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In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a controversy arose over antibiotics in milk. An independent study found significant levels of antibiotics in a large number of random samples. Since then, milk has only gotten less healthy.
Hormones
In the mid-1990s, the FDA approved the use of a synthetic hormone for use on milk-producing cows. The hormone, rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) is designed to invoke increased production of milk - up to 25% more - in lactating cows.
The ingestion of this hormone by humans has been linked to a significant increase in incidences of breast and prostate cancer in humans. How would humans ingest bovine growth hormone? It makes its way into supermarkets in jugs and cartons of milk.
Antibiotics
Growth hormone isn’t the only thing making its way into your body through milk and other dairy products. As a result of being kept in a near-constant state of lactation, many cows develop sores on their udders. They are treated with antibiotics - the same antibiotics that caused a scandal in the early 90s.
Long-Term Effects are Unknown
No studies have been conducted on the effects of long-term human exposure to these chemicals. Could they be to blame for the increased diagnoses of ADD and autism we’ve see over the last decade? Could they be causing early puberty in children? A lot of people believe so. Until we know what these substances are doing to our bodies, it makes sense to avoid dairy altogether.
Other Milks
Making other milks is an obvious choice. With a soymilk maker you can make fresh nut, seed, and rice milks as well as soy milk. By making your own, you know and control exactly what’s in the milk your family is drinking.