Milk Might Hydrate… But That Doesn’t Make It Right

Why We're the Only Species Still Suckling—and Why That Needs to Stop

Recently, an article from Real Simple made waves with a headline that sounds like it came straight out of a dairy commercial:

“Milk Might Be More Hydrating Than Water.”

And to be fair—on a technical level—it’s partially true. Milk contains natural electrolytes (like sodium and potassium), protein, and fat, which slow digestion and help the body retain fluids longer than plain water. So in a lab, milk can perform well on hydration charts.

But here’s the problem:

Just because something is technically hydrating…
Doesn’t mean it’s natural, necessary, or even good for you long-term.

Humans Are the Only Species That Keep Drinking Milk

Let’s get back to the basics of biology.

Milk is made by a mother—for her baby.
Human milk is for human babies.
Cow milk is for baby cows.

After weaning, every species on Earth stops drinking milk—except us.
And not only do we keep drinking milk into adulthood, we drink it from another species.

Why?

Because the dairy industry told us to.

How Powdered Milk and Propaganda Created a Habit

During World War I and II, governments stockpiled powdered milk as part of soldiers’ rations. After the wars, they were left with massive surpluses. That’s when dairy lobbyists and marketing strategists stepped in.

Instead of letting milk fade into the background, they launched aggressive ad campaigns:

• “Milk does a body good.”

• “Got Milk?”

• Celebrity milk mustaches, Olympic endorsements, and school lunch mandates.

Suddenly, not drinking milk made you “un-American,” “weak,” or “unhealthy.”

The truth?
It was marketing genius.
But nutritional science? Not so much.

Why Just Cow’s Milk? Ever Wonder?

If milk is that beneficial, why is cow milk the only one sold in bulk?

• Why not goat milk?

• Or pig milk?

• Or… human milk?

Think about how insane it would be if Starbucks offered “Mommy Macchiatos” made with pasteurized human breast milk.
But cow milk? Totally normal.

We don’t just drink it—we put it in our coffee, our smoothies, our cereal, our protein shakes, and even hydrate with it post-workout.

It’s not that cow milk is uniquely special—it’s that cow farming is cheap, scalable, and heavily subsidized. So the industry made it a household staple.

“But It Has Nutrients!”

Sure—it does. So does broccoli. So does salmon. So does kale, sea salt, and an avocado.

The dairy industry likes to highlight:

• Calcium

• Vitamin D

• Protein

• Potassium

But:

• Most of these can be found in plants or fortified foods.

• Many people (up to 65% globally) are lactose intolerant.

• Excess dairy consumption has been linked to higher acne rates, prostate cancer risk, and bone fractures in some populations.

• And cow’s milk is one of the top inflammatory foods for sensitive individuals.

So sure, milk hydrates.
So does a salty broth, or a sugary electrolyte drink.
That doesn’t mean it belongs in your daily health plan.

Water Is the Original Hydrator—And God Got It Right

We’ve been overthinking hydration.
Your body was designed to thrive on water—clean, mineral-rich, God-created water.

When early humans ran for miles, hunted, climbed, or fasted for days…
They didn’t need a protein shake or a 2% recovery latte.

They needed water.
Just like every other animal on this Earth still does.

Bottom Line: Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

Milk might hydrate. But that doesn't mean it belongs in your life.
We’re not baby cows.
We don’t need to keep suckling long after we’re weaned.
And we don’t need a $50 billion industry telling us how to hydrate.

Clean water. Real food. Common sense.

That’s how we were designed to live.