DO WE REALLY NEED DAIRY ?
Dairy is one of the most inflammatory foods in our modern diet, second only to non-organic, GMO grains. Consuming dairy can result in digestive issues such as bloating and wind, skin issues such as acne, rosacea and psoriasis, and excess mucus production in our bodies, particularly in the respiratory tract.
So what is it in Dairy that causes such reactions? Why is dairy on the list of the top eight most common allergenic foods?
Lactose - which is one of the sugars found in milk. People who are lactose intolerant do not produce the enzyme lactase which breaks down the lactose. This can lead to the digestive issues mentioned above. It is estimated that 70% of the world’s population does not produce this enzyme.
Casein - people can have the lactase enzyme but still react badly when they consume milk. This could be because of the protein casein, which has a very similar molecular structure to gluten. Fifty percent of the people who are gluten intolerant are usually casein intolerant as well.
Hormones and Antibiotics - most of the cows used in dairy farming are in a state of pregnancy and naturally producing Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH). This stimulates insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
Conventional dairy farmers will also give these cows a synthetic version of this, known as rBGH to stimulate milk production. This results in even further increases in IGF-1 in the milk supply. As well as inflammation in the body, higher levels of IGF-1 have been linked to an increased risk of some cancers. One of the most important things an oncologist will tell a woman with breast cancer is to cut milk out from her diet. One of the side effects of this forced increase in milk production is an udder infection in cows called mastitis. This is treated with regular antibiotics which then also find their way into your dairy products. The IGF-1 can also affect our body’s levels of insulin, therefore impacting anyone who is trying to control blood sugar levels. Dairy can also cause oestrogen and progesterone imbalances in the body due to its content in cows milk. This hormone imbalance can cause mood swings as well as skin breakouts, rashes, psoriasis and other dermatological problems. After stopping dairy in your diet it can still take up to three months to totally eliminate all these extra hormones from our bodies so they can start to repair.
Traces of pesticides have also been found in dairy products, which, as discussed in an earlier newsletter of mine, totally upsets our immune systems, giving rise to many of today’s common autoimmune diseases.
So, do we really need dairy in our diets? For so long we have been told that if we want to grow up strong then we need to drink milk. We have been told that the calcium in milk strengthens our bones and helps to protect against degenerative illnesses such as osteoporosis. But in fact many studies are now showing the opposite. The problem is that milk is acid forming, and our bodies like to be in a ph neutral state. To rebalance this acidity, calcium and other alkaline minerals such as potassium and magnesium are pulled from our body’s reserves. This can actually weaken bones, leaving us susceptible to fractures and breaks. Research done at the Uppsala University in Sweden, and published by the British Medical Journal in 2014, showed that high dairy consumption was associated with higher mortality and bone fractures in women, and higher mortality in men.
All of the good nutrients in milk, such as the fats and calcium, are abundantly available without the need to consume dairy. Great sources of essential fatty acids are avocados, coconuts, and nuts and seeds. Nuts and nut milks such as Almond are packed with calcium. Other great sources of calcium are green leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli and spinach, which are also supplying other essential vitamins, minerals and micronutrients at the same time.
As humans, we usually stop drinking our mother’s milk within a couple years of birth, as is the case with most mammals. We humans are the only mammals that continue to purposely drink the milk of other animals. We do not need to do this. If we can stop, we will end the cruelty of the mass producing dairy farming industry, and we will also find ourselves better both physically and emotionally.