to
accumulate in cow
milk
4.16
Many people are
lactose intolerant
2.9
Lactose, a key protein
in dairy products is
hard for most
humans to digest
3.19
After the age of 5,
most human bodies
naturally produce less
lactase, the protein
needed to digest
lactose
4.17
65% of adult humans
are lactose intolerant
3.20
Lactose intolerance
can cause bloating,
nausea, indigestion,
diarrhea and other
problems
2.10
Claims about the
health benefits of
milk are often
exaggerated
2.11
Diary milk may not
actually promote
bone strength
3.21
According to a 12-
year study by
researchers at
Channing Laboratory,
higher intake of milk
did not correlate with
decreased risk of
bone fractures
4.18
Another study by a
team of Swedish
researchers found
that high milk intake
correlated with
higher rates of
certain bone fractures
4.19
Studies that suggest
that milk
consumption is linked
to reduced risk of
cancer are based on
inconclusive or
misleading evidence
3.22
BACKGROUND:
Milk is one of the most popular drinks in the US and is a key ingredient in
everything from cheese to ice cream. For years, milk has been advertised as a
dietary staple and ultra-nutritious superfood (anyone from the early 2000s
remember the Got Milk? campaign?). In recent years, however, some studies
have begun to cast doubt on these claims and some people are suggesting
abandoning the dairy train altogether. But whether you brush your teeth with
milk or get queasy just thinking about udders, it is almost guaranteed that
either you or someone you know drinks milk on a regular basis. This is a
serious and unavoidable issue today. Good thing you've made it to this page.
1.2
×
Created using
MindMup.com
