Milk Is A Business, Not A Necessity

Humans are the only mammals who continue to drink milk after weaning. Why is this?

Do you think it has anything to do with the $165.7 million dollars spent on marketing? And this marketing figure was back in 2003. Milk is a multi-billion dollar industry. This industry has ingeniously made the majority of Americans think they need something they do not. You do not need to drink cows milk. Milk is a business, not a necessity. Please don't gasp at my statement until you learn more.

I know it is hard to go against the grind sometimes. But I always remember a couple of women who fought against those old Lysol ads of the 1920s that told women to use their product as a douche and contraceptive. I am sure the first few women who came out and said, "I don't think this is right," were disregarded. As a fact I know they were. Women died from doing this. Sickening, isn't it? But so true; look it up. But I digress...

The milk industry has done a great job of scaring people into thinking they need milk. However, you don't need to drink milk after being weaned. Ideally you don't need cows milk at all if all moms could breastfeed. But, I know that can't always happen (Salma Hayek can't be all places at once - inject laughter here).

I will agree to the fact that you do need calcium but you can get it from more natural sources than drinking milk. You can get your calcium from: collard greens, black-eyed pees, baked beans, kale, Chinese cabbage, oranges and almonds. Don't limit yourself to thinking you need milk for calcium. You can find it in many different, safer, foods.

Are you wondering why I just said, "safer?" Pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and antibiotics are contaminants found in milk. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has a great site that will give you a lot of information regarding the concerns over milk. I suggest you check them out if you are open to it.

I am sure I am most likely coming across as some sort of "hippie" mom but that can't be further from the truth. I have just decided to open my eyes up to what my children consume. All three have had semi-serious to life-threatening issues with their health. Since I took dairy out, I have seen life altering changes. I have seen such improvements that I can say all three are very healthy today. The majority of these changes can be contributed to their diet change alone.

Although your pediatrician will tell you kids need to drink 2 to 3 glasses of milk a day they are not warning you that milk is an allergy-triggering food. Milk is linked to childhood recurrent ear infections, constipation, sinus congestion, asthma, acne and insulin-dependent diabetes. Evidence also shows that dairy product consumption contributes to obesity, heart disease and some cancers (such as ovarian and prostate cancer).

Are you sold on the fact that you need milk to grow strong bones? If yes, then the milk industry has done a good job in marketing. A major study revealed that the amount of calcium girls consume during their teen years have no impact on bone strength. Exercise, however, had a huge positive effect. For strong bones, kids need weight-bearing activity, sunlight, and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. (Source: "Lifestyle factors and the development of bone mass and bone strength in young women." J. Pediatr. 2004 Jun;144(6):776-82)

Do you buy it when the dairy industry says drinking milk will prevent osteoporosis? Not true. Actually, the high amount of protein in milk drains calcium from the body. Population studies, backed up by a 12-year Harvard study of 77,761 women, suggest that drinking more milk can actually cause osteoporosis.

Mark Hegsted, retired Harvard professor of nutrition, believes we get too much calcium. In an article in the Journal of Nutrition he writes, "Hip fractures are more frequent in populations where dairy products are commonly consumed and calcium intakes are relatively high." High calcium intake causes the body to decrease the amount of calcium absorbed while excreting the excess. That is why people with low calcium consumption manage to form healthy skeletons while high dairy consumers end up with extensive bone loss. Basically, if you are overloading your body with calcium, it will dump more than it should.

If I have said enough for you to do some research, here is a link to a Parent's Guide in helping promote strong bones in children - dairy free. This will also apply to us, adults.

Your "Hippie" Mom,

Alicia