Milk: Another White Lie Part 3

This may seem a little strange to see in print but there is a lucky minority that exist when it comes to milk. That group consist of people who are lactose intolerant. Why do I consider them lucky? It's because their bodies readily identify that dairy is not the best choice for us after being weened from our mothers. Most people lack the enzyme lactase which we tend to stop producing after about two years of age. Lactose intolerance is an extreme version of the allergic reactions most of us encounter. The most common allergic reaction is stomach upset such as bloating, gas and diarrhea. The lesser known reactions occur most often in people who don't consider themselves to be lactose intolerant or allergic to milk in general. Chronic sinus infections are most often blamed on pollen, pet dander, dust, aliens and Bill Cosby. While these things do have a place in our nasal miseries (not you Mr. Cosby) you will be hard pressed to find anyone who blames the massive amount of dairy consumed each day by unsuspecting folks. Thanks to the flood of dairy propaganda that milk is wholesome and does a body good we would never question milks role. The irony is that milk is the most common food allergy but rarely is recognized as such. Besides the lactose intolerance the protein found in milk also contributes to allergies as well so the lactose isn’t the sole villain.
Babies are especially susceptible to milk allergies. The American Society of Microbiologist found that some cases of crib death could be attributed to milk allergies in infants. The symptoms for these allergies can range from diarrhea, persistent colic, and vomiting to eczema, hives, bronchitis, asthma and sleeplessness. It is suggested that cows milk not be given to infants younger than four months old.
​If you are suffering from chronic sinus infections or gastrointestinal issues check your dairy consumption and ask yourself could it be the aliens or the milk?

​Sources:
​The Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford

​http://www.naturalnews.com/026461_products_food_butter.html

​http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health-news/2009/09/07/more-mums-give-their-kids-organic-milk-as-survey-confirms-reduced-risk-of-asthma-and-eczema-86908-21654409/

Milk: Another White Lie Part II

IGF, or insulin-like growth factor, is a hormone that occurs in the human body naturally. As its name implies it assist with growth and is found in large quantites in children. By adulthood IGF is nearly non-existent because growth is done.


IGF-1 is found in cow's milk and is intended to assist baby cows in their growth and developement. Adding to already high levels of IGF-1 todays milk practices increases those levels through the use of rBGH (recombinate bovine growth hormone). Increased rBGH use has exposed more people to increased the amount of IGF-1 consumed.

Why is IGF-1 consumption such an important issue? As previously mentioned IGF helps things grow. All sorts of things in fact. Unfortunately for humans some of the things excess IGF can help grow are cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. Research has shown how moderate IGF-1 level increases can cause adverse health conditions. For example, men with an 8% increase in circulating IGF-1 were seven times more likely to develope prostate cancer. Women who had increased IGF-1 levels also had increased incidences of breast cancer. In fact a study conducted in China found that women in the top 25% of IGF-1 levels as compared to other women had a 2-3 times greater occurrence of breast cancer. A similar study conducted in England on men found a similar correlation. Those men in the top 25% were 3 times more likely to develope prostate cancer.

Are you wondering why cancer correlations deal specifically with breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men? IGF-1 is produced in abundance in the young especially during puberty. During puberty one of it's key functions it's to simulate the growth of breast tissue in girls and prostate growth in boys. After puberty IGF-1 production falls off to very modest levels having done that bulk of it's work. We, as humans, can increase our circulating IGF-1 levels threw consuming dairy products but for some it will be at our own cancer causing risk.

The next post will address the issue of lactose intolerance and other milk allergies.

Milk: A Different White Lie Part I

The dairy industry has garnered a windfall from it's advertising campaign with it's widely known "Milk. It does a body good" slogan. Does milk do a body good? Evidence that milk is only intended for unweaned creatures, including humans, has been mounting for years. With all the television and print commercials along with huge government subsidies you wouldn't know it. Milk, without doubt, has issues as it relates to the human body. We have been told to drink milk for its nutrient packed goodness especially as it pertains to calcium but a closer look is needed to assist in making an informed decision.

The calcium content of milk as long been the trumpet sounded by the dairy industry as to why we should consume their products. We, the consumer, have obediently danced to the sound of their music in order to sustain growth, especially in children, and maintain strong, healthy bones. Rarely, if ever, are the biological mechanisms of calcium absorption discussed. For calcium to be absorbed it must be found in a 2:1 ratio with magnesium. That is to say for every 2 parts of calcium consumed there must be at least 1 part of magnesium present to make the calcium available for use in the body. Milk is calcium rich but magnesium poor. In fact the calcium/magnesium ratio in milk is 10:1! That makes the excess calcium in milk unavailable to the body. Why, do you ask? Calcium from milk must be converted into a usable form by magnesium which also helps to solidify calcium into bone. A person would have to take a magnesium supplement with milk to absorb all the calcium or risk creating a magnesium imbalance in the rest of the body as magnesium is diverted from other functions to attend to the excess calcium floating around. Consuming cheese for its calcium content is even worse when you consider the calcium/magnesium ratio is 28:1. A study involving 120,000 U.S. women printed in the American Journal of Public Health, 1997 had some startling results. The 12 year study found that women who consumed 2 or more glasses of milk per day had a 45% higher risk of hip fractures and 5% increase in forearm fractures than women who drank less. The study director, Diane Feskanich, advises not to rely on milk for prevention of osteoporosis. Good sources of calcium and magnesium can be found in dark green leafy vegetables, almonds and figs.

Next week the discussion will focus on a seldom discussed but udderly (cheesy pun...wow a pun in a pun!) important hormone called insulin-like growth factor or IGF for short.