undereating?

[bikerchic]

There is no way I could possibly read all those studies you posted Amber but I did read some of the highlites on milk and cancer. It just makes me wonder though, if cows milk and meat (and I'm not saying "you" said anything about their meat) is not meant to be consumed by humans then why the hell were they put on this earth? To look pretty in the fields?

IMO, I believe cancer can mainly be blamed from the carcinogens in everything from hair products and makeup to cleaning products to some foods that we eat (including milk and meat and that is why organic is the way to go).

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

There is no way I could possibly read all those studies you posted Amber but I did read some of the highlites on milk and cancer. It just makes me wonder though, if cows milk and meat (and I'm not saying "you" said anything about their meat) is not meant to be consumed by humans then why the hell were they put on this earth? To look pretty in the fields?

IMO, I believe cancer can mainly be blamed from the carcinogens in everything from hair products and makeup to cleaning products to some foods that we eat (including milk and meat and that is why organic is the way to go).

well, there are plenty of animals that it's not safe/feasible for us to use for food purposes. that doesn't mean they have no purpose on earth. we don't drink chipmunk milk, or eat chipmunk meat, but i don't really question their existence because of it. cow's milk is meant to be consumed by baby cows, and their meat is supposed to be consumed by other natural predators - including humans, just not in the vast quantities we're consuming them now.

cancer can definitely be linked to the carcinogens in those things you listed, and organic is definitely better, but i find the stories of people who cut out dairy & became healthier to be very compelling.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by amber

Man, I always run out of guac and salsa. I'm glad you liked the burger. I eat "burgers" occasionally, but am not a huge fan. I'm a medium fan. I mean, I would totally recommend them, I just don't like them as much as other stuff. I have to admit, though, I've never eaten them with just guac. In reality, if I was being more responsible, I would eat more of them. i certainly have eaten my share in the past.
Never tried the black bean. But, I don't order black beans on my burritos, either. Not a favorite. That is one area where I'm kinda bad - lots of beans are on the "most antioxidental" list, but I don't like to eat beans that much. Lentils are my favorite. I don't like rice much, either. I order my burritos with no, or light, beans and rice. And then, I never want the black beans. Only pinto. Which are better for you, but not when refried. It's all very complex, dont'cha know.

Anyhoo, blah blah, you rock, etc.

I'm sorry to be so effervescent, but you are kicking so much ass that it is inspiring.

aw shucks.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by amber

If you ignore all this, remaining willfully uninformed because of what you want to believe, fine. Those studies are pretty conclusive, BTW. If tons of people who don't have dairy have low instances of Cancer and Osteoperosis(among other things), and people who consume lots of dairy have the highest instances...well, to me, ignoring that is like how people ignored global warming for decades "oh, there's no conclusive study to say burning of fossil fuels is causing global warming" Seriously. It only makes sense, especially having read about the studies for about 10 years like I have been.
Also, have you considered the fact that the new information available is right, even though it's different then your old information?
Again, I don't care how much dairy you eat, I'm trying to pass the information that it isn't really good for you. People who ignore the overwhelming data of the past few decades that says the same, or try to refute it - I don't get it. I don't want to be right, I want to be the best informed. And, clearly, I am. If something new comes out that goes against what I thought before, and there is a lot of good data to support it, I don't care that I was wrong before, I don't cling to my old ideas because I'm stubborn and that's what I always learned. Or because the new data is contrary to my lifestyle choices.
There are no health benefits to drinking cow's milk, according to my years of research, which is based on scientists and doctor's years of research.
I'm sad that some people actually believe it is good for you. And I want them to know the real story, because lots of people actually want to make the most healthful choice possible. "Moderation" is fine, but not even close to optimal.
And you just admittedly made an uninformed conclusion, you did not read the scientific evidence that I posted. Yet, you stuck to your opinion, intimating that it was informed. How can you know if what I say isn't true, if you haven't seen the data? Just because you learned what you think is true before, and you already knew it? Is that what makes it right? People learn new things every day, things change constantly.
Oh, and BTW, one of the things I posted said yogurt cultures are good for you, but that you should get non dairy yogurt, which is widely available - because it is better for you.

I don't know for how long you have been studying nutrition, or how regularly, but the other day you didn't even know that the meals you were fixing for yourself were too carb heavy, and you needed to add some protein and fiber. But suddenly you are an up to the minute info expert on milk? It's possible, and bless you, but it doesn't logically jibe that you would be. Especially not comparitively.
I'm not saying a small amount of milk/dairy in someone's diet will necessarily cause harm. I'm saying no matter what amount you eat/drink, it doesn't have nutritional value to your body. Will everyone get breast cancer from it? No. But it isn't a healthful choice. Just like eating candybars, or hamburgers, isn't a healthful choice. At best, I would call it neutral. Well, I wouldn't, really, but that's the best I can call it.
I love you and all, I just think the studies are right, and that when people cut dairy from their diet, their bodies significantly benefit in myriad ways. I'm also a person who was vegan once, so I do have some first hand experience.

Dude. Relax. Where in my post did I tell you that the studies you posted were untrue? I told you that I didn't read through them completely yet, and that I need to look into it further. I never said I'm not open to learning new or different things. After I'm done reading everything thoroughly and do some research of my own, I'll post again.

And remind me never to ask you for any dietary advice again, since apparently you're going to bring it up later & imply that I'm ignorant. You're awfully arrogant about it all considering you've been overweight a time or two yourself & continue to make some bad health choices at times. We're all only human.

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by amber

I'm also a person who was vegan once, so I do have some first hand experience.

I had a whole group of friends in college who were vegan and lived the whole lifestyle too. it was really, really hard. they were all overweight too...really overweight. I never quite understood that myself, but I guess maybe it's all the pasta and bread they ate . in any event, I've got some really funny memories of trying to go out to eat with them.

oh, and every single one of them would eat an animal product at least once in a while and tell me not to tell anyone...

[bikerchic]

Originally Posted by carrie721

well, there are plenty of animals that it's not safe/feasible for us to use for food purposes. that doesn't mean they have no purpose on earth. we don't drink chipmunk milk, or eat chipmunk meat, but i don't really question their existence because of it. cow's milk is meant to be consumed by baby cows, and their meat is supposed to be consumed by other natural predators - including humans, just not in the vast quantities we're consuming them now.

cancer can definitely be linked to the carcinogens in those things you listed, and organic is definitely better, but i find the stories of people who cut out dairy & became healthier to be very compelling.

In some countries they do eat chipmunk and if we didn't eat cows and other animals the world would be over run with them. If a cow's milk is only for their (one) calf, then why do they have 4 teats? For mass production perhaps?

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

In some countries they do eat chipmunk and if we didn't eat cows and other animals the world would be over run with them. If a cow's milk is only for their (one) calf, then why do they have 4 teats? For mass production perhaps?

i'm sure there are some people in this world who have eaten chipmunk. i'm talking about on a large scale. also, if you could provide info on where they are eaten, i'd appreciate it, since a quick google search turned up nothing for me.

it's really odd to me to think that something may have evolved a certain way for the express purpose of mass-production, so i don't really know what to say to that. humans have two breasts, but our milk is not mass-produced. and if milk is so good for us to drink, then shouldn't we be drinking human milk our whole lives?

i think you contradict yourself - you say if we didn't hunt animals, we would be overrun by them, but then you say it's okay (and even, nature intended for us) to mass-produce them.

[SuzeQuze]

For those interested in a summary of research, here are a couple of good Q & As from drweil.com. He doesn't seem to have a radical opinion against all dairy, just that you should avoid it if you have a family history of eczema, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, or autoimmune disorders.

Q: Why not drink milk?

A: Updated on 3/30/2005

The notion that milk is good for all of us throughout life has been fostered by the dairy industry. Except for people of northern European origin, most adults worldwide can't digest lactose, the natural sugar in milk. This is because as we mature, our bodies stop making the enzyme that breaks it down. As a result, many may develop gas, cramps and/or diarrhea whenever milk is consumed.

But lactose intolerance isn't the only problem with milk and milk products. The milk protein, casein, can irritate the immune system and stimulate mucus production, worsening allergy symptoms. This is why milk consumption is associated with recurrent childhood ear infections, eczema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and sinus conditions. Even those who are not allergic to milk, like people who have autoimmune diseases or digestive problems, may find that their symptoms improve when they eliminate milk and milk products.

Substituting soy or rice milk for cow's milk isn't as simple as it sounds. Rice milk contains little protein and for that reason is not a good milk substitute for children, unless you add other protein sources to their diets. Soy milk is protein-rich and can work well as a milk substitute, but you may have to experiment with different brands to find one with a taste you like. Although soy milk is high in calcium, it doesn't provide as much as cow's milk so look for a calcium-fortified brand. I also recommend that you buy organic soy products and look for soy milk brands that do not contain the thickening agent carrageenan, a seaweed derivative, which I do not view as safe. If you're watching your weight, choose from among the many available low-fat products.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA182741/

Q: Does drinking milk lead to breast cancer?

A: (Published 03/25/2005)

Evidence connecting milk consumption to breast cancer is contradictory, but results of a recent study from Denmark suggest that it may play a role in the increasing incidence of the disease during the past 50 years. In a study involving more than 117,000 women, researchers from the Statens Serum Institut found that height is a risk factor for breast cancer, particularly when it stems from a growth spurt between the ages of eight and 14. In Japan, an increase in women’s average heights over the last 50 years may be related to milk consumption. During that time breast cancer incidence doubled from 40 to 80 cases per 100,000 women. The findings were published in the October 14, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Commenting on the results in the same issue, two experts from Harvard Medical School noted that milk consumption increases circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, a growth hormone associated with higher stature. It isn’t known yet exactly how this might contribute to childhood growth and breast cancer risk. But if milk drinking is to blame for the increased incidence of breast cancer, the amount consumed during childhood could be the key, not the amount adult women are drinking today. To confuse matters, an earlier study had suggested that the vitamin D and calcium women get by consuming low-fat dairy products, including skim or low-fat milk lower the risk of breast cancer before menopause but not afterward. These findings came from data drawn from the famed Nurses Health Study, which began in 1976 and includes more than 120,000 nurses in 11 states. In 2002 Harvard researchers published an analysis of information from more than 88,600 of the women showing that consumption of dairy products - either before or after menopause - had no effect one way or the other on the breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women. The study was published in the September 4, 2002, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Another study, from Norway, published in 2001 also suggested that milk consumption was protective. Data from more than 48,000 premenopausal women researchers showed that childhood milk consumption (regardless of the type of milk and its fat content) was associated with a lower breast cancer risk among women aged 34 to 39 but not among women in their forties. Adult milk consumption also seemed to lower the risk. Among women who drank more than three glasses of milk per day, risk was lowered by about half. The study was published in the Sept. 15, 2001 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

I recommend against using cow's milk and products made from milk if you have a personal or family history of eczema, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, or autoimmunity. If you do drink milk, I urge you to buy only organic brands without the residues of antibiotics and hormones found in conventional brands. In my opinion, those hormone residues may be the factor responsible for increased risks of cancer, especially hormonally driven cancers.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA352296/

[hayley]

Originally Posted by skcin

Dude. Relax. Where in my post did I tell you that the studies you posted were untrue? I told you that I didn't read through them completely yet, and that I need to look into it further. I never said I'm not open to learning new or different things. After I'm done reading everything thoroughly and do some research of my own, I'll post again.

And remind me never to ask you for any dietary advice again, since apparently you're going to bring it up later & imply that I'm ignorant. You're awfully arrogant about it all considering you've been overweight a time or two yourself & continue to make some bad health choices at times. We're all only human.

[JazmenFlowers]

all this talk of milk. I hate milk really unless it's in cereal. I drink 1% if possible, but I prefer soy milk...and even then I'm not a huge teater eater.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

I'm not a huge teater eater.

trust me, we know ...

[bikerchic]

Originally Posted by carrie721

i'm sure there are some people in this world who have eaten chipmunk. i'm talking about on a large scale. also, if you could provide info on where they are eaten, i'd appreciate it, since a quick google search turned up nothing for me.

it's really odd to me to think that something may have evolved a certain way for the express purpose of mass-production, so i don't really know what to say to that. humans have two breasts, but our milk is not mass-produced. and if milk is so good for us to drink, then shouldn't we be drinking human milk our whole lives?

i think you contradict yourself - you say if we didn't hunt animals, we would be overrun by them, but then you say it's okay (and even, nature intended for us) to mass-produce them.

I'm just saying that anyone who believes that animals were not put on this earth to eat is absurd? It's just part of the food chain. Women have two breasts for when they do have more then one child to feed and its absolutely ridiculous to think that we could live off human milk all of our life. and when I say mass production, I mean milking more then one teat at a time, that's all.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

I'm just saying that anyone who believes that animals were not put on this earth to eat is absurd? It's just part of the food chain. Women have two breasts for when they do have more then one child to feed and its absolutely ridiculous to think that we could live off human milk all of our life. and when I say mass production, I mean milking more then one teat at a time, that's all.

i never said that animals weren't here to eat! but the food chain doesn't say that every animal is here for humans to eat. yes, we're at the top of the food chain, but that doesn't mean that everything else nature produces is good for us.

[amber]

Originally Posted by skcin

Dude. Relax. Where in my post did I tell you that the studies you posted were untrue? I told you that I didn't read through them completely yet, and that I need to look into it further. I never said I'm not open to learning new or different things. After I'm done reading everything thoroughly and do some research of my own, I'll post again.

And remind me never to ask you for any dietary advice again, since apparently you're going to bring it up later & imply that I'm ignorant. You're awfully arrogant about it all considering you've been overweight a time or two yourself & continue to make some bad health choices at times. We're all only human.

What I objected to was you saying I was wrong without reading what I posted. Simple as that. Why would you do that with no basis?

Yeah, because I make bad choices doesn't mean I don't know what choices I should be making. It also doesn't lessen the amount of research and education I have about it. All it says is that I don't have as much willpower as I should.

And, I brought up the nutritional advice because you suddenly seemingly knew that milk was "nutritious", and I was questioning the basis for your knowledge. I wasn't throwing it in your face, I was logically questioning whether you could know so much about milk, considering what you didn't know before.

So maybe you should have "relaxed" before you jumped to the conclusion that I was wrong about milk, on the basis of your limited knowledge.

Theresa - there are millions of things on the earth that weren't "put here" for human consumption. We're just another mammal here, in fact, nothing was "put here" specifically for us. We can, like other animals, plants, bugs, fish, etc. eat certain things on the earth. Also, cows were not domesticated by humans until well after original evolvement - ie, not part of the diet we originally evolved to eat. Also, I think it's absurd to say that humans have to eat animals. Or that anything at all was put here "for humans". We just happened to evolve eating certain things that were here - most of them way, way, way, before humans. After babies don't drink human milk anymore, they are supposed to be on increasingly solid foods, not cow milk. And, way back, humans often breastfed for 3 or more years. So, they didn't need milk from another animal.

[skcin]

OK, I've thoroughly read all the info Amber provided. Definitely interesting, and something to think about when making dietary choices. Is this article from a Vegan website? Just wondering, I didn't see the source. I am not going to ignore the things I've just read, and I will be sure to not eat too much dairy after reading all of these theories. Considering my usual intake is a splash of 1% milk 4-5 days a week & some cheese/yogurt every day, I rarely eat even the recommended 2-3 servings anyway, so I'm not really that worried.

I think it's great that people are doing research to find out exactly what's good for us & what's not, and question older outdated info. I personally take it with a grain of salt. So may studies say the opposite of other studies - hard to decide for sure which study is the best or most accurate. Apparently, the only thing we can honestly eat without fear are completely organic raw fresh veggies. Too much of anything else can be unhealthy, and this obviously includes dairy. Point taken.

I'd like to comment on a few things. Not trying to dispute any of the info presented, just some thoughts:

Cow's Milk
Updated: March 16, 2005

Milk and other dairy products are included in many vegetarian diets. Dairy is a rich source of calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and other nutrients. It has been a part of many cultures for centuries, especially in Northern Europe. For religious Hindus, milk is considered sacred.

Yet the majority of the world's peoples do not come from cultures that have a history of dairy consumption. These people often have problems digesting it. And with the advent of modern mechanized dairy production, milk may not be as pure as it once was.

What follows is an in depth overview of some of the potential problems associated with dairy, and a look at the alternatives.

Sections below:
Lactose Intolerance
Milk fat
Allergies
Osteoporosis
Yogurt
Iron deficiency in infants
Ovarian cancer
Diabetes in children
Women & dairy
Stress, antibiotics, mastitis, and pus
Non-dairy calcium sources
Soy milk as a healthy alternative

Is drinking milk natural?

Human beings are the only species (other than house cats) to consume milk past childhood. We are also the only species to consume the milk of another species. Yet, at about the age of four, most people around the world begin to lose the ability to digest lactose, the carbohydrate found in milk. This results in a condition known as lactose intolerance that causes a range of unpleasant abdominal symptoms, including stomach cramps, flatulence and diarrhea.

Lactose intolerance is a reality for 75% of the world's population. In Canada, while many adult Caucasians have the ability to digest lactose, a large number of First Nations People, Asians, Africans and people of Jewish ancestry are lactose deficient.1

Even though consuming dairy is unnatural and problematic for many people, Canada's Food Guide recommends 2–4 servings per day, and the US Food Guide Pyramid recommends 2-3 servings. One serving is defined as 1 cup of milk, 2 slices of cheese or 3/4 cup of yogurt.

Humans are the only species to do a bunch of things. Eating cooked food comes to mind, but I'm not going to stop doing that.

And yes, the majority of the world's pop. is at least mildly lactose intolerant. That's not because it's bad necessarily, it's because it may not be available to them, therefore their bodies can't process it properly. The people that I know who are medically diagnosed as lactose intolerant simply don't eat dairy, or they eat only what they can tolerate. Of course if something makes you sick to your stomach, then don't eat it - seems like common sense to me. Only about 15% of the Caucasian pop. is lactose intolerant, btw.

Whole cow's milk is a high-fat fluid, designed by nature to turn a 60–70 lb (27–30 kg) calf into a 300–600 lb (135–275 kg) cow in one year.

High-fat dairy products such as cheese, butter and cream contain saturated fat. Saturated fat is the most important dietary factor involved in raising blood cholesterol levels. The consumption of high-fat dairy products has also been found to cause atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke. Finland which has a death rate from heart disease that is among the highest in the world, also has one of the highest rates of dairy product consumption.2

Low-fat milk and cheese products are still significantly high in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. For example, 2% milk has become much more popular than homogenized milk, yet it still derives one third of its total calories from fat. Skim milk mozzarella with approximately 15% milk-fat is considered a low-fat cheese, yet a 1-ounce slice contains 5 grams of fat, totaling 56% calories from fat! So don't be fooled by the "skim milk" label.

The wide range of skimmed milk products available in grocery stores reflects health concerns over high-fat dairy products. But for many people, low-fat dairy products may still be an unacceptable alternative.

Aren't diets in Finland higher in fat in general? High fat dairy, cheeses, meats, etc. How about the availability of fresh veggies? And perhaps people are less physically active than in other parts of the world? I'm not in any way saying that the intake of high fat dairy has nothing to do with the increased rates, I just think there may be other factors involved as well. And I noticed that although this article explains that low fat/skim products aren't that low in fat, they stop short of saying they've been shown to cause heart disease, etc.

Low-fat dairy products linked to heightened allergies

The high protein content of low-fat dairy products is actually more allergenic than dairy products with a high-fat content.3 Dairy products are one of the leading causes of food allergies and food sensitivities causing allergic responses in people of all ages, especially infants and young children. It is estimated that 1–7% of infants are allergic to cow's milk protein. Infants who react to milk also have a greater likelihood of developing allergies to other foods.4

Allergies to dairy products can cause a wide range of symptoms including irritability, restlessness, hyperactivity, depression, abdominal pain, cramps or bloating, gas, diarrhea, bad breath, headaches, lack of energy, constipation, poor appetite, mal-absorption of nutrients, nasal stuffiness, runny nose sinusitis, asthma, shortness of breath, rashes, and eczema.5

I would like to know who the hell is recommending cow's milk for infants?!?! Certainly not pediatricians, at least not for the past 15-20 years. They can't tolerate it, and breast milk is much better. Formula fortified with iron is the second choice. In my professional & personal experience I've never heard anyone tell a mother to give her baby cow's milk.

The allergy link in kids is concerning, although this article isn't very clear to me. I know from my research that there are several possible reasons for the increased incidence of allergies (esp. to foods) but nobody has determined any one cause. Obviously, milk is a possible contributing factor & I hope this is investigated further.

Osteoporosis & the milk connection

North America has one of the highest consumptions of dairy products, and also the highest incidence of osteoporosis – a disease of brittle bones formed through the loss of calcium. The dairy lobby has many campaigns and advertisements encouraging people to consume large quantities of dairy products to ward off this dreaded disease later in life. But that's not the whole story.

Regardless of how much calcium you take in, the amount your body can actually absorb and retain matters more.

The high animal protein intake typical of North American diets can make it difficult to retain calcium. Digesting animal protein creates an acidic environment in the body. To neutralize the acid, the body may rob calcium from the bones. Years of this pattern can contribute in osteoporosis later in life.6

A study published in 2001, found that "elderly women with a high dietary ratio of animal to vegetable protein intake have more rapid neck bone loss and a greater risk of hip fracture than do those with a low ratio. This suggests that an increase in vegetable protein intake and a decrease in animal protein intake may decrease bone loss..." Several studies have found that "in comparison with animal protein, soy protein decreases calcium excretion, a result of the lower sulfur amino acid content of soy protein."7

To prevent osteoporosis it is also important to get enough Vitamin D, avoid smoking and limit coffee and alcohol. Weight-bearing exercise such as running, dancing and walking is especially helpful. (see Key Nutrients for more information on vitamin D).

I do agree that too much focus has been put on "milk builds strong bones" over the years. Evidence shows that it is beneficial in children as far as preventing osteoporosis later in life, but when you're older it doesn't really do squat. Many people aren't aware of this & think that if they suddenly start chugging milk when they're 40, they'll be fine. Uh-uh.

But just because the body can only absorb so much doesn't mean they should cut out all dairy, IMO. And did the study look at the fact that we drink much more soda & eat much more fast food here in North America? Studies also show that soda can severely deplete calcium stores as well as decrease bone density and more fast food seems to = obesity which seems to = decreased activity/exercise, all of which contribute to the development of osteoporosis.

Again, I'm not disputing or trying to minimize the information, just pointing out that there may be more to it than just drinking milk alone. In other words, woman shouldn't completely cut dairy out of their diet because they heard it might not be great for their bones, but continue to lead a sedentary lifestyle & chug pop. They need to look at their life & their diet as a whole - there's no quick fix.

Yogurt

Yogurt is the healthiest dairy product because of its live bacterial enzyme cultures that foster a healthy colon, and even may lower the risk of colon cancer. The culturing process makes yogurt more digestible than milk. The live active cultures create lactase, the enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack. Some yogurts are pasteurized again after the fermentation process. This kills the beneficial bacteria cultures and decreases many of the health benefits. Check the label, and look for the brands with the simplest ingredients. It is best to avoid frozen yogurt – most brands have no live cultures, are high in fat (some as fatty as ice cream), and the low-fat versions are usually high in sugar. An average non-fat serving of frozen yogurt contains approximately seven teaspoons of sugar.

Note: all yogurts have the high protein content and related problems mentioned above. Non-dairy soy yogurts containing live cultures are available.

I understand some people may think that frozen yogurt is good for them just because it says "yogurt." I am not one of them. Read labels, people. I'm surprised to see that this article isn't really that hard on yogurt, since someone once told me I may as well eat a bunch of sugar instead. It is important to eat ygurt that contains active cultures (esp. acidophyllus.) Also - ladies - if you're put on antibiotics for any infection, eating a cup of yogurt every day while you're taking them usually prevents yeast infections from developing.

Iron deficiency in infants

According to Frank Oski, the late Chairman of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Medical School, "Drinking large quantities of cow's milk has long been recognized to produce iron-deficiency anemia in infants... Cow's milk contains less than 1 mg of iron per quart. Very little of this iron is absorbed from the intestinal tract because other constituents of the milk bind with the iron... Many infants drink 1-2 quarts of milk per day. This tends to satisfy their hunger and they are left with very little appetite for the necessary iron-containing foods."8 Breast milk is the best source of iron for infants.

Again with the infants. Doctors do not recommend cow's milk for infants. Neither does the cow/dairy industry or the USDA or any other agency in the U.S.

Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is more common in Northern Europe than in Asian populations and the consumption of milk products may be the reason. Studies have found that there is a higher risk of ovarian cancer in women who consume lactose (sugar in milk). This was the conclusion of a study published in 2004, that tracked 80,326 participants in the Nurses' Health Study. A Swedish study of 61,084 women found that high intakes of lactose and dairy products, particularly milk, are associated with an increased risk of serious ovarian cancer but not other subtypes of ovarian cancer.9

I'm trying to find the portion of the Nurse's Health Study that shows this, but I'm having a hard time finding it. As far as the study in Sweden, I'm curious to know if other factors were looked at (other dietary factors, esp. fat, smoking, hormone levels, never having kids vs. having several, etc.) Very interesting, though, I hadn't heard that before. The incidence of ovarian Ca is pretty low in relation to other cancers, but obviously if you have other risk factors you may want to limit dairy.

Cow's milk & diabetes in children

Several studies have linked cow's milk to diabetes in children. Something in milk (possibly bovine serum albumin) may cause an immune reaction in diabetic children leading to the destruction of the body's insulin-producing cells. Breast-fed infants who are not fed cow's milk seem to have a measure of protection against diabetes. Avoiding cow's milk may delay or prevent diabetes in susceptible individuals. A 2003 study of 4,701 ten to sixteen year-old adolescents from 11 European countries found that cow's milk and animal product consumption were associated with higher rates of type 1 diabetes when Icelandic data was excluded.10

I'd like to try & find more info on the specifics of the study. I notice it says "were associated with" not "causes." By "animal product" does that mean only dairy, or meat as well? If it includes meat, then theoretically the diet would be higher in fat than non-meat eaters, and they may be overweight because of that, which has long been thought to increase the risk for development of IDDM (Insulin Dependent Diabetes, used to be called Juvenile Diabetes.) If the correlation between dairy and IDDM is strong enough, this is HUGE. It could help in the diagnosis or even prevention of diabetes.

*Theresa - you force fed Dean 20 servings of milk every day, didn't you?!?!*

Women & dairy

According to gynecologist, Christiane Northrum, "Stopping dairy food often improves menstrual cramps, endometriosis pain, allergies, sinusitis and even recurrent vaginitis." Other problems associated with dairy food may include: benign breast conditions, chronic vaginal discharge, acne, fibroids, and chronic intestinal upset. "I can't help but think that there might be some correlation between over stimulation of the cow's mammary glands and subsequent over stimulation of our own, resulting in benign breast conditions."13

I'd like to know this 1 GYN's sources. Is this just her opinion? I'll be posting a study shortly that seems to dispute some of her claims.

Stress, antibiotics, mastitis, and pus

People who regard milk as "the perfect food" rarely think about milk as a commercial product – prone to the hazards of mass-production. John Robbins, author of May All Be Fed, puts it well; "The modern-day Bessie is now bred, fed, medicated, inseminated, and manipulated for a single purpose – maximum milk production at a minimum cost."

In order to produce milk, a dairy cow must give birth. To maximize their milk supply they are artificially inseminated every year, meaning they are pregnant for a physically demanding 9 months out of every 12. Their calves are traumatically taken from them shortly after birth. The resulting surplus of calves feeds the veal industry.

With genetic manipulation and intensive production technologies, Canadian cows produce an average of 9,519 kg of milk per year (2003) — seven times more than they would produce naturally. When their milk production wanes after about four years, dairy cows are sent to slaughter where their worn out bodies are ground up into hamburger.

These unnatural conditions make the modern dairy cow highly prone to stress and disease.

The most damaging stress-related disease is mastitis (an inflammation of the udders). It reduces milk yield and directly affects milk quality by altering composition and increasing the somatic cell count (pus). The National Mastitis Council estimates that it costs about $200 per cow per year on the average dairy farm. In Quebec, mastitis is the second-leading cause of culling.11

Antibiotics, mostly common penicillin, are given to cows for treatment of mastitis. Cows are not supposed to be milked for 48 hours after receiving penicillin. When this precaution is not followed the penicillin appears in the milk in small amounts.12

In 1993, Food and Drug Administration in the United States approved the use of a synthetic growth hormone, rBGH (also known as rBST). This genetically engineered hormone, so far banned in Canada and Europe, has no therapeutic value but to boost milk production. This can cause additional stress, and more frequent bouts of mastitis.

Please see the article I'll post shortly on the "organic" and "free range" controversy.