Need Milk?

by D.M. Murdock

Most of us are familiar with the Dairy Industry's "Got Milk?" campaign. Many people are unaware that there has been an ongoing debate concering the inclusion of milk in the human diet. While the dairy industry is in favor of everyone consuming as much milk as is possible, naysayers point to milk as the cause of practically every illness. What is the truth to this matter? Somewhere in the middle, which is appropriate for a health and longevity rule of thumb: "Everything in moderation."

The milk produced by the modern factory farm is generally not a healthful product. Organic milk generally is healthful, and raw organic dairy products are considered health foods. Factory farm milk more frequently than not contains large amounts of pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones, among other substances not found in organic milk. The pesticide residues come from the non-organic feed that cattle eat, while the antibiotics come not only from the cows themselves, who are sick because of factory farm conditions, but also are placed directly into the milk in order to make it consumable. The growth hormones are given to the cows in order to increase their milk production. The effects of long-term consumption of these hormones by humans is not well known, but educated guesses can only conclude that such consumption is harmful. The antiobiotics - which become concentrated in cheese - are known to kill off beneficial bacteria in the gut, with the result of creating disease, as well as antibiotic-resistant "superbacteria." In early 2006, a Canadian study found that most microbes in nature are already resistant to antibiotics.1

Raw dairy proponents claim that pasteurized milk has lost much of its nutritional benefits and that raw dairy is not "dangerous" so long as it comes from certified healthy herds. It is pointed out that people the world over have been consuming raw dairy for thousands of years, especially goat milk, with often extraordinary health that significantly decreases where pasteurization is introduced. Pasteurization advocates claim that harmful bacteria in milk are deadly and that pasteurization saves lives.

Homogenization is the process whereby the fat molecules in the cream are incorporated into the milk. It is claimed that homogenization contributes to many illness, included clogged arteries. Homogenization may not be so deadly but it is apparently unnecessary. One Longevity Rule of Thumb is that in many instances the less processing of foodstuffs, the better. In other instances, raw products can be poisonous. Common sense and wisdom of the ages is necessary in evaluating a potential food product.

There are those health advocates who fervently oppose the consumption of any milk product, whether raw or pasteurized, organic or non-organic. Such individuals claim that milk is only for babies and that cow's milk is for baby cows. Some are even opposed to the timeless goat milk. It would seem that such a stance is unreasonable and unnecessary for the production of health and the increase of longevity. In fact, many cultures around the world have pointed to their consumption of dairy products, including yogurt, as a factor in their long lifespans. The consumption of dairy products dates back many thousands of years, and it can be truthfully stated that organic milk is a wholesome food. Milk is the most reliable source of calcium, for example. While vegan advocates claim that calcium can be acquired from other sources, it would require many cups of broccoli to equal the calcium found in one cup of milk. Whole or skim milk?

It would appear that, despite the fat-phobic attitude in the mainstream press and among mainstream healthcare practitioners, whole milk is superior in nutritional value. Skim milk may in fact not be particularly good for you. The removal of the fat greatly decreases the absorption of the added vitamin D, for example. Raw whole-fat dairy products contain significant amounts of conjugated linoleic acid or CLA, which is an essential fatty acid that has been found to be deficient in the average American diet. All suggestions for milk consumption here, therefore, are for the organic whole raw milk, free of hormones and antibiotics, unpasteurized and unhomogenized.

Whey to go

Another good reason to drink (organic) milk is because of its whey, or the watery part separated from the curds in the cheese-making process. Whey concentrates or protein powders have been found to be beneficial for a number of ailments, relatively inexpensively, since whey is considered a "waste byproduct" of milk. Throughout history, whey has been considered a health tonic. Whey contains the amino acid and longevity chemical glutathione. Because of its high protein concentration, whey has been used for years by bodybuilders and weightlifters, with an evident capacity to increase muscle mass. The "biological value" or BV of whey, in fact, turns out to be higher than that of the whole egg or milk. Whey may be beneficial for the following conditions, ailments and injuries:

• appetite control
• arthritis
• bladder cancer
• bone fractures
• breast cancer
• cholestrol problems
• colitis
• colon cancer
• Crohn's disease
• depression
• diabetes
• eczema
• enteritis
• esophageal concer
• flu
• fibromyalgia
• heart/cardiovascular disease
• HIV/AIDS
• hives
• hyperacidity
• irritable bowel syndrome
• leaky gut syndrome
• liver cancer
• lung cancer
• lymphoma
• malnourishment
• mood disorders
• neuritis
• obesity/overweight
• osteoporosis
• ovarian cancer
• poor muscle tone
• prostate cancer
• sleep disorders
• stress
• stroke
• surgery
• thymus gland irregularities
• ulcers
• wounds

Whey is a much better choice than soy for the purposes of protein-enhancement, and, likely, in infant formulas. Soy infant formulas, in fact, can be dangerous, as not only do they contain poor-quality protein that needs supplementation but one bottle is equivalent to the estrogen content found in five birth-control pills. Some of the beneficial ingredients in whey are:

• ACE inhibitors (angiotensin converting enzyme)
• alpha-lactalbumin
• calcium
• conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
• glycomacropeptides
• glutathione
• growth factors (IGF-1, IGF-2)
• immunoglobulins (IgG1, IgG2, IgA, IgM)
• lactoferrin
• lactoferricin
• prebiotic factors
• sphingomyelin

Several of these ingredients possess potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. These substances are also found in a high concentration in colostrum, which is the first milk substance after birth. Moreover, whey appears to be helpful in the production of the important brain chemical serotonin, which helps regulate sleep and mood. Whey also contains precursors of cholecystokinin or CCK, which has been known for several years to assist in weight control.

Goat milk!

One of the better whey products is Capra Mineral Whey from goat's milk, providing a concentrated but digestible source of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and many other beneficial substances. Another good concentrated milk protein is Garden of Life's Goatein, made from the milk of organically raised goats and containing 14 strains of homeostatic soil organisms/probiotics as well. Goat-milk products have a very low incidence of lactose reaction; in other words, they are usually safe for consumption by individuals who are lactose intolerant. Lactose-intolerant individuals can reap the benefits of milk consumption by taking probiotics and supplementing with the enzyme lactase. Goat milk is much easier to digest, requiring only 20 minutes compared to the two or three hours needed for the digestion of cow's milk. Because its fat molecules are one-fifth as large as those of cow's milk, goat milk is easier on the liver, which is responsible for processing fats. Possessing greater quantities of certain vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium and vitamin A, goat's milk is also nutritionally more like mother's milk than is cow's milk. Hence, goat milk is more suitable for consumption by human beings, especially young children, who may have allergic reactions and sensitivities to cow's milk. Nor is goat milk mucus-forming or acid-forming, as is cow's milk. Although some goat-milk products have an unpleasant "goaty" taste, raw goat milk from a healthy animal fed sweet grass tastes just like "real" milk. Raw goat cheese and butter are also excellent health foods.

Butter for you

Despite its bad rap over the past few decades, the fact is that butter from healthy cows and goats is very good for human health. The best butter is raw and organic, which is still difficult to find, unfortunately. It is also rather pricey; however, radiant health is in the end highly cost effective, in that it prevents not only extreme medical bills but also painful heartache. One of the major reasons for drinking whole milk, with its butterfat, and for consuming butter is because of the fat-soluble vitamin D. A vitamin-D deficiency wreaks havoc in the human body, responsible in large part not only for tooth decay but also arthritist, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, rickets and other bone degeneration. A little known fact is that a vitamin-D deficiency can also cause the increase of bad cholestrol and may play a role in various cancers, such as breast and colon. Although some people produce enough vitamin D from sun exposure, most do not, for a variety of reasons, including the use of sunscreen and protective hats and clothing, as well as the increased haze and pollution in cities, cloudy weather and the lack of sun in the winter. Unfortunately, vitamin D is found in only a few food sources, including sardines, cod liver oil, egg yolks, organ meats, enriched milk and butter from grass-few animals. Butter also contains numerous other healthful substances, including conjugated linoleic acid or CLA, a fatty acid that in reality helps the body convert fats into energy, reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass. Other nutrients include a catalyst named "Activator X" or "X factor," discovered by dentist and lay anthropologist Dr. Weston Price, and the "Wulzen factor," a compound responsible for preventing arthritis and other ailments brought on by age-related stiffening, including the calcification of the pineal gland and cataracts. Butter also contains other fat-soluble vitamins such as A and E, as well as trace minerals, lecithin, butyric, lauric, myristic and stearic acids, all of which have known health properties. Because good-quality butter is often not readily available - especially in its raw, organic form - Dr. David Williams recommends the use of butter oil, in specific a brand called X-Factor Gold butter by Green Pastures. Williams avers that butter oil is benefical not only in the development of good teeth and bones in children and adults, but also in treating "growth difficulties" in children. Vitamin D and calcium deficiencies - which go hand in hand - can be seen in the shape of a child's head: An elongated or "banana-shaped" head is a sign of deficiency in these nutrients, as is a receding chin, bulging forehead or crowded and crooked teeth. Even slight abnormalities in facial structure are indicative of deficiencies in vitamin D, calcium and other bone-growth nutrients. Bowed legs, of course, are well known to be signs of rickets, although many parents today are told that such a deformity is "normal" in children as they learn to walk. Healthy children, however, do not have extremely bowed legs.

Many if not most of the healthful and protective capabilities of milk, whey and butter come from the chemicals created by animals who have been fed grass. Grass-fed cows live in their natural state, relatively devoid of disease, whereas cows fed other feeds, such as grain or, pathologically, meat byproducts, do not produce abundant quantities of these beneficial substances.

Frozen raw, organic dairy products can be purchased through Organic Pastures in California, including milk, cream, whey, butter, colostrum and more. In compliance with federal law, these products must be marked for pet consumption. This raw-milk industry, and this company in particular, have been under assault from the federal government trying to force all dairy products to be pasteurized.

Sources:

Williams, Dr. David, Alternatives: The Good Health Part of Milk, vol. 10, no. 22, April 2005
Williams, Dr. David, Alternatives: A Butter Way to Total Health, vol. 10, no. 19, January 2005
Gilbere, Gloria, Health Matters - "Past, Present, and Future, Naturally!," Healthy Living, vol. 9, no. 3