Is milk bad for you? What a nutrition expert wants you to know

Soy milk, almond milk, oat, coconut, cashew. Regular ol' cow's milk.

The dairy aisle of today presents seemingly endless options for types of milk to add to your cereal, coffee or baked goods. But does that array of alternatives mean you definitely need to avoid the original? Not necessarily.

Here's what nutrition experts want you to know about cow's milk from a dietary standpoint.

Is milk bad for you? 

The short answer: no.

"From a nutrition standpoint, milk itself is a highly nutritious food," registered dietitian Caroline Thomason tells USA TODAY. "It’s packed with protein, fat-soluble vitamins and calcium. Unless somebody has an allergy, milk is not objectively bad for you."

Roughly 90% of Americans don't get enough dairy — defined as cow's milk, lactose-free milk, fortified soy milk, yogurt and cheese — and would benefit from getting more fat-free or low-fat dairy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Is milk unhealthy for the human body? 

Many registered dietitians want to do away with the idea of certain foods being "unhealthy," point blank. Thomason urges people to think of their daily nutrition choices as a bank account.

"You make daily deposits and withdrawals, choosing nutrient dense options the majority of the time will ultimately compound on itself for your health," she says. "A healthy diet is made up of our collective choices over time. Thus, one single diet choice cannot worsen your health, and similarly, one nutrition choice cannot improve your health. Using language like (healthy vs. unhealthy) doesn’t help us understand the complexities of nutrition and choosing balanced choices the majority of the time."

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Should I stop drinking milk?

Still, maybe there's reason to believe drinking cow's milk isn't right for you.

"When deciding whether or not you should remove a food from your diet, you need to consider the impact of this food on your body, any symptoms you’re experiencing and the pros and cons of its nutritional composition verses its impact on your health if you cut it out," Thomason says.

She urges people who experience "significant digestive distress" or allergic reaction symptoms after consuming milk to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist or allergist as soon as possible.

Otherwise, if it's just that you're "wondering if you have a sensitivity, I recommend speaking to a dietitian before making any drastic changes to cut a nutritious food like cow’s milk out of your diet," Thomason adds.

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