The Milk Controversy

BY CHIM LI YEN

Habit is extremely powerful when it comes to food choices especially if it is continuously reinforced by our society. Familiar foods give us comfort, reassurance and a sense of identity. It takes effort to question if our conventional ways of thinking and acting really serves us. We need courage to consciously make choices that deviate from the ‘norm’ which brings us closer to wholeness and health.

The milk we drink today is different from the milk our grandparents drank, and for this simple reason, it may not be as beneficial to our health as it once was. The composition of milk has changed over the years. It still contains water, protein, fat, minerals, vitamins, lactose and enzymes but the balance of these ingredients depends on what a cow eats, the lactation cycle, the number of lactations, and how the milk is processed.

Most milk sold in grocery stores is pasteurised. While the pasteurization process kills potentially dangerous bacteria, it also kills off useful bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus that help our digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

One of the most successful advertising campaigns is the ‘Got milk?’ campaign by the dairy industry. Perhaps you remember seeing your favourite celebrity featured with the milk moustache somewhere on television or a magazine. The message that milk is the nutrient-rich powerhouse packed with everything our bodies need has been broadcasted for a long time that it has infiltrated our minds. Have you ever wondered if milk is really as nutritious as what the dairy industry claim?

Large amounts of money have been spent on advertising and on hundreds of other ways to influence what we think – campaigns in schools, press releases, public service announcements, promotion to doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers. There is an obvious contrast when we compare the industry statements with more objective sources.

Dr Neal Barnard, the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said, “The dairy industry continues to whitewash the dangers of cow’s milk. The ubiquitous ‘milk moustache’ campaign makes misleading claims about milk preventing osteoporosis, lowering blood pressure and enhancing sports performance. Recent studies have shown that milk offers no protection against broken bones. Like prescription drug ads, the moustache ads don’t reveal the many unwanted ‘side-effects’ of milk, among them increased risk of prostate and ovarian cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease.”

Why do you think that there are no claims of osteoporosis prevention on milk cartons? It is because it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The true connection between milk and strong bones isn't exactly what the dairy industry has been telling us all these years. Good bone density attained by the age of 18 usually lasts a lifetime for people consuming a balanced plant-based diet and remain physically active. Milk, although rich in calcium is high in animal protein which creates calcium loss through the urinary tract. The Eskimo diet is made up almost entirely of animal protein. They have one of the highest calcium intakes in the world; up to 2500 mg a day yet they also have a high rate of osteoporosis, even higher than white Americans!

Osteoporosis occurs most commonly in countries where they drink the most milk! American women are among the biggest consumers of calcium in the world but they suffer one of the highest levels of osteoporosis, while African Bantu women eat almost no dairy products at all and have a relatively low calcium intake from plant sources yet osteoporosis is virtually unknown among Bantu women.

The dairy ads points out that we need to drink milk products because it is difficult for us to get enough calcium from our food. They claim that the main reason is that calcium in fruits, vegetables and legumes is poorly absorbed by our digestive system. Is this true? According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the calcium absorption rates of various items are: Brussels sprouts – 64%, broccoli – 53%, kale – 50% and cow’s milk – 32%. One cup of milk contains 300mg of calcium but only 32% can be absorbed so you can easily obtain the same amount of calcium from 1.5 cups of cooked broccoli or from 1/3 cup of sesame seeds.

Cow’s milk has evolved to turn a small 90-pound calf into a 450-pound cow in less than a year. That’s why cow’s milk contains around four times as much calcium as human milk. Calves need a huge amount of calcium to promote the massive skeletal growth required over the first year of life. A human infant does not require such high levels of calcium so the high mineral content of cow’s milk puts a strain on the human infant kidney. This is the reason most governments strongly recommend that children drink specially formulated milk and do not drink normal ‘off the shelf’ milk in the first year.

More than 90% of Asians are lactose intolerant as we don’t have the enzyme lactase to break down lactose, the sugar in milk. Most infants produce lactase for a while but lose the ability after weaning (around 2 years old). Losing the ability to digest milk is a clear indication that milk is not a natural food for us. If you suffer from cramps, wind, bloating, diarrhoea and nausea after consuming milk or dairy products, you might be lactose intolerant.

Check out for yourself with simple kinesiology tests if milk is the nature’s perfect food that the dairy industry claims it to be. Question the information you read or hear. Connect with your body to find out if milk is truly is indispensible to us.

When we start to affirm that we only lead our lives aligned with the highest truth, miracles do happen. Along the process, adjustments will be made so all aspects of our life support our evolution. Let us all make choices that contribute to a sustainable, compassionate and healthier world.