Does milk really do a body good? Despite what the dairy industry would like us to believe, milk is not the perfect health food, but a hormone-laden, chemical-infested, food that is unnatural to humans; it is a meal for calves.
Milk is white, the symbol for purity and innocence. However, milk is full of several different bovine (cow) hormones, including pituitary hormones, steroid hormones, recombinant bovine growth hormones, and toxic chemicals. These hormones are causing young girls to go through puberty faster, when their bodies are unable to handle it. This puts the young women at risk for many diseases and problems later on in life.
Humans are the only species that continue to drink milk after they are babies. Furthermore, humans are also the only species to drink milk of another species.
Cow’s milk is biologically the perfect food for calves. It is their only source of nutrition; it has to provide enough fat, cholesterol, and protein for it to grow from a 45-lb. calf into a 300-lb. cow in its first year of life.
Contrary to popular belief, dairy is not the best source of calcium, either. Milk is very low in magnesium, which is necessary for the body to absorb calcium. Without the aid of magnesium, the body only absorbs 25% of the available calcium. Foods that are rich in calcium and magnesium include beans, almonds, broccoli, and sesame seeds.
Another problem with milk is casein, a milk-derived protein, which promotes high cholesterol. Casein is also a major cause of allergies.
If that’s not enough to gross you out, most cows’ udders get infected and develop sores. When these cows are milked, the pus from the open infected wounds end up in the milk sold in grocery stores and health food stores. The USDA allows 750 million pus cells per liter of milk.
Not ready to give up a major part of the American Diet? Luckily, there are many healthy, yet tasty, alternatives. Soymilk, rice milk, and almond milk are popular among dairy alternatives, and have remarkably similar taste and texture to dairy milk. There are also soy cheeses available at health food stores. Other alternatives include rice and soy sour cream, whipped cream, oil-based margarine, soy yogurt, rice or soy ice cream, and “milk” chocolates. Many recipes for the above mentioned foods are also available.
Even though dairy is a major part of the American Diet, it is not as healthy as Americans believe it to be. It’s best to find out what a food is, and where it comes from before eating it.
With all the problems and health hazards of drinking milk, it’s no wonder why milk is the leading cause of food allergies. For more information on the dairy industry and the nutritional value of milk, go to www.notmilk.com.
