1013: Big Dairy | Skeptical Sunday

Milk Digestion

Milk digestion has evolved significantly over time, with about 65% of the global population now having a reduced ability to digest lactose. Michael Regilio explains that populations in Ghana, Malawi, Yemen, and much of Asia have nearly 100% lactose intolerance, while descendants of Northern and Central Europeans have adapted to digest milk into adulthood 1. This adaptation, known as lactase persistence, emerged around 6,000 years ago among European farmers who needed to drink milk to survive harsh winters 2.

Milk is not a universal food. Digesting milk is just a thing some descendants of some people can do because their ancestors forced themselves to get sick or starve.

--- Michael Regilio

Jordan Harbinger adds that many adults today are still lactose intolerant, highlighting the evolutionary divide in milk digestion abilities 2.

   

Vaccine History

The development of the smallpox vaccine is closely tied to the dairy industry. In the 1800s, milkmaids were observed to be immune to smallpox, a discovery that led physician Edward Jenner to develop the first vaccine based on cowpox exposure 3. Jenner's methods were considered unethical by today's standards, as he deliberately infected children, including his own son, with cowpox to test his theory.

He deliberately infected an eight-year-old boy with cowpox. Then he exposed the kid to smallpox, and the kid didn't get smallpox.

--- Michael Regilio

Despite the controversial methods, Jenner's work was groundbreaking and ultimately led to the eradication of smallpox, showcasing the unexpected benefits of the dairy industry 3.

   

Raw Milk

The debate over raw versus pasteurized milk has been ongoing for centuries. Michael Regilio4. Despite the risks, many people, including government officials, resisted pasteurization, believing it reduced milk's nutritional value 5.

A medical milk commission was set up to certify raw milk. The commission identified healthy cows in clean dairies and then would certify the milk as safe.

--- Michael Regilio

Jordan Harbinger5.