Got milk? Maybe you shouldn't…
What do
you mean 'maybe you shouldn't??" Milk is a staple of life. It is its own
food group, it makes your bones strong, it tastes great with cookies and, and, and ... Okay I get it, how dare I attachk a major part of your diet? Your great
grandma drank it, as people have done for thousands of years, so why not now? Good
question, I am very glad you asked.
What makes milk bad…
Let's start basic. When you drink cow's milk (particularly
commercial milk) you are exposed to the same hormones the cow was experiencing
when she was milked.
In a seminar
given by Ganmaa Davaasambuu, a physician (Mongolia), a Ph.D. in environmental
health (Japan), Davaasambuu explains the dangers of consuming cow's milk. She
states that "Part of the problem seems to be milk from modern dairy farms,
where cows are milked about 300 days a year. For much of that time, the cows are
pregnant. The later in pregnancy a cow is, the more hormones appear in her
milk." (6)
Another
study done at Harvard found that there are "15 steroid sex hormones in
commercial milk right off the shelves, and the highest levels were found in
skim milk, compared to 2% and whole." (1) One of the hormones most
concerning is estrogen. Davaasambuu also states that "Milk from a cow in
the late stage of pregnancy contains up to 33 times as much of a signature
estrogen compound (estrone sulfate) than milk from a non-pregnant cow."
(6)
The
major concern here is cancer. Dacaasambuu says there is a strong link between
prostrate, testes, and breast cancers and high levels of dietary estrogen. She
also states that, "the potential for risk is large. Natural estrogens are
up to 100,000 times more potent than their environmental counterparts, such as
the estrogen-like compounds in pesticides."(6) As stated above cows
(especially in the late stages of pregnancy) have high counts of estrogen in
their milk. "Dairy, she added, accounts for 60 percent to 80 percent of
estrogens consumed." This is largely
due to the fact that dairy cows are milked for simply too long and at the wrong
times. Countries like Mongolia traditionally milk their cows only five months
out of the year and 'if' they milk them while they are pregnant it is only in
the beginning. The estrogen levels in the milk are much lower. (6)
Other studies back Dacaasambuu's hypothesis of
dairy and some types of cancer as well. "One study compared diet and
cancer rates in 42 counties. It showed that milk and cheese consumption are
strongly correlated to the incidence of testicular cancer among men ages 20 to
39. Rates were highest in places like Switzerland and Denmark, where cheese is
a national food, and lowest in Algeria and other countries where dairy is not
so widely consumed." (6) Dacaasambuu goes on to say that because this
research is relatively new she is not suggesting that milk is all together bad
(see the link for details on her disclaimer), but it is obvious to me that
there are major problems with our system of obtaining milk today.
One of
my favorite ways to decide if something is good or bad is to look at nature. For
example, when we are born our mother produces milk. This happens with all mammals.
Usually by the age of 18 months (and often much sooner) animals wean their
babies and stop producing milk. This happens with humans as well. But instead
of following the example of nature we put our children right on milk again.
Cow's milk usually, and expose them to the hormones and estrogen found therein.
In comparing cow milk to human milk (which of course is only consumed as an
infant) "the biochemical make-up of cow's milk is
perfectly suited to turn
a 65-pound newborn calf into a 400-pound cow in one year. It contains, for
example, three times more protein and seven times more mineral content while
human milk has 10 times as much essential fatty acids, three times as much
selenium, and half the calcium. Some may like cow's milk but drinking it is
both unnecessary and potentially
harmful." (2).
Calcium, Vitamin D, and Bones
In simple terms milk from
the store does not help your bones, and here is why. Dr. Josh Axe, a man on a
mission to change the diet of America, stated, "
Milk in its all natural state, what we call
‘raw milk,’ is an alkaline food. Once it goes through the pasteurization and
homogenization processes it becomes an acidic food. And this is
one place where the problem lies." He explains that "According to the
International Osteoporosis Foundation, the United States and Europe account for
51% of all fractures from osteoporosis." He goes on to say that the United
States and Europe are also numbers one and two for countries who consume the
most dairy.(7) Yep you heard right, the people who drink the most commercial
milk have the weakest bones… scary considering what our beloved and trusted
media has lead us to believe. There are many ways to get calcium aside from
milk. Green leafy vegetables for instance have way fewer calories, many added nutrients
and no risks that I know of and they can be great sources of calcium
(particularly spinach). Other foods high in calcium include Almonds, oranges,
blackstrap molasses, sesame seeds and more (for a list of foods high in calcium
visit this sight
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/12-vegetables-high-in-calcium.html
). As for vitamin D, the primary source
of vitamin D for most people is the sun. You can also take vitamin D
supplements if you feel the need. (8)
Lactose intolerance and why I mention it.
Here is
a quick explanation of lactose intolerance (I have a reason for saying this =).
Lactose is the sugar in milk. Our bodies produce lactase to break down the
lactose into two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. Those simple sugars are
then absorbed into the bloodstream. When your body does not produce enough
lactase you cannot fully digest the lactose and will experience mild discomfort
and other symptoms. (3) Now, why did I tell you this? The funny thing about
lactase is that most mammals stop producing it after weaning. However, humans
have developed "lactase persistence" (notice the word developed?)
basically meaning we are forcing our bodies to continue to tolerate milk. (4)
Needless
to say there are many reasons to eliminate milk/dairy out of your diet, but
where do you go from there? Well it's not so bleak as you think. For one thing
I have not actually eliminated dairy completely. I have, GREATLY reduced the
amount I consume but I have a small amount now and then. Listen to your body,
if you are feeling good about the amount of dairy in your diet then stick to it
(this includes feeling good about your weight and your skin BTW =).
On another positive note aged block cheese is
usually less harmful and has some positive health benefits (
http://www.doctorsolve.com/blog/2010/01/7-health-benefits-of-cheese.html
). Milk can be broken down into two proteins; casein and whey. (It is about 80%
casein and 20% whey). Whey is sweet because it contains the lactose. When
cheese is made they separate the two proteins and use only the casein and send
the whey off for protein drinks.(5) So you are at least not getting the
lactose. Last of all there are many dairy substitutes. I for one love almond
milk! I make ice cream with it and use it in all my cooking. Pure unsweetened
almond milk is only 30 calories a glass and has 50% more calcium than cow milk
making it a great substitute.
As a
side note eliminating dairy in your diet can help your completion immensely. There
are many studies on milk contributing to acne and I am planning on doing a post
solely on this subject when I start a series on skin care. If you have any
questions let me know and I will address them in my next post. Thanks for reading.
