Animal rights activists aren’t talking much about the latest news regarding milk. And it’s no surprise: the esteemed medical journal Pediatrics set the record straight in its October issue [subscription required]. Pediatrics firmly declared in a six-page commentary that the primary arguments against milk are “animal rights” in nature, and not based on sound science.
PETA along with its medical front group, has long claimed that milk caused type 1 diabetes, among other illnesses. Pediatrics has determined that there is “no compelling evidence” to support this claim. Addressing activist claims that milk is inherently “racist” because minority populations are more likely to be lactose-intolerant, Pediatrics also determined that even the most lactose-intolerant individuals can actually digest 1 to 2 cups of milk per day.
Lastly, noting PETA’s frequent push for calcium supplements as alternatives to milk in school lunch programs, Pediatrics says that soy milk “should not be encouraged” and warns that calcium supplements are not “reasonable” substitutes for milk in children’s diets.
