- [Narrator] There are 264
million dairy cows worldwide, producing nearly 600 million
tons of milk per year. The United States is the largest
milk producer in the world, despite ranking 5th in the
size of its cow population with 9 million dairy cows. In 2018, Americans consumed 68 liters of fluid milk per person,
and 24 pounds of cheese. But is dairy healthy? Here's what experts have to say. Dr. Greger from NutritionFacts.org explains dairy's cancer risk. - [Dr. Greger] Here's the map
of prostate cancer mortality. Could dairy consumption
have something to do with it given Northern Europeans,
Americans, Australians drink a lot of milk? Whereas most non-Caucasians in the world are lactose intolerant. - [Narrator] Dr T. Colin Campbell believes that those who consume dairy double or quadruple their risk of developing prostate cancer. - Cow's milk protein, casein, is a chemical carcinogen
that is more relevant than any other carcinogen
identified so far. - [Narrator] Cohort studies
have been conducted, tracking millions of research
subjects and their consumption of dairy over time in
relation to their health. Increased calcium intake from
cow's milk increased the risk for prostate cancer, while
calcium from non-dairy sources were found to be protective against it. - [Dr. Greger] So it
wasn't a calcium effect, it was a dairy effect. This suggests that other
components of dairy may be to blame. - [Narrator] According to
the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,
dairy intake also poses risks for developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer. Drinking milk has also showed little to no benefit for bone health. If milk isn't healthy, how did we come to be dairy
drinkers in the first place? In 10,000 B.C., nomadic
tribes began to settle as they learned to grow crops and raise animals for their by-products. From the days of the pharaohs
to the days of the kings, dairy was a delicacy
reserved for the wealthy. By the 1600s, cows were
brought over to North America, and farmers in cold climates used milk as a survival food to get
them through harsh winters. The dairy industry began to ramp up with the invention of
pasteurization in the 1860s. Milk lasted longer and
became easier to distribute, and the U.S. shipped milk to
soldiers fighting in the war. When the war ended, too
much milk had been produced, and the government began
advertising it as nutritious and necessary to sell
off the financial burden, converting it into cheese and milk powder to keep it from expiring. By the 1990s, the U.S. federal government was doing what it could to
help sell even more milk. It backed Got Milk, a
memorable ad campaign that showed celebrities
donning a milk mustache. Edward Wasserman, the
dean of UC Berkeley's Graduate School of
Journalism, told Fastcompany, they start with a product
with no personality, which, if anything, was forced
upon generations of children, whose health benefits are questionable, whose environmental impact is dubious, and they turned it into something that has a kind of panache. Today, the U.S. government continues to support the dairy industry. It subsidizes 35 cents per liter of milk, and provided $22.2 billion
dollars worth of direct and indirect subsidies in 2015. Why is dairy cruel? In order to make milk, a mammal must have recently given birth. Dairy cows are artificially
inseminated at the age of two. They are then separated from their baby in order to collect the breast
milk for human consumption. The male calves are sold
to the veal industry, and the females often become
dairy cows themselves. According to a study conducted by the University
of Veterinary Studies, Vienna, being separated from their families presents a huge emotional toll for cows. Dairy cows undergo further stress as they are milked two
to three times a day. Though they are able to
live to the age of 20, most dairy cows do not live
to see their 6th birthday. While some argue that
cow's need to be milked, this is false. Their milk is meant for their offspring and contains a specific
structure of protein and fat meant to raise a baby calf. - The purpose of cow's milk
is to turn a 65-pound calf into a 400-pound cow
as rapidly as possible. Cow's milk is baby calf growth fluid. - [Narrator] In an excerpt on
lactose in human breast milk, Dr. Elson Haas notes that human milk adapts to a baby's needs as it grows. In fact, human milk
also comes pre-equipped with the lactase enzyme to help the baby digest
the lactose sugar molecule. Since we aren't cows, consumption of dairy triggers lactose
intolerance in many adults. Let's explore why this happens. As we wean off our mother's milk supply, the amount of lactase enzyme
produced drops significantly. It isn't needed anymore. According to the U.S.
National Library of Medicine, approximately 65% of
the world's population is lactose intolerant, and those who are able to
stomach milk into adulthood, mostly Caucasian populations, actually have a gene mutation
called lactase persistence. Feel like it's impossible to
stop consuming dairy products? There may be a scientific reason for that. Cheese, which is a
concentrated form of milk, contains a protein called casein that has opioid properties
that keep you hooked. Casein protein exists to entice baby cows to continue feeding from their mothers. When humans consume casein, they experience the same
urge to come back for more. And advertisers use
cheese's addictive quality by showcasing melty, gooey cheese pizzas in ads and commercials. Thankfully, there are many
dairy alternatives these days. Oat milk works well in coffee. There's almond milk, cashew, hazelnut, hemp, soy, coconut and peanut milk too. Elmhurst Dairy was one of
the largest milk producers in the United States. As dairy declined and was no longer as profitable as it once was,
the company switched gears and became Elmhurst Milked in 2017. - Today we're featuring
some varieties like walnut, both our unsweetened hazelnut and almond, and our grain milk, it's the oat today. - [Narrator] Offering a range of nut and grain-based milk instead. Vegan milk is now a staple in over half of American households. According to Alpro's research team, one in three people in the UK consume plant-based milk on the go. The global plant-based milk market is currently worth 11.16 billion USD and is projected to reach
19.67 billion USD by 2023. Big brand ice cream companies are embracing dairy-free options as well. Vegan cheese options are abundant, too. Companies are making cheese shreds, slices for the perfect grilled cheese, cream cheese spreads to
fulfill your bagel dreams. Due to increasing demand,
pizza companies have started to offer dairy-free cheese, too. The plant-based dairy industry is expected to surpass $20
billion globally by 2020. What surprised you most
about the dairy industry? What are your go-to
plant-based dairy products? That's it for today. Remember to subscribe
and hit the red bell. New videos every Tuesday and Friday.
