Many
Americans, including some vegetarians, still consume substantial
amounts of dairy products and government policies still promote them
despite scientific evidence that questions their health benefits and
indicates their potential health risks.
Bone Health
Calcium
is an important mineral that helps to keep bones strong. Our bones are
constantly remodeling, meaning the body takes small amounts of calcium
from the bones and replaces it with new calcium. Therefore, it is
essential to have enough calcium so that the body doesn’t decrease bone
density in this remodeling process. Though calcium is necessary for
ensuring the bone health, the actual benefits of calcium intake do not
exist after consumption passes a certain threshold. Consuming more than
approximately 600 milligrams per day easily achieved without dairy
products or calcium supplements does not improve bone integrity.
Clinical research shows that dairy products have little or no benefit
for bones. A 2005 review published in Pediatrics showed that milk
consumption does not improve bone integrity in children. In a more
recent study, researchers tracked the diets, physical activity, and
stress fracture incidences of adolescent girls for seven years, and
concluded that dairy products and calcium do not prevent stress
fractures in adolescent girls. Similarly, the Harvard Nurses’ Health
Study, which followed more than 72,000 women for 18 years, showed no
protective effect of increased milk consumption on fracture risk. It is
possible to decrease the risk of osteoporosis by reducing sodium intake
in the diet, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, and ensuring
adequate calcium intake from plant foods such as kale, broccoli, other
leafy green vegetables, and beans. You can also use calcium-fortified
products such as breakfast cereals and juices. Soybeans and fortified
orange juice are two examples of products which provide about the same
amount of calcium per serving as milk or other dairy products. Exercise
is one of the most effective ways to increase bone density and decrease
the risk of osteoporosis, and its benefits have been observed in studies
of both children and adults. Individuals often drink milk in order to
obtain vitamin D in their diets, unaware that they can receive vitamin D
through other sources. Without vitamin D, only 10-15 percent of dietary
calcium is absorbed. The best natural source of vitamin D is sunlight
Five to 15 minutes of sun exposure to the arms and legs or the hands,
face, and arms can be enough to meet the body’s requirements for vitamin
D, depending on the individual’s skin tone. Darker skin requires longer
exposure to the sun in order to obtain adequate levels of vitamin D. At
higher latitudes and during the winter months, the sun may not be able
to provide adequate vitamin D; a supplement may be needed. Few foods
naturally contain vitamin D, and no dairy products naturally contain
this vitamin. Therefore, fortified cereals, grains, bread, orange juice,
and soy or rice milk exist as options for providing vitamin D through
the diet.Supplements are also available.
Fat Content and Cardiovascular Disease
Dairy products including cheese, ice cream, milk, butter, and yogurt contribute significant amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat to the diet. Diets high in fat and especially in saturated fat can increase the risk of heart disease and can cause other serious health problems. A low-fat, plant-based diet that eliminates dairy products, in combination with exercise, smoking cessation, and stress management, can not only prevent heart disease but may also reverse it.Cancer
Consumption of dairy products has also been linked to higher risk of various cancers, especially to cancers of the reproductive system. Most significantly, dairy product consumption has been linked to increased risk for prostate and breast cancers. The danger of dairy product consumption as it relates to prostate and breast cancers is most likely related to increases in insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which is found in cow’s milk Consumption of milk and dairy products on a regular basis has been shown to increase circulating levels of IGF-1.Perhaps the most convincing association between IGF-1 levels and cancer risk is seen in studies of prostate cancer. Case- control studies in diverse populations have shown a strong and consistent association between serum IGF-1 concentrations and prostate cancer risk One study showed that men with the highest levels of IGF-1 had more than four times the risk of prostate cancer, compared with those who had the lowest levels. In the Physicians Health Study, tracking 21,660 participants for 28 years, researchers found an increased risk of prostate cancer for those who consumed =2.5 servings of dairy products per day as compared with those who consumed =0.5 servings a day.19 This study, which is supported by other findings, also shows that prostate cancer risk was elevated with increased consumption of low-fat milk, suggesting that too much dairy calcium, and not just the fat associated with dairy products, could be a potential threat to prostate health. In addition to increased levels of IGF-1, estrogen metabolites are considered risk factors for cancers of the reproductive system, including cancers of the breasts, ovaries, and prostate. These metabolites can affect cellular proliferation such that cells grow rapidly and aberrantly, which can lead to cancer growth. Consumption of milk and dairy products contributes to the majority (60-70 percent) of estrogen intake in the human diet. In a large study including 1,893 women from the Life After Cancer Epidemiology Study who had been diagnosed with early-stage invasive breast cancer, higher amounts of high- fat dairy product consumption were associated with higher mortality rates. As little as 0.5 servings a day increased risk significantly. This is probably due to the fact that estrogenic hormones reside primarily in fat, making the concern most pronounced for consumption of high-fat dairy products. The consumption of dairy products may also contribute to the development of ovarian cancer. The relation between dairy products and ovarian cancer may be caused by the breakdown of the milk sugar lactose into galactose, a sugar which may be toxic to ovarian cells. In a study conducted in Sweden, consumption of lactose and dairy products was positively linked to ovarian cancer. A similar study, the Iowa Women's Health Study, found that women who consumed more than one glass of milk per day had a 73 percent greater chance of developing ovarian cancer than women who drank less than one glass per day.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose
intolerance is common among many populations, affecting approximately
95 percent of Asian-Americans, 74 percent of Native Americans, 70
percent of African- Americans, 53 percent of Mexican-Americans, and 15
percent of Caucasians. Symptoms, which include gastrointestinal
distress, diarrhea, and flatulence, occur because these individuals do
not have the enzyme lactase to digest the milk sugar lactose. When
digested, the breakdown products of lactose are two simple sugars:
glucose and galactose. Nursing children have active enzymes that break
down galactose, but as we age, many of us lose much of this capacity.
Due to the common nature of this condition, and in order to avoid these
uncomfortable side effects, milk consumption is not recommended.
Contaminants
Milk
contains contaminants that range from hormones to pesticides. Milk
naturally contains hormones and growth factors produced within a cow's
body. In addition, synthetic hormones such as recombinant bovine growth
hormone are commonly used in cows to increase the production of milk.35
Once introduced into the human body, these hormones may affect normal
hormonal function. When treating cows for conditions such as mastitis,
or inflammation, of the mammary glands, antibiotics are used, and traces
of these antibiotics have occasionally been found in samples of milk
and dairy products. This treatment is used frequently, because mastitis
is a very common condition in cows, due to dairy product practices which
have cows producing more milk than nature intended. Pesticides,
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxins arc other examples of
contaminants found in milk. Dairy products contribute to one-fourth to
one-half of the dietary intake of total dioxins. All of these toxins do
not readily leave the body and can eventually build to harmful IcvcU
that may affect the immune, reproductive, and the central nervous
systems. Moreover, PCBs and dioxins have also been Inked to cancer.
Other contaminants often introduced during processing of milk products
include melamine, often found in plastics, which negatively affects the
kidneys and urinary tract due to their high nitrogen content. and
carcinogenic toxins including aflatoxins. These are additionally
dangerous because they are not destroyed in pasteurization.
Milk Proteins and Diabetes
Insulin-dependent
(type 1 or childhood-onset) diabetes is linked to consumption of dairy
products in infancy. A 2001 Finnish study of 3,000 infants with
genetically increased risk developing diabetes showed that early
introduction of cows milk increased susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.
In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics observed up to a 30
percent reduction in the incidence of type 1 diabetes in infants who
avoid exposure to cow’s milk protein for at least the first three months
of their lives.
Health Concerns for Children and Infants
Milk
proteins, milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products pose
health risks for children and encourage the development of obesity,
diabetes, and heart disease. While low- fat milk is often recommended
for decreasing obesity risk, a study published in the Archives of
Disease in Childhood showed that children who drank 1 percent or skim
milk, compared with those who drank full-fat milk, were not any less
likely to be obese. Moreover, a current meta-analysis found no support
for the argument that increasing dairy product intake will decrease body
fat and weight over the long-term (>1 year). For infants. the
consumption of cow’s milk is not recommended. The American Academy of
Pediatrics recommends that infants below 1 year of age not be given
whole cow's milk as iron deficiency is more likely due to the low amount
of iron found in cow’s milk as compared with human breast milk. Colic
is an additional concern with milk consumption. Up to 28 percent of
infants suffer from colic during the first month of life. Pediatricians
learned long ago that cows milk was often the reason. We now know that
breastfeeding mothers can have colicky babies if the mothers consume
cow’s milk. The cow's antibodies can pass through the mother’s
bloodstream. into her breast milk. and to the baby. Additionally, food
allergies appear to be common results of cows milk consumption,
particularly in children. Cows milk consumption has also been linked to
chronic constipation in children.
Milk is Not Healthy
Cow’s milk is literally a cocktail of pus, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and urea.
Pus and bacteria
Various means to increase milk production cause induration and infection of the udder (mastitis) resulting in pus and bacteria in the milk. Paratuberculosis bacteria causes Johne’s disease in cattle and is believed to cause Crohn’s disease, (an illness that causes uncontrollable diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting) in humans. Due to intensive modern farming practices, the US has the highest rate of Crohn’s ever recorded and the worst epidemic of Johne’s disease. In India, overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions contribute to widespread tuberculosis amongst cows in city dairies.Antibiotics
Dairy farmers try to control the mastitis with huge doses of antibiotics, which also end up in the milk. Children are particularly vulnerable; these antibiotics inhibit the development of the immune system and cause antibiotic resistance. Despite the antibiotics, every glass of milk contains an estimated 1 ‑ 7 drops of pus!Pesticides
Pesticides
used on the feeds for the animals are concentrated in their milk and
meat. The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) researched milk for 7
years taking 50,000 samples from across India. They found large amounts
of DDT, and HCH (an antibiotic that is routinely given to the cows in
their feed). Under the food adulteration act only 0.01 mg/kg of HCH is
allowed. They found 5.7 mg/kg on an average in milk. In India, some
pesticide levels can be as high as 570 times the permissible levels!
They also found arsenic, cadmium, and lead. These cause kidney damage,
heart disease, brain damage and cancer.
Urea
In
India, milkmen dissolve urea (from fertilizer shops) or earthworms in
the milk to prevent it from curdling since the trucks for transporting
the milk are not refrigerated. The result: every glass of milk is a
cocktail composed of 1 or more of the following ‑ pus, antibiotics,
pesticides, urea, and hormones!
Hormones
Growth
hormones in milk can lead to diabetes and obesity. Also, it is a known
statistic, that the countries with highest milk consumption have highest
rates of osteoporosis. Estrogen and progesterone in milk can promote
breast and prostate cancers.
Plastic and batteries
In
most places here in India, cows eat from the garbage cans. This
includes lead batteries, plastic bags, and other toxic substances that
translate as poisons in the milk. A recent survey found all the cows
with plastic in their rumens, and a documentary has been made on this
called ‘Plastic Cow’.
Conclusions
Milk
and dairy products are not necessary for the diet and can, intact, be
harmful to health. It is best to consume a healthful diet of grains,
fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fortified foods including cereals and
juices. These nutrient-dense foods can help you meet your calcium,
potassium, riboflavin, and vitamin D requirements with ease and without
facing the health risks associated with dairy product consumption.
