Dairy is big business in America. A few facts:

• Milk is the third-largest agricultural commodity in the US, behind cattle and corn.
• Americans drink more than six billion gallons of milk per year and another 10 billion gallons are used to produce cheese.

Bone Health?: Should we consume dairy because it is good for our bones or good for our health? The answer appears to be “no.” Multiple studies have found that increased milk and dairy consumption is actually linked to more fractures, and most other studies have at best found no benefit to consuming milk in terms of bone health. Some studies have linked dairy consumption with disease and greater mortality risk. Here’s an interesting chart to that effect with respect to fractures:

What factors actually lead to bone health and reduced risk of fracture: vitamin D consumption and weight-bearing exercise.

Another interesting fact, most of the world is lactose intolerant which means they lack the enzyme necessary to properly digest dairy.  Check out this map of lactose intolerance:

British Medical Journal linking dairy to higher rates of fracture and higher mortality: http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6015

Side note: This is the 105th IFOD I’ve sent out – I waited a long time to send out a pro-vegan IFOD!