Got Proof?

We know that for time immemorial parents have been encouraging children to drink milk. Then the dairy industry added the loudest voice of all to the chorus trumpeting the benefits of milk. With all the fanfare concerning “nature’s super-drink,” we never stop to think, why are we the only living creatures drinking milk after infancy?

Milk provides calcium, protein, vitamin D, and many other essential nutrients which understandably make it a tempting option, but long term research indicates that maybe the negative effects outweigh the positive benefits in this instance.

Plain milk naturally contains approximately 30% of its calories as sugar (lactose) which is what makes it palatable in the first place. The percentage of sugar in dairy products goes up in yogurt and even higher still at ice cream where sugar makes up on average 52% of total calories. Additionally, sodium is a major component of most dairy products with products such as Cottage, American, and Cheddar cheese leading the pack at 560, 383, and 144 mg of sodium per 100 calories respectively. Without the salt and sugar, the remaining blocks of fat are generally pronounced to be unpalatable. Adding salt and sugar directly to foods rather than mixing them in with the additional fats of dairy is a healthier alternative.

Milk is said to be a sure-fire way to help children grow which is worth any damage done by the excess fat, sodium and sugar, but research proves otherwise. The primary purpose of milk is to turn a 60 pound calf into a 600 pound cow in as little time as possible. The components of this “miracle growth” formula are comprised of approximately 50% fat that provides the calf with the necessary additional 600 calories-per-quart it needs to sustain such growth. Additionally, the concentrations of calcium, potassium, protein, and other nutrients in cow’s milk are up to three or four times those found in human breast milk and can overwhelm a human body’s metabolism.

Milk directly stimulates growth hormones both in calves, and now, people. Specifically, it triggers an increase in expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) which is primarily responsible for the “bone-growth” effects milk is lauded for. However, it also causes unwanted growth, too, as IGF-1 is known to be one of the most significant promoters of cancer growth in the breast, prostate, lung, and colon.¹ Additionally, overstimulation of growth by IGF-1 has been connected to premature aging.²

IGF-1 is joined by excessive amounts of estrogen introduced by the practice of milking cows during pregnancy. While a non-pregnant cow’s milk contains only 15 pg/ml of estrogen, this grows to 151 pg/ml in the first half of pregnancy and shoots up to 1000 pg/ml after that. This estrogen then accounts for 60-70% of the excess estrogen we receive from food. The message that estrogen supplementation results in more fracture-resistant bones is less scientifically sound than the concrete knowledge that excess estrogen is a key factor in the formation of cancers in the breast, prostate, and uterus.

While the added estrogen may protect bones from fracturing, the overall result of drinking milk in fact weakens bones. The National Dairy Council admits that excess dietary protein, particularly purified proteins, increases urinary calcium excretion. This calcium loss could potentially cause negative calcium balance, leading to bone loss and osteoporosis.³

The Dairy Council attribute these effects to an increase in endogenous acid created by the metabolism of the large quantities of protein in dairy. This acid must then be neutralized by alkaline salts of calcium from bone which is then conscripted for this service. This is in line with findings that the rate of hip fractures and osteoporosis is highest in countries such as the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand, where dairy is a dietary staple, and lowest in places such as rural Asia and Africa where consumption of dairy is significantly lower.⁴⁵

Humans are physically not made to drink milk past infancy, let alone that of a cow. Approximately three quarters of the world and 95% of Asian-Americans, 74% of Native Americans, 70% of African-Americans, 53% of Mexican-Americans, and 15% of Caucasians are lactose intolerant. In other words, they do not possess the enzyme necessary to convert the sugar found in milk, lactase, into the digestible glucose and galactose.⁶ Our bodies warn us that we are meant to get our protein, calcium and other nutrients from other sources.

You can still get the suggested 1,000 mg of calcium per day naturally from foods such as white beans, dried figs, sardines, bok choy, kale, black-eyed peas, almonds, oranges, seaweed, and sesame seeds. Additionally, many foods are fortified with calcium and these include instant oatmeal, orange juice, soy milk, firm tofu, and Cheerios amongst many others.

The recommended “3-a- day” of dairy products is suggested by advertisers from the dairy industry. Science is quickly proving once again that advertising is often an illusion. Of course, you will not suffer immediately from obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer from adding milk to your cereal tomorrow morning. Still, how much is “too much?” Not very much, and moderation is key.