In my practice as a San Diego chiropractor, I take the overall health of my patients very seriously. Keeping them informed of health hazards is one of the ways I can guide them toward more optimal health. One of the health hazards that ranks high on that list is milk found in the dairy section of the grocery store. Website design By BotEap.comDrinking milk and consuming large amounts of dairy products is almost a national pastime for most Americans. After all, what’s more American than an ice cream cone? Or a cheeseburger. Or a grilled cheese sandwich. And of course we are all familiar with the famous “Got milk?” advertisements Website design By BotEap.comThere’s a Need?
For decades, we’ve been inundated with advertisements from the American Dairy Association in an attempt to drive home the point that “we never outgrow our need for milk.” When, in fact, there was never a “need” in the first place. Website design By BotEap.comAs with most areas related to our diet, the bottom line is not health or nutrition, but money, plain and simple. In the past, their main focus was on dairy products to provide the calcium needed to build strong bones. More recently, their ad campaigns are more focused on weight loss, if you can believe it. Losing weight by consuming dairy products is a pipe dream. Yet the National Dairy Council has spent more than $200 million promoting that concept since 2003. Website design By BotEap.comThe entire American dairy industry, which includes cultured produce, cheese, ice cream, and frozen desserts, is worth $70 billion a year. Add to that the fact that subsidies for our dairy farmers are estimated at nearly $15 billion or the equivalent of more than 40% of production costs. You don’t have to be very smart to see that money is the determining factor in convincing the public that dairy products are safe and good for you. The truth is that dairy products are not safe or good for you. Website design By BotEap.comWhat’s in there?
Most cow’s milk has measurable amounts of herbicides, pesticides, dioxins (up to 200 times safe levels), up to 52 powerful antibiotics, blood, pus, feces, bacteria, and viruses. Because the determining factor here is money, various hormones are administered to dairy cows to increase their production. Website design By BotEap.comThe hormone rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin) is injected into approximately 20% of US dairy cows to increase milk production. Due to lack of space in this article, it is impossible to cover all the problems in this practice. Suffice it to say that rBST milk is supercharged with high levels of natural growth factor (IGF-1), which is easily absorbed through the gut. Excessive levels of IGF-1 have been cited in well-documented scientific publications as causes of breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Furthermore, IGF-1 blocks natural defense mechanisms against early submicroscopic cancers. Website design By BotEap.comThis means that rBST milk not only opens the door to possible cancer, it actually prevents the body’s defense system from preventing early cancerous growths. It’s a nightmare in the making. T Colin Campbell, Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, said “cow’s milk protein may be the most significant chemical carcinogen to which humans are exposed.” Now add to this the list of other diseases that can be traced back to high dairy consumption, such as heart disease, diabetes, and anemia. Website design By BotEap.comBut what about the claim that dairy products meet the body’s calcium needs? This is flawed reasoning due to the fact that calcium must be combined with equal amounts of magnesium in order to be absorbed. The problem is that most Americans have a low intake of magnesium. This means that even if dairy products were beneficial in providing calcium, without magnesium the body would absorb very little. However, that same body has no problem absorbing all the harmful ingredients that come with a tall glass of cold milk. Website design By BotEap.comAlternatives
What are the alternatives to dairy? As with any diet change, my advice is to always take it slow. Never try to eliminate all dairy products from your life in one go. and always try replace instead of removing them completely. Website design By BotEap.comIn Europe, people trying to improve their health are turning to soy milk in record numbers. This trend is taking hold in the US as well. Other alternatives include oat milk, rice milk, pea milk, nut milk, quinoa milk, and even hemp milk. In any health food store you will also find a wide variety of ice cream alternatives and frozen desserts made with soy and rice. Choosing organic cow’s milk is another alternative to consider. Website design By BotEap.comHealth or disease: it’s a choice
While some may complain that these alternatives are too expensive, my only comment is, “Have you considered the price of the disease?” No matter how chemotherapy is administered, it is exorbitantly priced. What about heart surgery? Or blood pressure medicine? Or any recipe for that matter. Medical bills have been known to bankrupt many families. Website design By BotEap.comCompared to illness, the price of wellness is a bargain. Especially when you take into account the stress, lost productivity, and compromised quality of life that comes with the disease. Website design By BotEap.comI encourage all my patients to invest in good health. And eliminating most or all dairy products from your diet is a great way to start.