Milk is Not Good for You - Essay Example

Milk Is Not Good For You In the current world, it seems that everyone believes in the unquestioned benefits of milk and that milk is the most nutritious of all foods. From athletes, to celebrities, and even Donna Shalala, who was the head of Health and Human Services for former American President Bill Clinton, all wear the milk mustache in pride (DuPuis 22). This is because it is a long held belief that milk is healthy for everyone. While it is true that milk is nature’s best food, this only holds true if one is a calf. Although this sounds misplaced, it is only because few people are brave enough or willing to be truthful on the truth about dairy and dairy products. In fact, being critical of milk in the United States is akin to attacking motherhood, baseball, or even apple pie. However, this is exactly what this paper seeks to do. Basing on research, on milk, from various journals and using the study results of various experienced doctors, one is best advised to avoid completely milk and milk products. While everyone likes a good, cold ice cream, the effects that it has on one’s health should influence decision-making (DuPuis 22). This paper will seek to explore the documented ill effects of milk and provide reasons for the avoidance of milk at all costs. In the medieval times, in England, parents would fasten the feet of rabbits around the necks of their babies to ward off illness. The doctors also believed that spitting on the wounds of a patient worked since saliva supposedly had healing properties. In fact, history is filled with many health beliefs that are not founded on fact and, to the detriment of society; the myth on milk is a common myth that is the most tenacious (Casabona & Epifanio 33). Milk and milk products are more than a simple drink; they are a cultural phenomenon, which is traceable through the last thousands of years. The myth on milk’s unending benefits is still resonating loud and clear with the average child in the United States consuming at least 104 quarts of milk and milk products (Casabona & Epifanio 33). This myth on milk has spread across the globe, and it has been based on the belief that this drink, rich in calcium and protein is fundamental in support of good overall health and, particularly, the health of bones at all ages (Tremblay & Gilbert 96). This confusion with regards to the benefits of milk, imaginary or not, can be understood as stemming from the fact that milk contains around 300 mg of calcium per cup. However, scientific studies indicate that there are detrimental assortments of health effects, which can be linked directly to the consumption of milk. The most surprising of these links is that taking milk, in particular milk that has been pasteurized, does not lead to absorption of the present calcium. In fact, making matters even worse, drinking pasteurized milk leads to loss of calcium from the bones, which is ironical (Tremblay & Gilbert 96). Calcium loss from bones happens in several ways. The most serious happens because milk, like all proteins from animals, leads to a drop in blood pH that, in turn, leads to a biological correction (Walker et al 1011). This is because, while calcium is a good neutralizer of acid and the biggest calcium store in the mammalian body is the bones, the calcium that is required by the bones in order to stay healthy is needed to correct the acidification caused by milk. When this calcium is removed from mammalian bones, even after neutralization is through, it leaves the blood through the urine and leads to a net result of a calcium deficit in the body. It is for this reason that countries with low milk consumption like Japan have relatively lower incidences of fractures afflicting their population. The sad truth, however, is that the majority of healthcare practitioners tend to ignore facts such as these that are proven. This leads to doctors prescribing lots of milk for patients who suffer from osteoporosis, which leads to a worsening of the population’s bone problems (Walker et al 1011). Milk from cows is designed specifically for consumption by calves. However, because of man’s creative ingenuity and because of the need to survive in ancient times, humans adopted the habit of taking milk from another species (Williams 53). It is an indisputable fact that milk from a cow has excellent value as food for calves. While a calf weighs roughly one hundred pounds when it is born, the calf, typically, gains more than eight times what it weighed at birth before it is weaned. However, unlike humans, calves go off milk totally after weaning and do not take milk again. The same is also true for all other mammals in the world. In addition, every mammalian species has milk that is designed for its own offspring, and that of a cow is the same. For instance, the milk of a cow has at least thrice as much protein as milk from a human. This leads to a metabolic disturbance in humans that are detrimental to health of his/her bones (Williams 53). It is also indispensable to keep in mind that the milk of a mother is excellent nourishment for babies and that the constitution of this milk is different from that of a cow. Scientific studies into the effect of milk on humans show that it increases the risk of fractures. Many studies, actually, contradict the long-held wisdom that consumption of milk and dairy products aids in the reduction of osteoporotic fractures (Barrett 348). Studies have surprisingly shown that dairy products like milk fail in the protection of bones from fractures, in comparison to those studies that prove that aids in protection against fractures. Even children who take milk at a young age do not have protection from fractures in the future but only increases it. A study into the theory on calcium saving account found that the use of dairy products, especially at the age of twenty, was associated with increased occurrences and risks of hip fracture, as they got older. Another study that lasted twelve years found that individuals who got their most calcium from milk and dairy products suffered from more broken bones than people who did not drink a lot of milk (Barrett 349). The data from this study did not support their hypothesis, which stated that higher milk consumption or consumption of calcium rich foods by women in adult age protected them from the forearm and hip fractures. Health practitioners in the mainstream have shockingly, ignored these and other statistics. There is a complete disregard for the scientific evidence discrediting dairy products like milk as calcium’s best source (DuPuis 291). Those countries where there are very high rates of osteoporosis are also the same countries, which have individuals taking the most amount of milk with the most calcium in their foods. There is, actually, a very weak connection between the health of bones and consumption of milk with the relationship between bone health and consumption of milk being almost non-existent. This is qualified by the earlier argument that milk, as a protein, is an acidifying factor. Like all other proteins that are derived from animals, milk possesses a positive potential load of renal acid, which triggers biological reactions meant to protect body organs from the effects of lowered pH, especially the kidneys that are very sensitive to pH fluctuations. The human body is meant for survival; therefore, sacrifices the mass of its bones to protect the urinary tract and the kidneys, especially because the kidneys are essential for human survival (DuPuis 292). The source of acid neutralizer that is most readily available is in the bones and, therefore, even though milk has relatively high amounts of calcium, it acts to sap the human bone structure of this mineral. This is not all because the milk used by most people today is processed food. Until the latter stages of the 19th century and early 20th century in Europe and the United States, people consumed raw and un-pasteurized milk (Sutherland 32). Homogenization, later on, became the standard in the dairy industry. The two processes act to alter the chemistry of milk and make its acidifying effect more detrimental. Those advocating for raw milk claim that drinking unprocessed cow milk ensures that it is wholesome and healthy. While it is true that unprocessed milk has less acidifying properties than milk that is processed and that homogenization and pasteurization could ignite a long list of health problems like digestion, raw milk still has the same effects, although at a lower level. Dairy cows, nowadays, are also treated with antibiotics and given injections containing bovine growth hormone that is genetically engineered. Synthetic or manmade hormone, which is used for the increment of milk production, also leads to the increment of Insulin growth factor 1 in the blood for people who drink milk from these cows. Higher levels if insulin growth factor 1 is linked to various cancers (Sutherland 34). This information must not be ignored, particularly with regards to the recent studies. The studies have shown that drinking milk that is high in bovine growth hormone would be expected to increase, significantly, the levels of insulin growth factor in the blood and lead to the increase of breast cancer risks, as well as increasing the invasiveness of the cancer (Jay-Russel 1421). While organic milk comes, from those cows that are not administered with bovine growth hormone or antibiotics, anyone who cares about their overall health and, particularly that of their bones, should avoid taking milk from cows. Contrary to recommendations from the mainstream, eating a lot of milk products and taking pure milk is not the answer to curing osteoporosis or the strengthening of bones. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that one should explore various substitutes to milk, some of which will be discussed here (Shane, 1392). However, first, it is important to clarify that cultured or unsweetened and fermented milk products like sour creams, kefir, and yoghurt are acid neutral. In particular, yoghurt has many beneficial qualities. As with milk, yoghurt that is organic in nature does not contain bovine growth hormone. It is also important to clarify that, for unsweetened milk, this refers to milk that has no sugar additives or any sweeteners that are artificial. However, the addition of honey or the zero calorie stevia that is derived from plants as a sweetener has alkalizing effects. Stevia is especially good for sweetening and neutralization of the acidifying effect of milk (Shane, 1392). Rather than relying, on milk, in improving the health of bones, one should aim to get a lot of exercise with vitamin D supplements on a daily basis. Calcium should also be gotten from foods like sesame tahini, green leafy vegetables, salmon, and sardine with bones, and sea vegetables. One should also attempt to give up all forms of dairy products by eliminating ice cream and cheese to see if one feels any better (Shane, 1393). It is possible for one to note sinus improvements, as well as improvements in weight, energy, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, and post-nasal drip. For those who can tolerate dairy products, it is important to use only organic and raw milk products with a focus on fermented products that have lower acidifying effects like kefir and unsweetened yoghurt, although this should be on an occasional basis. However, formula milk for infants is easier to digest because it is hydrolyzed. This milk could still lead to allergies and the child should be switched to almond milk and real food after a year. Soymilk and rice milk is also a good substitute for cow milk, although one should ensure that it is not genetically modified (Shane, 1393). Human bodies and organ systems were not meant for milk digestion on a regular basis. Rather, scientists agree that humans are better served getting their daily dose of fats, proteins, potassium, and calcium from other sources of food like plant foods. These include vegetables and alternative milk products. Work Cited Casabona, Carlos. & Epifanio, Leire. Global food security: ethical and legal challenges. Wageningen : Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2010. Print. Walker, George. Dunshea, Francis. & Doyle, Peter. " Effects of nutrition and management on the production and composition of milk fat and protein: a review." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research (2010): 1009–1028. Print. Barrett, Stephen. "The Unhealthy Alliance: Crusaders for "Health Freedom"." The American Council on Science and Health (2009): 345-357. Print. DuPuis, Erna Melanie. Nature's perfect food : how milk became America's drink. New York: New York University Press, 2012. Print. DuPuis, Melanie. "Not in my body: BGH and the rise of organic milk." Agriculture and Human Values (2010): 285-295. Print. Jay-Russel, Micchele. "Raw (Unpasteurized) Milk: Are Health-Conscious Consumers Making an Unhealthy Choice?" Clinical Infectious Diseases (2010): 1418-1419. Print. Shane, Andi. "Regarding “Raw (Unpasteurized) Milk: Are Health-Conscious Consumers Making an Unhealthy Choice?” Clinical Infectious Diseases (2011): 1392-1393. Print. Sutherland, Jane. Milk and milk products : technology, chemistry and microbiology. Gaithersburg : Aspen Publishers, 2011. Print. Tremblay, Angelo. & Gilbert, Jo-Anne . "Milk Products, Insulin Resistance Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes." Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2009): 91-102. Print. Williams, Lippincott. "Is a dairy diet healthy?" Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (2008): 50-58. Print. Read More