• Reference: Dairy Products as Part of a Healthy Diet?

    edited by Alexander Becker on October 13, 2006 | Link

    Between ethical considerations regarding the production of milk and health and medical issues surrounding the consumption and digestion and impact of (another species') milk and dairy products on the human body.

    A collection of relevant quotes and references illustrating the problems with milk as part of a healthy diet. The selection is not biased towards making the point against milk, it is intended to somewhat balance the general assumption of milk serving as the base of any healthy diet.

    It is not my agenda to make the case against milk and I am furthermore not trying to convince anybody to stop consuming dairy products. That being said, I believe that the health benefits from following a vegan diet result primarily from the exclusion of dairy products and while being open and planning to experiment with the no-meat-issue, I keep anything dairy strictly off of my diet.

    Reference Material:

    The issue of cross-feeding is discussed in Cow's Milk as the "Perfect Food" for Baby Calves but many Doctors agree it is not healthy for Humans --

    Dr. Ellis says dairy products are simply no good for humans... There is overwhelming evidence that milk and milk products are harmful to many people, both adults and infants. Milk is a contributing factor in constipation, chronic fatigue, arthritis, headaches, muscle cramps, obesity, allergies and heart problems. When Washington D.C.-based pediatrician Dr. Russell Bunai was asked what single change in the American diet would produce the greatest health benefit, his answer was, Eliminating dairy products. Dr. Christiane Northrup, a gynaecologist in Yarmouth, Maine, states, Dairy is a tremendous mucus producer and a burden on the respiratory, digestive and immune systems. Dr. Northrup says when patients eliminate dairy products for an extended period and eat a balanced diet, they suffer less from colds and sinus infections.

    [...]

    All mammals, including humans, are intended to be nourished during infancy by milk from their mother. Part of the very definition of a mammal is that the female of the species has milk-producing glands in her breasts which provide nourishment for her young. Each species of mammal produces its unique type of milk designed specifically to strengthen the immune system and provide nourishment for their babies, which are weaned after their birth weight has approximately tripled.

    A good place to start in analyzing the distinction between milk of different species is to begin to understand how nature works. As Dr. Oski explains in Don't Drink Your Milk!, The milk of each species appears to have been specifically designed to protect the young of that species. Cross-feeding does not work. Heating, sterilization, or modification of the milk in any way destroys the protection.

    Fat and protein are considered problematic in: Milk doesn't do your Body good --

    Milk - much vaunted by nutritionists and fitness gurus as a "perfect food" may actually be the most atherosclerotic food in existence. Ah, you say - but I drink skim or low fat milk. It's the fat in the milk that clogs up the arteries. Well, yes and no. It's true that dairy fat is one of the more unhealthier fats out there, but it seems that the protein from milk is actually causing more harm.

    [...] Not only are we the only species to consume another species' milk, but cow's milk is meant to foster rapid growth in calves, not to feed adult human beings.

    I could go the easy way and point to PETA's Milk Sucks campaign --

    Dairy products are a health hazard. They contain no fiber or complex carbohydrates and are laden with saturated fat and cholesterol. They are contaminated with cow's blood and pus and are frequently contaminated with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Dairy products are linked to allergies, constipation, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

    ... or the inverted Milk Pyramid --

    The average American, rather than following health guidelines of having little or no milk and dairy products -- has milk and dairy as the BASE of their diet. Milk and dairy are the chief ingredient in the Standard American Diet. It is little wonder, then, that heart disease and cancer run rampant in the U.S.

    But there is more, Milk: What is the Deal? --

    Few things change as often in nutrition as the party line on fat. But one thing has remained more or less constant: saturated fat spells trouble. And milk fat has lots of it: two thirds to be exact -- much more than beef itself.

    Modern processing techniques (pasteurizing, homogenizing, and skimming) destroy most of the beneficial nutrients in milk, [Ontario naturopath and organic dairy farmer John] Pronk continues. Enzymes (which make milk easy to digest) and beneficial bacteria (which prevent people from developing allergies to foods) present in raw milk are destroyed by the heat of pasteurization, making it harder to digest and more allergenic. ...

    Milk has historically been used very effectively as medicine for a number of different conditions. Fresh raw milk from healthy animals contains many beneficial nutrients that can be very nourishing and healing. Complete protein, lactoferrin, various digestive enzymes, immunoglobulins (antibodies), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and beneficial lactobacillus bacteria are just a few of the valuable nutrients that milk, in its natural form, supplies. ...

    I would say that organic milk is a lot closer to the whole food milk used to be. I would consider conventional store-bought milk to be a 'modified milk ingredient'; nothing close to the natural food it was a century ago. ...

    Although the healthfulness and medicinal value of organic milk is still more a matter of lore than science, one thing is for sure: the evidence against modern milk can no more be applied to organic milk than the evidence against white rice can be applied to brown. These are cows of an entirely different colour.

    Cow's milk is not the evil villain it is portrayed to be, says vegan dietitian Brenda Davis, Past Chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. But I feel strongly that it is not essential for human health -- in fact we can get the nutrients from milk in foods that provide even greater health benefits, such as greens.

    Robert Heaney, a leading calcium scientist and inveterate dairy booster, seconds that emotion: The sheer quantity of calcium in dairy products certainly makes them attractive sources, but they have no monopoly on calcium. There's no reason in the world why you couldn't get an adequate intake from a vegetable source.

    Dark leafy greens (except oxalate-rich spinach), broccoli, bok choy, beans, whole sesame seeds, and calcium-fortified beverages are among the most concentrated nondairy sources of highly absorbable calcium. For vitamin D, look to sunshine, fortified milk substitutes, or a supplement. Milk undoubtedly has some unique aces up its sleeve, but so do blueberries and brussel sprouts. And nobody says you have to eat them.

    [...]

    Cow's milk is universally regarded as one of the most potent dietary allergens. Anyone with unexplained symptoms would do well to consider avoiding it for a few weeks to see if it makes them feel better.

    The conclusion? Moo.

    Tags

    If you liked this post, please take the time to bookmark it or subscribe to get updates.

Subscribe to the new format to have the latest items conveniently delivered for free. You can also subscribe by E-mail.

Previous Posts

Free Download

Peer pressure, vanity and behavior, motivation tricks and hacks, success and pain, and how to excel, Celebrate Your Beauty -- whatever it takes. Download your free ebook.