Is milk necessary

671 Words2 Pages

If one sees a poster featuring a group of people, actors or athletes, with white moustaches, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Got Milk? slogan will make an appearance. Milk is on the MyPlate recommendations for a reason. Milk belongs on the plates of students everywhere for a few reasons; Milk provides many beneficial nutrients to both students and adults alike. Milk is necessary for vital growth and development. Some people don’t feel that milk is an ideal fit for everyone, or even necessary; I however, am not one of them.
For years, milk has been a major part of everyone’s diets. Milk features three important nutrients: calcium, potassium, and vitamin D. Calcium is extremely important for bone and breast health, but without vitamin D, this calcium cannot be properly absorbed (“Calcium and Milk”). Not to be short changed, potassium is needed to help ward off high blood pressure. The combination of too much sodium and too little potassium can result in a deadly heart attack (Jaret).
Opponents of milk state calcium is important, but milk isn’t necessarily the best source. When one thinks of a good source of calcium, milk comes to the forefront of our minds, but beans and leafy green vegetables are a surprisingly good source of this necessary nutrient. Vitamin D goes hand in hand with calcium as far as bone health. Those who live in northern climates or do not have a large amount of exposure to direct light are particularly vulnerable to a D deficiency (“Calcium and Milk”).
Alternatives to dairy milk are becoming increasingly more common. Rice, soy, and almond milk are all making appearances on grocery store shelves in smaller communities, where before, no alternatives to traditional cow’s milk exis...

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... able to surpass traditional milk from a dairy cow in the level of nutrition and wholesomeness.. Given these benefits, Milk continues to be a large part of many people’s life. The next time someone asks, “What are you drinking?”, one should reply, “I “Got Milk!”” (“The Full Fat Paradox”).

Works Cited

"Calcium and Milk.” The Nutrition Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
"Do Milk Alternatives like Soy Milk Provide the Same Nutrition or More Nutrition as Animal Milk?” ProCon.Org. ProCon.org, 6 Aug. 2009. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
Goudreau, Jenna. "The 'Healthy' Choices That Are Costing You." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 08 Dec. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Jaret, Peter, and Louise Chang, MD. "The Pros and Cons of Milk and Dairy.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
"The Full-Fat Paradox: Whole Milk May Keep Us Lean." KUNC. KUNC, 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.

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