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Milk Myths The Myths of Milk Consumption Is cow's milk an appropriate food for humans? The answer is "no" – cow's milk is intended for calves, just as human milk is produced for the benefit of baby humans. We drink cow's milk just because we have always done it, but upon close inspection, we can see that the consumption of cow's milk is nonsensical.
Milk Myth #1: Milk Helps Build Strong Bones This is a myth that American parents pass along to their children, and one that is passed along to the parents via the very powerful dairy lobby which has millions of dollars to advertise, and millions of gallons of milk stored in warehouses around the country. It is also contributed to by misguided nutritionalists who reinforce the belief. Actually, milk and other dairy products weaken the bones and speed up osteoporosis. Consumption of milk causes the very condition it's advertised to prevent. Osteoporosis results from calcium loss, not insufficient calcium intake. Dairy products, because of their high protein content, promote calcium loss. Studies examining the incidence of osteoporosis have found that high consumption of dairy products is associated with high rates of osteoporosis. If you want strong bones, don't drink milk.
Milk Myth #2: Milk Is The Ultimate Health Drink This notion is utter nonsense. Eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains has been documented to lower the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and cancer, but the so called "benefits" of dairy products are questionable at best. In fact, dairy products are clearly linked as a cause of osteoporosis, heart disease, obesity, cancer, allergies, and diabetes. Dairy products are anyhting but healthy foods.
Milk Myth #3: Milk Is Necessary for Growing Children Here are three reasons kids and milk don't mix. First, milk is the leading cause of iron-deficiency anemia in infants, and, in fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics now discourages giving children milk before their first birthday. Second, it has been shown that milk consumption in childhood contributes to the development of type I diabetes. Third, milk allergies are very common in children and cause sinus problems, diarrhea, constipation, and fatigue. They are a leading cause of the chronic ear infections that plague up to 40% of all children under the age of six. Milk allergies are also linked to behavior problems in children and to the disturbing rise in childhood asthma. (Milk allergies are equally common in adults and produce similar symptoms.)
Milk Myth #4: Milk Is Pure and Wholesome As if milk weren't bad enough, the chemical company Monsanto and the FDA have made it far worse. In 1994 the FDA approved the use of bovine growth hormone which increasses milk production in cows by 10 to 25%. This growth hormone in high amounts stimulates the growth of cancer cells. Recent studies have found a seven-fold increase in the risk of breast cancer in women with the highest levels of this hormone, and a four-fold increase in prostate cancer in men with the highest levels. High levels of this growth factor also increases infections of the cow's udders. So these cows are often treatedwith more antibiotics and therefore higher traces of these drugs, as well as pus and bacteria from infected udders, are found in their milk.
Recommendations for Limiting Your Dairy Intake To start off with, knock off drinking milk altogether. Fluid milk is likely to be the most highly concentrated, easily absorbed soirce of growth hormones. Instead, use soy milk or rice milk in your coffee, cereal , or cooking. You'll find dairy-free cheeses, ice cream, and drinks in your health food store. Use all dairy products sparingly, and be sure to avoid products from hormone-treated cows. A growing number of dairies offer organic or hormone-free dairy products. Copywright 1999 by Michelle Johnson, ND The information on this web site has not been evaluated by the FDA an is not designed to cure, treat, or prevent disease without a proper diagnosis. |
