milk

Can a Glass of Milk a Day Reduce the Risk of Colon Cancer?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 17:08:49 +0000

The dairy industry is smiling because a study published in the prestigious journal, Nature, concluded that “dairy products help protect against colorectal cancer, and that this is driven largely or wholly by the calcium they contain.” The study triggered headlines about how drinking a glass of milk a day can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 17%. That isn’t quite correct. It may be true for women who consume less than the recommended 1000 mg of calcium a day, but may not apply to those who already consume the recommended amount.

Acne and Diet: An Ambiguous Association

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:14:36 +0000

You have probably heard that drinking milk and eating chocolate causes acne or, at the very least, that they make it worse. Diet is often blamed for a teenager’s pimply skin, but is there good evidence behind this accusation?

High Protein Milk; It’s Not Just Milk With Added Protein Powder

Daniela Padres — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000

It used to be so simple. One would receive their daily milk bottles from the milkman. Nowadays, the number of milk alternatives is enough to make anyone’s head swirl. There is skim milk, organic milk, fortified milk, raw milk, low-fat milk, buttermilk, A2 milk, lactose-free milk, flavored milk, condensed milk, powdered milk, evaporated milk, scalded milk, and now protein milk.

Statues That Perform Miracles

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 19:13:39 +0000

It was a miracle! Or at least seemed to be one. The date: September 20, 1985. The place: A Hindu temple, New Delhi, India. Traffic around the temple snarled as the curious rushed to witness a statue of the elephant-headed God Ganesha drink offerings of milk. A worshipper had described holding a spoonful of milk next to the statue’s trunk and watching in amazement as the milk disappeared! Apparently, the statue had miraculously consumed the milk.

No Need to Avoid Dairy When You’re Sick

Ada McVean M.Sc. — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:00:52 +0000

This article was first published in The Skeptical Inquirer.

Should you add milk to tea, or tea to milk?

Ada McVean M.Sc. — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Everyone seems to have an opinion on making the best cup of tea.

Putting Up with the Farts: A Story of Our Ancestors and the Animal Milk They Loved

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Flatulence has been immortalized in this children’s song: “Beans, beans, the musical fruit / The more you eat, the more you toot.” The same can be said of milk for those of us with lactose intolerance.

A Possible Link Between Milk and Breast Cancer is Not Udder Nonsense

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 16:40:27 +0000

Trying to milk the scientific literature for evidence of a link between dairy consumption and breast cancer can drive one crazy. Is milk protective against this dreaded disease or does it cause it? It depends on which study you happen to read. The latest volley in this battle was fired by researchers from Loma Linda University who concluded that even small amounts of milk, as little as a third of a cup a day, can significantly raise the risk of breast cancer.

The Right Chemistry: Is Cockroach Milk a Real Superfood?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 19:31:19 +0000

Is Ghee Healthier Than Normal Butter?

Ada McVean B.Sc. — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 18:38:18 +0000

Ghee can be found in the international section of most grocery stores, and clarified butter on the pages of many culinary magazines, but what are these fats, and how do they differ from normal sticks of butter?

Butter is made from milk, which itself is composed of globules of butterfat suspended in water, with carbohydrates, minerals and proteins dissolved in the mix. So, when you melt butter it separates into three layers.

A Skeptic's Vacation From Hell (But Quite Relaxing Nonetheless)

Jonathan Jarry, MSc — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 15:58:50 +0000

Being a skeptic has downsides. Try going to a spa and relaxing.

A few summers ago, I needed to unwind and temporarily disconnect from the virtual world, so I decided to treat myself to a three-day stay at a spa resort outside the city. I told myself, "I am not going there to work. I will not take notes. I will ignore the woo and relax."

How does milk become "lactose-free"?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 17:08:22 +0000

So you’re walking down the refrigerated section of the grocery store and you see all the milks lined up. You got the 3.5s, the 2s, and those watery skims. But then you see some different coloured caps, which indicate “lactose-free”. And the only thing you know about this type of milk is that your sister can drink it. But what exactly does it mean when a dairy product claims that its lactose content has been modified – or “freed” – to ease digestion?

Well to understand “lactose-free” we need to understand how lactose gets digested.

The Science and Pseudoscience of Vegetarian Culture

Ada McVean B.Sc. — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 03:10:35 +0000

Hi! I’m Ada and I’m a vegetarian.

Forgive me if I sound like I’m confessing to being an alcoholic or naturopath, but with all the misinformation, pseudoscience and nonsense that plague the vegetarian and vegan worlds, being a vegetarian scientist can sometimes feel like being a walking oxymoron.

In my experience there are 3 main reasons one becomes a vegetarian (not including a distaste or allergy for meat, in which case their vegetarianism is less of a choice and more of a mandate):

Sweetened Condensed Milk Was Popularized By Soldiers

Ada McVean B.Sc. — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 20:58:39 +0000

Gail Borden Jr first condensed milk in 1853 in an attempt to create a milk product that was shelf stable. He opened 2 factories to produce his product, but both ultimately failed, and it wasn’t until the 3rd factory opened in 1864 that his condensed milk, sold under the name Eagle Brand, caught on. Truly however this baking staple owes its popularity to the American civil war, as the U.S.

Battle of the Milks: Are plant-based milks appropriate for children?

Ada McVean, OSS Intern & Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 17:22:02 +0000

A recent CBC article reports on a new joint statement from the Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society that says plant based milks are “inappropriate alternatives to cow milk in the first two years”, citing their lack of protein, lack of fortification (most cow’s milk is fortified with a subset or all of vitamin A, D and C), sugar content and potential to “displace hunger”. So let’s take a look at the nutrition of plant based milks.