Did you know that in Medieval England parents would tie rabbits’ feet
around their babies’ necks to ward off illness? Doctors would also spit
on wounds because saliva was believed to have healing properties.
Indeed, history is replete with unfounded health beliefs, and to
everyone’s detriment, the milk myth is among the most tenacious.
Milk is much more than just a drink; it’s a cultural phenomenon that
can be traced back thousands of years. And still today, the milk myth
resonates loud and clear: in 2001, the average American child consumed
104 quarts of cow’s milk.
Milk depletes the calcium from your bones
The milk myth has spread around the world based on the flawed belief
that this protein and calcium-rich drink is essential to support good
overall health and bone health in particular at any age. It is easy to
understand that the confusion about milk’s imaginary benefits stems from
the fact that it contains calcium – around 300 mg per cup.
But many scientific studies have shown an assortment of detrimental
health effects directly linked to milk consumption. And the most
surprising link is that not only do we barely absorb the calcium in
cow’s milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it
actually increases calcium loss from the bones. What an irony this is!
Here’s how it happens. Like all animal protein, milk acidifies the
body pH which in turn triggers a biological correction. You see, calcium
is an excellent acid neutralizer and the biggest storage of calcium in
the body is – you guessed it… in the bones. So the very same calcium
that our bones need to stay strong is utilized to neutralize the
acidifying effect of milk. Once calcium is pulled out of the bones, it
leaves the body via the urine, so that the surprising net result after
this is an actual calcium deficit.
Knowing this, you’ll understand why statistics show that countries
with the lowest consumption of dairy products also have the lowest
fracture incidence in their population (there’s more on this later).
But the sad truth is that most mainstream health practitioners ignore
these proven facts. I know it firsthand because when I was diagnosed
with osteoporosis, my doctor recommended that I drink lots of milk in
addition to taking Fosamax.
Fortunately, I did neither, because I knew that…
Cow’s milk is custom-designed for calves
Thanks to our creative ingenuity and perhaps related to our ancient
survival needs, we adopted the dubious habit of drinking another
species’ milk. Nobody can dispute that cow’s milk is an excellent food
source for calves. Weighing around 100 pounds at birth, a calf typically
gains approximately eight times its weight by the time it is weaned.
But unlike humans, once calves are weaned, they never drink milk again.
And the same applies to every mammalian species on this planet.
Also, each mammalian species has its own “designer” milk, and cow’s
milk is no exception. For example, cow’s milk contains on average three
times the amount of protein than human milk which creates metabolic
disturbances in humans that have detrimental bone health consequences.
It’s important to bear in mind that mother’s milk is excellent
nourishment for human babies, but its composition is very different from
cow’s milk.
Scientific studies show that milk increases fracture risk
Many scientific studies contradict the conventional wisdom that milk
and dairy consumption help reduce osteoporotic fractures. Surprisingly,
studies demonstrating that milk and dairy products actually fail to
protect bones from fractures outnumber studies that prove otherwise.
Even drinking milk from a young age does not protect against future
fracture risk but actually increases it. Shattering the “savings
account” calcium theory, Cumming and Klineberg report their study
findings as follows:
“Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age 20 years, was
associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in old age.
(“Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Hip Fractures in the Elderly”.
American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 139, No. 5, 1994).
And the 12 year long Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that those
who consumed the most calcium from dairy foods broke more bones than
those who rarely drank milk. This is a broad study based on 77,761 women
aged 34 through 59 years of age.
In the authors’ own words:
“These data do not support the hypothesis that higher consumption of
milk or other food sources of calcium by adult women protects against
hip or forearm fractures.” (Source: Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer
MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a
12-year prospective study. American Journal of Public Health. 1997).
Shocking statistics ignored by mainstream medicine
In the
Save Our Bones Program
one of the topics I discuss is the complete disregard of scientific
evidence that discredits milk and dairy products as the best source of
calcium.
One exception is Amy Lanou Ph.D., nutrition director for the
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., who
states that:
“The countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis are the ones where
people drink the most milk and have the most calcium in their diets.
The connection between calcium consumption and bone health is actually
very weak, and the connection between dairy consumption and bone health
is almost nonexistent.”
Surprised? You shouldn’t be, because as I mentioned earlier in this article…
Milk is an acidifying animal protein
Like any other animal derived protein-rich food, milk has a positive
potential renal acid load (PRAL) which triggers a protective biological
reaction to neutralize all the damaging acidic protein before it reaches
the kidneys.
The body is designed for survival, so it sacrifices bone density to
protect the kidneys and urinary tract because the latter are essential
to survival. And the most readily available source of acid neutralizer
is in the bones. So even though milk contains calcium, it ends up
sapping your bones of that crucial mineral. But that’s not all because…
Today’s milk is a processed food
Until the end of the 19th century in Europe and the beginning of the
20th century in the US, milk was consumed unpasteurized or raw. Later
on, homogenization became the industry’s standard. These processes
further alter milk’s chemistry and actually increase its detrimental
acidifying effects.
Raw milk advocates claim that if cow’s milk is left “as is” it is a
healthy and wholesome drink. It is true that raw milk is less acidifying
than processed milk and that pasteurization and homogenization may
cause a long list of digestive and other health problems, but I still
don’t recommend drinking any kind of cow’s milk.
Nowadays, milking cows are given antibiotics and most are also
injected with a genetically engineered form of bovine growth hormone
(rBGH). A man-made or synthetic hormone used to artificially increase
milk production, rBGH also increases blood levels of the insulin-growth
factor 1 (IGF-1) in those who drink it. And higher levels of IGF-1 are
linked to several cancers.
This should not be ignored, especially in view of recent information
by Samuel Epstein, MD, Professor of Environmental Medicine at the
University of Illinois School of Public Health, and Chairman of the
Cancer Prevention Coalition. In an article titled “Monsanto’s Hormonal
Milk Poses Serious Risks of Breast Cancer, Besides Other Cancers”
(http://www.preventcancer.com/press/releases/july8_98.htm, June 21,
1998) Dr. Epstein concludes that:
“Drinking rBGH milk would thus be expected to significantly increase
IGF-1 blood levels and consequently to increase risks of developing
breast cancer and promoting its invasiveness.”
Even though organic milk is from cows that are not given antibiotics
or rBHG, if you truly care about your bone health and your overall
health, you should…
Avoid drinking cow’s milk
As I explain in the
Save Our Bones Program
and contrary to mainstream recommendations, drinking milk and eating
lots of dairy products are not the answer to reversing osteoporosis. And
while in the Save Our Bones Program no food is completely off limits, I
strongly recommend that you explore the different milk substitute
options that I will list for you here.
But first, I’d like to clarify that unsweetened fermented or cultured
dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, and sour cream are acid neutral.
Yogurt in particular is chock-full of beneficial qualities. As is the
case with milk, organic yogurt does not have rBGH, but even several of
the most well-known yogurt brands have stopped using the bovine growth
hormone (rBGH). You should call your favorite yogurt company to
confirm. One more clarification: when I say unsweetened I mean without
sugar or any artificial sweetener. However, you can add honey or stevia,
a zero calorie plant-derived sweetener that is delicious and alkalizing
as well. I like to carry around stevia packets in my purse so that I’m
always able to sweeten food or drinks when I’m on the go.
The best milk substitutes
My favorite milk substitute is unsweetened almond milk, not only
because it is alkalizing (as almonds are), but also because it’s
delicious and tastes very similar to milk. I even cook with it!
If almond milk is hard to get, you can also try rice or soy milk. I
strongly suggest consuming only organic soy milk to insure it’s not made
with genetically modified soy. There is also some controversy about
unfermented soy products, so try to use it in moderation.
What Else Haven’t They Told You?
What else have you been told about bone health by your doctor or
other “experts” that is flat out wrong? What other “facts” (like
drinking milk does a body good) are keeping you from optimal health?
Myths like these are a big reason I created the
Save Our Bones Program. To give you the straight scoop on how to deal with osteoporosis the natural way.
I can help you take control of your future.
Learn more about the Save Our Bones Program here →
And remember, if you ever hear someone ask “Got milk?” smile and think to yourself “No, because I know better!”
And as always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share them with me and the rest of our community by leaving a comment below.
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