It is a phrase almost everyone has heard at least once in their lifetime, in reference to the one thing we are all made to drink in the first infantile years of our life. But as people grow up, should adults still be asked the question “got milk?”

As you grow up, you’ve probably already heard the list of reasons why milk is good for you from your parents. It’s good for your brain, your bones, your muscles; you’re parents wanted to make it seem like milk was the ultimate superfood to your prepubescent mind and in some cases, that may have worked.

But once you reach adulthood, the almost universally-ingested dairy product might be on your allergy list. According to a study done by the United States National Library of Medicine Genetic Home Reference, 65 percent of the entire human population have a reduced ability to digest lactose or dairy based products after infancy.

To make matters even worse for dairy, the same source lists people from East Asia as the highest population of people who are lactose intolerant, coming in at 90 percent, along with it being a common trait amongst people of West African, Jewish, Greek, Arab and Italian descent.

With over half of the population lactose intolerant, why advertise milk to the minority of people who can actually ingest it?

Well, most of that comes from clever marketing and through product expansion.

Things like almond milk, soy milk and even rice milk have risen up to prominence as the go-to substitutes to the dairy king.

Products like Silk’s line of soy or almond milk, Almond Breeze, Rice Dream and more are distributed amongst the grocery stores as well, but never in some attempt to overthrow the classic farm made milk.

I see them all as complements to each other’s weaknesses because no specific product is the best overall. I’ve tried two out of the three substitutes, and yet I still find myself going back to normal milk no matter what.  

No matter what happens to the population in regards to lactose intolerance, normal milk will never go away.

Not only is it just a drink of choice for children and babies, it is also sometimes one of the main ingredients in baked products and popular in European countries.

People might have lactose intolerance, but drinking milk is a choice, and there are always other options for them to choose from. Milk is a staple food product and will continue to exist until the cows come home, or at least in this case, run away from home.