Americans love dairy. In 2023, the average person in the United States consumed 661 pounds of milk and other dairy products, including butter, yogurt, ice cream and cheese, according to the most recent data from the Department of Agriculture.
But for such a beloved food group, there is a lot we get wrong about dairy’s nutritional benefits, and what it can (and can’t) do for our health.
Here are five misconceptions the nutrition experts we spoke with said they hear most often about dairy.
Myth No. 1: Milk is an essential part of a healthy diet.
While cow’s milk may have provided necessary nutrients during scarcer times thousands of years ago, experts say that many people don’t need milk to meet their nutrient needs today.
“The biggest myth around cow’s milk is that it’s a necessary food,” said Amy Joy Lanou, a professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. “The evidence just doesn’t support that.”
Milk has long been advertised as the ticket to strong, healthy bones, for instance — largely because it is rich in calcium. One cup of low-fat milk supplies more than 300 milligrams of the nutrient, or about a third of the daily recommended amount for most adults in the United States.
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5 Dairy Myths That Make Experts Sour
