without getting into the facts about how bad
milk is, except for these few
1.
It's pasteurized - which means it's completely dead. enzymes are what create life. Enzymes are heat sensitive. Heating a food (as in pasteurization) to kill all the bad things, kills all the good things too.
Milk does not support life once pasteurized and even baby cows won't drink pasteurized
milk2.
It's mucous forming - which means that the body creates a layer of mucous to protect itself from the irritants in
milk. This mucous also lines the intestinal tract so that no other nutrition makes it way inside the body either (or at least limits it greatly)
3.
Calcium - the calcium in it is designed for a cows digestive system, not a human's. Besides humans (and companion animals who are fed by humans), no species drinks
milk beyond infancy or drinks the
milk of another species. Cow’s
milk is suited to the nutritional needs of calves, who have four stomachs and gain hundreds of pounds in a matter of months, sometimes weighing more than 1,000 pounds before they are 2 years old
4.
Health Improves After Removal Of Dairy - A U.K. study showed that people who suffered from irregular heartbeats, asthma, headaches, fatigue, and digestive problems “showed marked and often complete improvements in their health after cutting
milk from their diets.” source:
The Independent June 2003
5.
Contaminants - Synthetic hormones such as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) are commonly used in dairy cows to increase the production of
milk. Because the cows are producing quantities of
milk nature never intended, the end result is mastitis (see point 6), or inflammation of the mammary glands. The treatment requires the use of antibiotics, and traces of these and hormones have been found in samples of
milk and other dairy products. Pesticides and other drugs are also frequent contaminants of dairy products.
antibiotics in
milk can contribute to candida and we both know how much fun that is to have and to get rid of
6.
Most Milk Contains "Pus" - Painful inflammation of the mammary glands, or mastitis, is common among cows raised for their
milk and is one of dairy farms’ most frequently cited reasons for sending cows to slaughter. There are about 150 bacteria that can cause the disease, one of which is E. coli. Symptoms are not always visible, so
milk’s somatic cell count (SCC) is checked to determine whether the
milk is infected. Somatic cells include white blood cells and skin cells that are normally shed from the lining of the udder. As in humans, white blood cells—also known as “pus”—are produced as a means of combating infection. The SCC of healthy
milk is below 100,000 cells per milliliter; however, the dairy-products industry is allowed to combine
milk from the teats of all the cows in a herd in order to arrive at a “bulk tank” somatic cell count (BTSCC);
milk with a maximum BTSCC of
750,000 cells per milliliter is allowed to be sold. A BTSCC of 700,000 or more generally indicates that
two-thirds of the cows in the herd are suffering from udder infections sources: Helen Pearson, “Udder Suicide, E. Coli Kill Off
Milk-Making Mammary Cells,” Nature 6 Aug. 2001.
National Mastitis Council, “Guidelines on Normal and Abnormal Raw
Milk Based on Somatic Cell Counts and Signs of Clinical Mastitis,” 2001.
P.L. Ruegg, “Practical Food Safety Interventions for Dairy Production,” Journal of Dairy Science 86 (2003): E1-E9.
7.
More Calcium and Protein Myths - Although American women consume tremendous amounts of calcium, their rates of osteoporosis are among the highest in the world. Conversely, Chinese people consume half as much calcium (most of it from plant sources) and have very low incidence of the bone disease.
Medical studies indicate that rather than preventing the disease, milk may actually increase women’s risk of getting osteoporosis. A Harvard Nurses’ Study of more than 77,000 women ages 34 to 59 found that
those who consumed two or more glasses of milk per day had higher risks of broken hips and arms than those who drank one glass or less per day. T. Colin Campbell, professor of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University, said,
“The association between the intake of animal protein and fracture rates appears to be as strong as that between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.”8.
Diabetes - Researchers in 1992 found that a specific dairy protein sparks an auto-immune reaction, which is believed to be what destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.
source: Karjalainen J, Martin JM, Knip M, et al. A bovine albumin peptide as a possible trigger of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 1992;327:302-7.
9.
Children -
Milk proteins,
milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products may pose health risks for children and lead to the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and formation of athersclerotic plaques that can lead to heart disease.
The
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants below one year of age not be given whole cow’s milk, as iron deficiency is more likely on a dairy-rich diet. Cow’s
milk products are very low in iron. If they become a major part of one’s diet, iron deficiency is more likely. Colic is an additional concern with
milk consumption.
One out of every five babies suffers from colic. Pediatricians learned long ago that cows’ milk was often the reason. We now know that breastfeeding mothers can have colicky babies if the mothers are consuming cow’s
milk. The cows’ antibodies can pass through the mother’s bloodstream into her breast
milk and to the baby. Additionally, food allergies appear to be common results of
milk consumption, particularly in children. A recent study also linked cow’s
milk consumption to chronic constipation in children. Researchers suggest that
milk consumption resulted in perianal sores and severe pain on defecation, leading to constipation.
and without asking the question "what independent information, not sponsored by the dairy industry or facts quoted by research done by the dairy industry shows
milk to be beneficial in any way?"
I'd simply continue with what I've always said about
milk.
1. Don't believe anything I say about it, but rather do your own research and learn the "other side" of dairy, based on research done by people not being paid by the dairy industry and
2. Do the "
No Dairy Test" for yourself. Agree that you should be able to continue living without dairy for at least 6 months and then eliminate dairy for that time. See what changes you notice and then add dairy back in and see what you notice (if you choose to).
It's about being responsible for your own health. Taking responsibility means listening to both sides of the argument and then doing your own tests.
I have a friend who was my day driver when I was at 400+ pounds. He saw me run out of the house, down the stairs and into the cab one day. He told me later that this stunned him. He decided to read the book that I was reading and gave up
milk himself. His life long stomach pain ended the day he quit drinking
milk. This led him to look into it some more which then anchored his decision to stay off it. He's not had stomach pain since.
Great question by the way, thanks for putting it forth. As far as I'm concerned, there will always be people FOR dairy and people AGAINST dairy. When it comes down to it, even if the facts show it's beneficial, you choose not to deny what the dairy farmers put the cows through to get the
milk. At that point, it becomes an ethical choice (as well as financial).
