We all know that the dairy industry is in deep crisis (notice all the dairy ads lately?), but now we’re witnessing signs of panic: they’re trying to ban the word “milk” from soymilk, almond milk, rice milk, oat milk, and any other non-dairy milk.
The panic is justified – the demand for plant based milks has increased rapidly.
What is “milk”? Most dictionary definitions actually mention that milk is meant “for the nourishment of [animals’] young”. This definition is inconvenient for the dairy industry, which steals animals’ milk from their babies.
On a dairy farm, male calves are killed shortly after birth, and the remaining female calves suffer the same fates as their mothers: to be used as milk-making machines. Once their milk production wanes after being artificially inseminated (Google “RAPE RACK”) again and again, they’re shipped to the slaughterhouse… When they are still practically babies, not even into a quarter of their natural lifespan.
Another dictionary definition of milk is to “[e]xploit or defraud by taking small amounts of money over a period of time” – this is evident in the industry’s claims that non-dairy milks are nutritionally inferior to its mammary secretions. In fact, quite the opposite is true.
At least 2/3 of adults have trouble digesting lactose, the sugar found in dairy products. They often experience bloating, gas, cramps, vomiting, headaches, rashes, and asthma.
Dairy products are also known to increase a person’s chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other ailments. Large-scale studies have shown that rather than preventing osteoporosis, milk may actually increase women’s risk of getting the disease, because the consumption of too much saturated fat and vitamin A can weaken bones.
Fortified plant-derived milks provide calcium, vitamins, iron, zinc, and protein and do not contain any cholesterol. They are a healthier choice and don’t contribute to the massive environmental damage caused by animal agriculture or the misery of millions of gentle, intelligent cows.
