Growing Up, I Thought Dairy Was the Only Source of Calcium

As a child, I thought dairy was the only reliable source of calcium available for humans past infancy.

I've now realised just how sad that is.

The dairy industry is an absolute giant in the world of advertising. I can name several dairy campaigns just off the top of my head - "Got Milk?", A2 Milk (lactose-free milk that isn't meant to cause "tummy problems" in children - I'll elaborate more on this campaign later on), Fairlife's "more calcium, more protein" campaign... the list goes on. Many dairy campaigns label dairy as a necessary food for strong bones and teeth. Many dairy campaigns also come labelled with pictures of smiling, happy cows surrounded by luscious green fields. Unfortunately, this isn't reality. It's far from it.

As all vegans probably know, milk production causes immense suffering for dairy cows and their offspring. If you didn't know, the male children of dairy cows are almost always stolen from their mothers and disposed of soon after birth. In most cases, they will be killed or sent away to be made into veal or beef. This is because male calves are useless in the dairy industry, and spending money to keep them alive would result in a loss of profits. Female calves will generally end up in the same horrific situation as their mothers - forcefully impregnated and made to give birth again and again in order to keep producing milk. After three or four years, when they have passed their "use-by-date", these dairy cows will also be slaughtered. (Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4)

"As all vegans probably know, milk production causes immense suffering for dairy cows and their offspring."

I've seen many dairy advertisements over the years. In school, we were encouraged to drink cow's milk. It's commonly offered in school canteens. A lot of dairy advertisements target young children and parents, highlighting how calcium is needed to maintain strong bones and teeth. This, of course, is true; but these ads play out as if cow's milk is the only reliable source of calcium. Other, similar advertisements target older people, insisting that increased dairy consumption will prevent osteoporosis.

It's upsetting that so much misinformation is spread around, especially when it's aimed at children. As a child, I firmly believed that I needed to drink milk, and I certainly wasn't the only one who felt that way. Many people believe that dairy is a necessary part of a balanced diet - a belief set in stone by an abundance of misinformation.

The health benefits of dairy are debatable. Some say it's great for you, others say it should be avoided at all costs. Some say it prevents osteoporosis, some say it causes osteoporosis. It's hard to know who to believe. We can, at the very least, infer that cow's milk isn't actually meant for human consumption - it's cow's milk after all, and human babies are supposed to be weaned off milk soon after infancy. Mammals produce milk to feed their young - cows do it, goats do it, and humans do it. Human milk is intended for human babies, just as cow milk is intended for cow babies. It's a simple concept to grasp, but for some reason, cow's milk has made its way into the average human diet.

The dairy industry is hell for cows. I won't go into too much detail about dairy production here, but the succinct reality here - dairy production nearly always results in death. I didn't realise this when I was a vegetarian (most news sources won't reveal this information) but now, after a lot of research, I know. I know I don't need to drink milk anymore. I know I don't need it for calcium. There are so many options out there - drinking a mother cow's milk (or any other animal product, for that matter) is completely unnecessary.

There are many calcium-rich alternatives to cow's milk that are healthy and tasty. Best of all - plant milk production doesn't require stealing from a mother who needs it to feed her babies! The list is extensive: soy, almond, rice, oat, coconut and hemp milk are some popular plant-based varieties. Soy milk, for example, contains 25mg of calcium per 100 grams. 

"There are many calcium-rich alternatives to cow's milk that are healthy and tasty. Best of all - plant milk production doesn't require stealing from a mother who needs it to feed her babies!"

If you're not interested in milk alternatives, there are many other ways to get calcium from plants. Dark leafy vegetables are a very popular and reliable source of calcium. Spinach, for example, contains 99mg of calcium per 100 grams; while kale contains 150mg per 100 grams (25mg more than cow's milk). Broccoli contains 43mg per 100 grams and sun-dried tomatoes contain 110mg. With a recommended daily calcium intake of 1000mg/day (for the average adult), it's easy to get everything you need from a few servings of vegetables.

It's a shame that dairy is seen as necessary part of our diets by so many people. At least now we have access to the right information. While dairy is a great source of calcium, it's definitely not the only option out there, and it's also not the best option out there. If you care about the well-being of cows, it's best to ditch dairy and fill your diet with some delicious, calcium-filled veggies!

From Animal-Loving Child to Meat-Loving Adult - Why Do We Lose Our Compassion?

I've always been an animal-lover. I was very young when I decided to become vegetarian, and loved to draw pictures of animals. I made anti-animal cruelty posters and stickers spouting slogans such as "Animals aren't hurting you, so why do you hurt them?"

I was aware of the mistreatment of animals from a young age. This was both good and bad for me. On one hand, I was able to recognise why it was bad to eat meat, but on the other hand, I was very confused about why most people ate it anyway. Many of my friends and their parents seemed to be animal lovers too. They all had dogs and cats and fish and birds, and they loved them, cuddled them, and treated them like family. They thought lambs and piglets and bunnies were adorable. So, I thought, if they loved animals so much, why did they chop their delicate bodies into little pieces, pick the pieces up with a fork and shove them into their mouths? It made no sense to me then, and still confuses me to this day.

"If we look at the children's entertainment industry, we can see just how prevalent animals are in their lives. The majority of characters in children's TV shows - especially those made for very young children (5 and under) - are anthropomorphic animals."

If we look at the children's entertainment industry, we can see just how prevalent animals are in their lives. The majority of characters in children's TV shows - especially those made for very young children (5 and under) - are anthropomorphic animals. Peppa Pig, Kipper, My Little Pony, Sesame Street, Looney Tunes, Spongebob Squarepants, Arthur and Franklin the Turtle come to mind. There are many film examples as well: The Lion King, Bambi, Chicken Run, Babe, The Aristocats, The Land Before Time, Shrek, Over the Hedge, Finding Nemo. . . the list goes on.  There are plenty of books out there too. The Berenstain Bears, Charlotte's Web and The Cat in the Hat are just three examples.

All of this just about proves it. Kids love animals! It seems, even, that they see animals as thinking, feeling creatures with unique personalities. The way they are portrayed in children's entertainment demonstrates this idea.

Most of us have fond memories of playing with our childhood pets; heading off on grand adventures, referring to them as our very best friends in the whole world. Many of us would have screamed, kicked and cried at the thought of our animal friends being harmed in any way.

When did she change from "friend" to "food"?

So where did it all go wrong? When did we decide that animals were objects for human use and consumption? When did we stop calling them our best friends?

"When did we decide that animals were objects for human use and consumption? When did we stop calling them our best friends?"

Most people, it seems, were influenced by the culture they grew up in. Their parents ate meat, their grandparents ate meat, their friends and extended family ate meat - so, they thought, it must be normal. To them, animal death may be sad, but it's just the way things are and, in their eyes, there's nothing they can do about it. Perhaps they see it as a "necessary evil." Meat-eating is such an enormous part of our culture - entire holidays seem to revolve around it (i.e. the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas ham).

And then there's the advertising. In my own country, where (to some) meat-eating is considered an imperative part of Australian culture, there are some very in-your-face advertisements encouraging the Australian population to eat more meat. If you don't eat it, they say, you're un-Australian. You're strange, unusual, not normal. Here's a particularly ridiculous example of one such advertisement:

For many people, it's difficult to stray from "traditional" family dinners of meat-and-three-veg. It's hard to stray from the strongly-ingrained ideas that meat, dairy and eggs are necessary parts of a healthy, balanced diet. Fortunately, however, it's not impossible. We just need to give these people a little bit of "veg-spiration"!

"For many people, it's difficult to stray from 'traditional' family dinners of meat-and-three-veg. It's difficult to stray from the strongly-ingrained ideas that meat, dairy and eggs are necessary parts of a healthy, balanced diet."

Some people, unfortunately, just don't care about animals at all. Eating meat is much more important to them than the lives of animals, and there's not much we can do about that. The majority of people, however, do care about animal suffering. They haven't necessarily lost their childhood compassion - they just haven't yet tried to break free of the idea that meat-eating is necessary for our survival. All these people need is a push or two in the right direction. Education is the best way to go about this - show people recipes, cook for them, help them learn just how healthy and fulfilling a vegan lifestyle can be. Make sure they're aware of the suffering animal products cause - help them remember how they felt about animals before they were lead to believe that meat is a necessity.

People are drawn to animals from an early age. For the most part, we love them, and they love us. Most people could never lay a violent hand on an animal. Most people could never slit a cow's throat or violently castrate a piglet, but this is exactly what many helpless animals must go through to end up on our dinner-plates. If we work together to act compassionately and free these innocent animals from their violent fates, the world will be a much better place for all of us. I guarantee it.