Milk –Meant for “Calves” not “Humans”

Cow’s milk appears to be considered one of   man’s largest dietary mistakes. The more we discover how it affects our bodies the less we have to be pleased about. For decades, cow’s milk was promoted as the “perfect food” for our bodies and particulary for our kids. Does this make sense?

The milk from every species of mammal is unique and specifically linked to the needs of that animal. Cow’s milk is designed by nature to encourage the growth of a rumen in the calf’s digestive system. The rumen is much like a fermenting vat with a large amount of bacteria that is imperative to breakdown great amounts of fiber in the cow’s diet. Cow’s milk contains many factors designed too promote bacterial growth in the gut.  Mankind, on the other side of the coin, have a nearly sterile small intestine. Human milk, explicitly intended for humans, holds substances that inhibit intestinal bacterial growth.

People are exposed to milk in infancy and the long-term harm from consuming cow’s milk begins then. Exposure to milk, during the early years of life, contributes to lack of tolerance, excessive sensitivities and interference with absorption. The human infant is not able to convert cow’s milk into an absorbable form and this produces harm to the bowel mucosa. Infants that consume cow’s milk have small but significant bleeding from their digestive tracts.  This blood loss contributes to iron deficiency and anemia.  Health problems such as childhood diabetes, obesity, bowel disease, colic and ear infections are all linked too the consumption of milk in infancy.

One out of every five babies is inflicted with colic. Pediatricians learned long ago that the consumption of cow’s milk was often the cause. We now know that nursing mothers can also have a colicky baby if she drinks cow’s milk.

Cow’s milk is not only detrimental to infants but it is also detrimental to mature people.  The proteins in the cow’s milk is associated with matters of digestion, intolerance, impaired assimilation of other nutrients and autoimmune reactions. Many people are lactose intolerant.  This is due to the fact that once we are weaned off breast milk our body ceases production of lactase, the enzyme that enables us to digest lactose.

Dairy products contribute great amounts of cholesterol and fat to an individual’s diet. A high cholesterol and high fat diet is associated with heart disease and other health problems. Ovarian cancer is also associated to milk consumption. The sugar found in milk called lactose is broken down to another sugar referred to as galactose. This sugar influences a woman’s ovaries and increases her risk of acquiring ovarian cancer.

Humans are the only animals that drink another animal’s milk and to make matters even more unfavorable we drink it into adulthood.  Female mammals produce milk to supply as food and provide nourishment for their offspring. Once the infant can digest solid foods and it is weaned off the mother’s milk the infant no longer drinks milk.

Much healthier options for human consumption are the liquids drawn from various plants and manufactured into milk.  These may come from nuts, grains, seeds or fruits. Many of these milks have been in existence for thousands of years in different areas of the world.  Best recognized are soy, rice, almond and coconut milk.

Milk Article by Fernanda B.Sc.Pharm, M.H., courtesy of HealthTopics.ca

Tags: Allergies, Bacterial Growth, Blood Loss, bowel disease, Bowel Mucosa, childhood diabetes, Colic, Colicky Baby, Cow Milk, Digestive System, Digestive Tracts, Ear Infections, Human Milk, Infancy, Iron Deficiency, lactose intolerant, milk, Milk Allergies, Milk Cow, Nursing Mothers, Obesity, Particulary, Pediatricians, Perfect Food, Rumen, Small Intestine

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