The Truth About Milk

Milk has been categorized as a necessary food item in our diet. Milk is supplied at school cafeterias, so many  parents believe that kids need milk for their growth.  As a matter of fact, “You Got Milk”, the USDA’s commercial advertisement lead people to believe that milk gives strong bones and muscles. On the other hand, there is much news around the world that people improving from their chronic disease or pain after eliminating milk from their diet.  So, I would like to discuss about some of the “truths” about milk here.

1) Cow’s milk is one of the most common food allergies. A milk allergy is caused by a dysfunctional immune system. Your immune system identifies milk proteins as an “invader” and harmful to your body. As a result, your immune system produces and releases immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies into your bloodstream to attack and neutralize the “harmful” milk proteins. Your immune system also reacts this way to a virus or infection in your body. An infection or virus, however, is a real “invader” that is harmful to your system. The next time you consume milk or milk products, your immune system signals the immunoglobulin antibodies to release histamine. Histamine is the main culprit for all those nasty food allergy symptoms, including hives, itchiness, sneezing, watery eyes, nausea, diarrhea, and even anaphylactic shock (Source MayoClinic)

2) People who have lactose intolerance are often misdiagnosed as having a milk allergy, but it is totally different. In order to digest lactose, a type of sugar in disaccharides (there are sucrose, lactose and maltose), people need special enzymes, called lactase, to break them apart. When they are a baby, and being nursed, people have this enzyme, but when the person is between two and five years old, the enzyme stops being produced. The undigested sugars end up in the colon, where they begin to ferment, producing gas that can cause cramping, bloating, nausea, flatulence and diarrhea. 75% of the world is lactose intolerant which is normal. If you are not, you are mutant.

3) Countries that consume more milk have the highest hip fracture rates and more osteoporosis. Harvard Nurses’ Study tracked more than 70,000 women for 18 years and found that milk has no protection at all for hip fracture.  The truth is that we barely absorb the calcium in cow’s milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones. When you consume animal protein, such as dairy, meat, or eggs, these proteins acidifies the body ph which in turn triggers a biological correction. Calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer and the biggest storage of calcium in the body is – in the bones. So the very same calcium that our bones need to stay strong is utilized to neutralize the acidifying effect of milk. Once calcium is pulled out of the bones, it leaves the body via the urine, so that the surprising net result after this is an actual calcium deficit.

4) Some people believe that milk is good for a child’s brain development, but it could have reverse effect. Cow’s milk is a common cause of iron deficiency. It contains less iron than many other foods and also makes it more difficult for the body to absorb iron from other foods. Cow’s milk also can cause the intestines to lose small amounts of blood. Several studies have clearly demonstrated that iron deficiency anemia and iron deficiency impair mental and psychomotor development in infants and toddlers. Further, follow up studies years later have shown that these deficits are long lasting and possibly irreversible, despite the correction of the iron deficiency.

5) Link to Cancer: milk consumption may lead to cancer risk in insulin-like growth factor, IGF-1 (not to be confused with bovine growth hormone, rBGH). Milk contains IGF-1 for good reason: milk is designed for babies, and IGF-1 helps us grow. IGF-1 affects growth, as well as other functions, and is normally found in our blood. Higher levels of IGF-1, however, appear to stimulate cancer cells. Adult bodies are no longer growing. Lots of excess growth factors floating around are likely to find cancerous cells to act upon.  A study out of Harvard University shows that a naturally occurring hormone, called estrone sulfate, in milk from cows raised in factory farms is also causing cancers, particularly hormone-dependent cancers of the testes, prostate, and breast.

There are many more stories relating  to milk and dairies but this should be covered another time.

So, it seems like to be wise decision to stay away from milk and dairy, doesn’t it?

Please check out this movie “You Got Facts on Milk”