Written in response to the article "Milk Does NOT Do a Body Good!" by Wendy Lyman, which appeared in The Flip Side Volume 1, Issue 9 (March 31st - April 13th, 2004).

Aside from all of the negative health effects to drinking milk that Wendy mentioned, drinking milk causes horrible suffering to millions of dairy cows and calves as well. Most modern dairy cows spend their lives crowded into concrete-floored warehouses being milked two to three times a day by machines. They are often knee deep in their own feces. In order to continue producing milk, they are constantly kept pregnant and have their babies stolen from them within a day or two after birth. One third of male calves are slaughtered immediately, while 40% are raised for "special-fed veal." These calves are normally kept in dark and unsanitary individual crates, chained by the neck on a 2 to 3 foot tether for 18 to 20 weeks of misery before slaughter (USDA, Animal Welfare Issues Compendium, 1997).

USDA statistics show that in 1940, cows averaged 2.3 tons of milk per year. By 1999, the average was 8.9 tons per cow due to the Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) fed to them. Some BGH treated cows have produced more than 30 tons of milk in a single year (Associated Press, 9/20/96). This high milk production and painful machinery leads to ligament damage, lameness, severe pain, metabolic disorders, and more.

Please consider a tasty and humane alternative to cow's milk. Drink milk that was intended for you and not a baby cow! Try soy milks, rice milks, or almond milks. They are a more healthy alternative, environmentally friendly, and most of all, humane.

Wendy Lyman Responds:

Deanne, thank you for the information! You are very right! I wanted to add the animal aspect into my article, but I sought to keep it focused on the things I knew most about. The dairy and egg industries are incredibly harmful to the cow and chicken species respectively.

Although many of you out there still include meat and dairy in your diets, please consider that every little bit helps. At least cut down your consumption if you do not eliminate it (which is best). Less is more. The animals, your body, and the environment will all be better off due to your decision to cut down and/or eliminate them. Thank you!