Can Dairy Products Damage Your Health?

By Jordan Miller;

Many of us were raised consuming dairy products - milk on our cereal, cheese on our crackers, and yogurt on our fruit. Not only did we eat this food daily, but we were also told that it was good for us and necessary for a healthy diet. We may not have noticed any negative effects, but what if we were to take a closer look. Do you suffer from allergies, diabetes, heart disease, acne, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, or excess mucus build-up? Even if you don’t, please continue to read. Everyone is different; sometimes symptoms take longer to manifest in some people and for others the symptoms are instantaneous.

What We Have Been Told

Calcium, calcium, calcium – got to get our calcium! This is the most common idea promoted for drinking milk and consuming other dairy products. It is also endorsed as being “natural” and full of vitamin D. What about the negative side effects of dairy consumption? Are there any? If so, do they out-weight the so-called benefits?

What We Haven’t Been Told

Milk is not easily digested, and it’s also highly allergenic. Most of the world is actually lactose intolerant, due to the fact that most of us lose the ability to completely digest lactose by the age of four. As a result, many milk drinkers develop diarrhea, gas, stomach cramps, bowel inflammation and toxicity.

Diary sources are high on the food chain, which means higher concentrations of toxins, pesticides, and hormones.

Antibiotics are common in milk, due to cows’ udders becoming infected. These same antibiotics are transmitted to humans, causing reactions in those sensitive or allergic to antibiotics, or causing the production of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in our bodies. One of these is sulfamethazine, a suspected human carcinogen.

There are also ample amounts of pesticides in cows’ feed and this gets passed along to us as it moves up the food chain.

Factory farmed dairy cows are injected with the Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). What is the purpose of rBGH? “The purpose of rBGH is to enable cows to produce more milk than they naturally would. It works by altering gene expression of glucose transporters in the cow's mammary gland, skeletal muscle and omental fat. The gene facilitates the repartitioning of glucose to the mammary gland, which in turn produces more milk.” (Paul Kingsnorth). This can be detrimental to our health. rBGH has been clinically proven to weaken our immune system and increase the incidences of cancer.

Casein, a milk protein, is a common cause of food allergies. Casein needs the enzyme rennin, to break down, but rennin isn’t present in humans after the age of four. Casein is very sticky and coats the digestive system, leading to leaky gut syndrome, mal-absorption and/or constipation. Over time, we are left with a weakened immune system and toxic build up in our blood. It is the casein that causes mucus to form. This is due to its bacterial composition, our allergic response, and its glue-like nature.

The Environmental Defense Fund studied the breast milk of 1,400 women from 46 states in the USA. The study found widespread contamination of breast milk with pesticides. The levels of contamination were twice as high in meat and dairy consuming women as in vegetarians. Since pesticides are concentrated in animal foods, the study advises women who plan to breast-feed to avoid meat, some kinds of fish, and high-fat dairy products. Please note that even though these studies suggest that breast milk can be contaminated with pesticides, breast-feeding is definitely more beneficial to an infant, than bottle-feeding.

Pasteurized vs Unpasteurized Dairy

Pasteurization destroys all enzymes, including phosphatise, which is necessary to assimilate calcium, minerals and vitamins. During pasteurization, milk is heated to at least 115 degrees Celsius, causing organic calcium to become insoluble and therefore very hard to digest. Temperatures from 190 to 230 degrees Celsius are required to kill typhoid bacilli, coli, tuberculosis and undulant fever, but pasteurization temperatures only reach 145 to 170 degrees. Pasteurization also kills some beneficial bacteria which normally keep the harmful bacteria in check. As a result, within 24 to 48 hours after pasteurization, the amount of harmful bacteria doubles.

If raw milk (the preferable way to consume milk) is ingested, the enzyme xanthine oxidase is digested in the stomach. On the other hand, homogenized cow’s milk prevents cream from floating to the top. Therefore, if the milk has been homogenized, fat globules from the cream encase the enzyme, which can pass undigested into the blood, attaching to artery walls and becoming abrasive. As the xanthine oxidase enzyme is not digested properly through the consumption of homogenized milk, it has been found to severely increase the incidences of heart disease.

Raw milk is a hot topic right now. We encourage you to do some further research on the topic and decide whether or not it is right for you.

The Calcium Debate

Calcium is abundant in nature. Most fruits, vegetables and nuts are excellent sources of calcium. It is extremely doubtful that we can utilize any of the calcium in milk. The calcium in milk is bound to its protein complement, casein. Without the key enzyme, rennin, neither casein nor calcium can be digested. Additionally, pasteurization or heat treatment renders calcium practically useless.Interestingly, the risk of osteoporosis has been found to be nearly double in meat and dairy-eating individuals in comparison to vegans.

Calcium can be found in plenty of other sources like broccoli, spinach, kidney beans, almonds, rhubarb, collards, turnips, etc. The amount of calcium we need is debatable and recommendations vary. Fortunately, our bodies are so amazing that we absorb precisely the amount needed.  

Are We Meant to Consume Dairy?

Using nature as our guide, we can quickly determine whether or not we should be consuming dairy.

For example, cow’s milk is suited to the nutritional needs of calves, who, unlike human babies, will double their weight in 47 days (as opposed to 180 days for humans), grow four stomachs, and weigh 1,100-1,200 pounds within two years. Cow’s milk contains about three times as much protein as human milk and almost 50 percent more fat.

Consider also that no other species, besides humans, drink milk beyond infancy, and no other species drinks the milk of another species (except domesticated cats and dogs, who are taught this habit by humans).

Alternatives

For many, soy milk has become an acceptable alternative; however, it is important to note that unfermented soy can be detrimental to our health, especially the thyroid gland.

Nut cheeses are a great alternative. You can make them yourself or order them online.

Coconut milk/yogurt can be used as an alternative. Check out our video to find out how to make coconut milk. Hemp and almond milk are also great choices.

It’s All About Balance

Perhaps this is all new information to you and you feel like you could never eliminate dairy or perhaps you would like to do some more research on the topic. Please do! Most importantly, we should remain balanced in our approach to health and not over consume any one product. You will undoubtedly hear many opinions on this topic, so when choosing what is right for you, always follow your instincts.



Your questions: Do you eat dairy products? What are your thoughts? (post your comments below)

Sources:

http://www.rense.com/general26/milk.htm
Prescription for Nutrional Healing; Phyllis A. Balch
http://www.nativeremedies.com/articles/harmful-effects-dairy-products-immune-system-real.html 

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About the Author : Jordan Miller is the co-founder of guidinginstincts.com. He has overcome illness through dietary/lifestyle changes, and practicing a positive mindset daily. Jordan is currently learning about traditional North American medicinal herbs, in hopes of becoming a Certified Herbalist.