16 Reasons to Stop Ingesting Cow's Milk
by Bernie Thimian and One Step Closer
[Previously posted to SoFlaVegans]
16 Reasons Why People Avoid Dairy Products.
Most North Americans, including some vegetarians, still consume large
amounts of dairy products. Here are sixteen reasons why it is a good
idea to consider eliminating dairy products.
1. Human beings have no nutritional requirements for the processed
milk from the udder of a cow. The nutrients found in milk are readily
available from a wide variety of plant foods, including whole grains,
fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. As a matter of fact,
until refrigeration came along, the vast majority of humans and
animals on the planet consumed little or no milk products. Most
Asians (more then 1 billion), most Africans (almost a billion), and
many other cultures around the world still consume no dairy products.
These people do not suffer from acute cow's milk deficiency disease,
and have much lower rate of osteoporosis then the countries that
consume dairy products.
2. Dairy products are high in fat and like all animal fats very high
in saturated fats. Cow's milk straight from the udder is 55% fat.
Unfortunately for consumers processed cow's milk found on the store
shelf is purposely mislabeled to give the impression that it is low
fat.
2% milk is actually 35% fat. Cheeses are very high fat. Those labeled
between 7% and 37% fat are actually 35% to 77% fat. Butter is nearly
100% pure fat. For more on dairy fat, see The Great White Lie(s): Why
and how the dairy industry purposely mislabels the fat found in it's
products. Though skim milk products (skim milk, yogurt and cottage
cheese) are considerably lower in fat, they retain the problems noted
below. Also, if they skim the fat off one product it ultimately ends
up in other food products.
3. Cow's milk, like all animal products, also contains cholesterol.
This cholesterol, which is designed specifically by a cow for a cow,
(unlike your own cholesterol, which is designed by you for you)
contributes to cardiovascular disease and gallstones (whose principle
component is cholesterol, hence the often used medical term
" cholesterol gallstones " ). Studies comparing the cardiovascular
status of lacto-ovo vegetarians (consume egg and dairy) and vegans
(consume no animal source foods) have proven that while both are
healthier than meat eaters, vegans have better cardiovascular status
than vegetarians who consume dairy products.
4. Iron deficiency is more likely on a dairy rich diet. Cow's milk
products are very low in iron, thus, if they become a major part of
one's diet, iron deficiency is more likely. In addition, clinical
studies have shown that infants consuming cow's milk lose small
amounts of blood from their digestive tracts. For this reason, the
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants below one year
of age not be given whole cow's milk. " We now think that iron
deficiency at that age can lead to brain damage " - Dr. Lewis Barnes,
University of Wisconsin Pediatrician. If you consumed only dairy
products, you would have to drink 50 cups of milk to reach your RDA's
for iron. If you have any doubts about this, check the nutrition
label on the side of a cereal box. You will see that the iron status
of the cereal increases by 1% or less, with the addition of 1/2 cup
of cow's milk.
5. Insulin dependent diabetes (Type I or childhood onset) is linked
to dairy products. Epidemiological studies of various countries show
a strong correlation between the use of dairy products and the
incidence of insulin dependent 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. Even the dairy industry has acknowledged in their own
literature that this does occur, but only in about 3% of those who
may be susceptible.
Every adult who does decide to feed cow's milk to a child must ask
themselves; should I really put my child at risk?
6. Ovarian cancer is linked to dairy products. The milk sugar lactose
is broken down in the body into another sugar, galactose. In turn,
galactose is further broken down by enzymes. According to a study by
Daniel Cramer, M.D., and his colleagues at Harvard, when dairy
product consumption exceeds the enzymes' capacity to break down
galactose, there is a build-up of galactose in the blood which may
affect a woman's ovaries. Some women have particularly low levels of
these enzymes, and when they consume dairy products on a regular
basis, their risk can triple that of other women. Please note; the
problem is the milk sugar not the fat, thus nonfat dairy products
cannot solve this problem. In fact, yogurt and cottage cheese seem to
be of most concern because the bacteria used in their manufacture
increases the production of galactose from lactose.
7. Cataracts are also linked to dairy products. The galactose that is
a breakdown product of lactose appears to be capable of damaging the
lens of the eye, leading to cataracts. There are other factors which
also contribute to cataracts, such as ultraviolet light and vitamin
deficiencies.
8. Many people, particularly Asians and Africans, are unable to
digest the milk sugar lactose. this can result in diarrhea and gas.
On the other hand, they may be the lucky ones. Many Caucasians can
tolerate lactose, only to be unable to rapidly breakdown the
galactose which circulates in their blood, possibly contributing to
cataracts and ovarian cancer, as noted above. Lactose intolerance may
be nature's early warning system. Lactose digesting pills such as
Lactaid, may help breakdown the sugar, however they do not solve the
underlying cause which is a signal by your body that this food
product is not acceptable in your system.
9. Milk is one of the most common causes of food allergies. The
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reports that cow's
milk is the most common food allergy amongst children. Respiratory
problems, canker sores, skin conditions, post nasal drip, and other
subtle and not so subtle allergies can be caused by dairy products.
The sad thing is that many people never know that their problems are
caused by dairy sensitivity. Taking a break from dairy products can
often lead to surprising improvements. Asthmatics, in particular,
should give themselves a long vacation from dairy products to see
whether their condition improves.
10. Like other products from animals, mammary secretions contain
frequent contaminants, from pesticides to drugs. About a third of all
milk products are contaminated with antibiotic traces. The dairy
industry slogan " something for every body " takes on a different
meaning, doesn't it?
11. Dairy products, despite common myths, do not stop osteoporosis.
Evidence shows that the rate of bone loss is largely unaffected by
dairy products. Numerous studies have shown that the countries with
the highest intake of dairy products also have the highest incidence
of osteoporosis, and that consuming large amounts of dairy products
simply will not maintain bone density.
12. One out of every five babies suffers from colic. Pediatricians
learned long ago that cow's milk was often the reason. We now know
that breast feeding mothers can have colicky babies if the mothers
are consuming cow's milk. The cow's antibodies can pass through the
mother's blood stream into her breast milk and to the baby.
13. Cow's milk is not a natural source of Vitamin A and D. These two
are fortified into the milk. In many provinces, states and countries
it must be added by law. Often the amount is not well regulated and
these two fat soluble vitamins are in excess and can contribute to
toxicity, as well as calcium loss and osteoporosis. Your best source
of vitamin A is consuming products high in beta-carotene, which the
body uses to produce vitamin A. Once enough vitamin A is produced ,
your body stops producing it. Vitamin D is actually not even a
vitamin but a hormone. Your body produces vitamin D when the skin is
exposed to sunlight. It is estimated that an average of 15 minutes of
sunlight per day on the hands and face is enough for your body to
produce the necessary amount of vitamin D. Please note; it is the
vitamin A and D that is produced by your own body that is necessary
for your own vital functions, not that of another animal or from a
genetically engineered substitute.
14. Dairy products, like all other animal products, do not contain
any fiber. The more dairy products that one consumes, the less fiber
rich foods are eaten. Fiber has been shown to reduce your risk of a
variety of diseases including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
15. Mad cow's disease is still a real possibility in North America,
even for those consuming dairy products. Contrary to popular belief,
the risk of mad cow's disease is alive and well in Canada and the
U.S. We are doing exactly what the British farmers did to spread the
disease into the fidyl food chain. We still take downer cows (beef
and dairy cows that have suddenly died for no apparent cause) grind
them up and add them to cattle feed. This cattle feed is then fed to
food animals including dairy cows. In Great Britain dairy cows were
found to be one of the carriers of the disease.
16. Dairy products linked to childhood leukemia. It is estimated that
20 % of the American dairy cattle are infected with the leukemia
virus. The highest rates of leukemia are found in the children who
consume the most dairy products. The leukemia virus is resistant to
pasteurization and has been found in retail dairy products.
