What is the big deal about milk? Why do people treat it like some kind of miracle drink?
Milk is the product of mammals. All female mammals make milk, and all mammal babies drink it — that is the definition of mammal-ness! Milk is an amazing beverage. Human children routinely live on nothing but mother’s milk for six months to a year, and many go as long as two years. When you consider that a two-year-old kid can walk, talk, argue with you, etc., that’s a pretty long period of time to go without ever touching solid food! In order for milk to sustain a child for two years, it has to be a perfect food. That is, it has to provide the child with every single nutrient a child needs in exactly the right proportions. Each mammal’s milk is tuned to the needs of its young so that it is perfect for the species. Milk can also provide all of the fluids a child needs. In environments where the water quality is poor, the mother’s body acts as a filter so the child receives germ-free fluids. Take human milk as an example. Human milk contains everything that a human child needs: • Human
