|
 •
Not suitable for human consumption
Cow's milk is designed to make calves grow and put on weight
quickly, it is not designed for humans and has the wrong composition
for the human body when compared with human breast milk.
There is no other mammal in the world that drinks the milk
of another species apart from humans. In addition, it is not
natural for a human to drink milk after weaning, about 6 months.
Only tribes that live in cold climates with long winters have
been able to develop the ability to utilize milk fully.
•
Calcium from milk is poorly absorbed
Dairy foods are blocking to the cell, milk, yogurt and cheese,
yet these are the main calcium food sources recommended to
the general public in the UK by the government and the dairy
producers.
Countries which tend to eat the most dairy products appear
to have the highest levels of osteoporosis and breast cancer,
which demonstrates that osteoporosis is not a simple case
of calcium deficiency.
It is not necessary to obtain any of the minerals needed
for bone health from supplements or dairy products. Adequate
amounts of calcium and all other relevant minerals and vitamins
can be obtained from organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds
and grains.
•
Milk is mucus forming
Although milk is classed as an alkaline food, it neutralizes
stomach acid and adversely affects protein digestion, producing
high levels of mucous in the bowel. This can severely affect
absorption of nutrients from the diet and also increase levels
of bad bacteria.
Many people with skin rashes, ear problems, asthma and sinus
congestion would benefit from removing milk and dairy products
from their diet, thus reducing the mucous levels in the body.
•
Pasteurisation alters the composition of milk
Pasteurisation was named after Louis Pasteur who believed
that destroying naturally occurring bacteria in the human
body would result in good health, and subsequently this theory
was applied to milk in the belief that it would stop people
getting tuberculosis from it.
Raw milk is a live food, but once it is pasteurised any goodness
it may have contained is destroyed. Live yoghurt is generally
made with pasteurised milk, therefore all the good bacteria
is destroyed first and then added back in again. Another drawback
of pasteurisation is it makes the protein more difficult to
digest.
•
Lactose intolerance
Lactose is a sugar found naturally in milk. It is important
to distinguish between lactose intolerance and milk allergy,
because milk allergy can cause severe reactions.
Lactose intolerance is caused by a shortage of the enzyme
lactase, which is needed to break down lactose so it can be
absorbed into the bloodstream. When someone does not have
enough of this enzyme, lactose isn't absorbed properly from
the gut, which can cause symptoms such as bloating and diarrhoea.
Lactose intolerance can be caused by a number of things.
In humans, the body produces less lactase after the age of
two. However, in white western europeans, lactase can be produced
into adult life, which allows lactose to be broken down properly.
Because of this, lactose intolerance is more common in certain
ethnic and racial populations than in others. In the UK, about
8% of the general population have lactose intolerance. In
communities where milk is not traditionally part of the typical
adult diet, a much bigger proportion of people are affected.
For example, up to 75% of the black african community and
more than 90% of the asian community are intolerant to lactose.
Digestive diseases, or injuries to the small intestine can
sometimes cause lactose intolerance, because it reduces the
amount of lactase produced. In rare cases, the condition can
be inherited.
Milk from mammals including cows, goats, sheep and humans
contain lactose. This means that goats' milk and sheep milk
aren't suitable alternatives to cows' milk for people who
are intolerant to lactose.
There is no medical treatment for lactose intolerance, but
symptoms can be avoided by controlling the amount of lactose
in the diet. Adults with lactose intolerance can often have
a small amount of milk without getting any symptoms. Alternatively,
lactose splitting agents can be taken. These enzymes efficiently
convert lactose into the nutritionally acceptable sugars glucose
and galactose.
|
