Milk: Is it ACTUALLY good for you?

No other animal in the wild drinks the milk of another species. No other animal in the wild drinks its’ own mother’s milk past the age of weaning. There are a number of reasons why drinking cow’s milk is not the best choice for humans. Here are just a few:

• Cow’s milk protein is 85% casein which is potentially carcinogenic to humans. It is therefore a potential contributing cause of eczema, acne, kidney disease, arthritis, tooth decay, asthma, irritable bowels, sinus problems, chrons, colitis, MS, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.
• Cow’s milk is rich in a simple sugar called lactose, or “milk sugar.” However, after infancy, many people lose their ability to digest lactose. The result is that undigested lactose travels to the large intestine where bacteria break this sugar down, producing anything from gas, to cramps, to diarrhea. Cow’s milk is either a contributing cause or the sole cause for many people’s intestinal problems.
• Cow’s milk and other products (eggs, cheese, and yogurt) create an acid-ash in the body. This causes mucus in the nasal cavity and mucoid plaque in the digestive system. This also forces the body to leach calcium from bones and teeth to neutralize the acid which leads to osteoporosis and tooth decay.
• Dairy cows at conventional factory farms are subjected to horrific living conditions and as a result their immune system is greatly weakened. To compensate for their ill health they are injected with antibiotics, which contaminates the milk we drink.
• To increase milk production dairy cows are injected with steroids and hormones which puts them in a perpetual state of pregnancy. This also contaminates the milk we drink, reduces the nutrient content and creates pus in the milk.
• Legally, there are allowed 135 million pus cells in one glass of milk.
• Infants especially need mother's milk because it boosts their immune system. Studies show that infants fed formula or cow’s milk are 80 percent more likely to develop diarrhea and 70 percent more likely to develop ear infections when compared with infants who are exclusively their mother’s breast fed.
• Cow’s milk can cause colic in babies.
• Cow’s milk may cause allergies and asthma.
• Store bought milk is pasteurized which destroys most of the nutritional content.
• Humans have a difficult time absorbing the calcium in cow’s milk.

The age which children lose their ability to digest lactose varies. Well over half the world’s population is lactose-intolerant. Some races tend to lose the lactase enzyme earlier in life than others. Human breast milk provides a child with the mother’s antibodies, and those antibodies are very protective when it comes to infectious illnesses. Conversely, cow’s milk or infant formula is devoid of these protective agents. White blood cells called macrophages can be passed from mother to child through breast milk. These macrophages provide useful immune functions while in the child’s intestinal system. Human breast milk also contains a compound called lactoferrin. This agent tends to block the growth of E. Coli in the intestine. For these reasons and others many people choose to breast feed until their child is two years of age.

A great alternative to cow’s milk is milk made from raw nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts or sprouted buckwheat groats. These nut milks taste great and are high in protein, calcium and many other high quality nutrients without the risks associated with consuming casein.

It is easy to make almond milk at home. In a blender add 1 cup of raw almonds to four cups of filtered water. Blend at high speed for one minute. Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag and strain into a bowl. You can use more or less water to make your milk thicker like whole milk or thinner like skim milk. You can also save the pulp for use in other recipes such as making dehydrated flax crackers.