Cow’s Milk – But It Looks So Innocent…

“Milk’s good for your bones and teeth and it’s an excellent source of protein.”

Oh really? Just in case you need any additional information in deciding whether these sort of claims are valid, read on…

From Newborns to Centenarians

The majority of paediatricians, doctors, and nutritionists do not recommend unmodified cow’s milk to infants before age one. And many are extending that to at least age two of the child.

Increasingly, if a mother can’t breastfeed, she is being advised to use a formula. But in the opinion of one expert in this field, Dr Amy Lanou, the best formulas are built from plant foods rather than cow’s milk.

And it’s not just babies that are at risk from drinking cow’s milk. The following is a quick rundown of why none of us – whether we’re one day old or 100 years old – should really bother with baby calf growth fluid:

  • Cow’s milk is much higher in protein than a human mother’s milk – this is not a good thing, unless you are a 60 kg baby cow!
  • Some of these milk proteins have been shown to stimulate infant autoimmune reactions that can trigger Type 1 Diabetes in very small children.
  • With almost three quarters of the world’s humans being lactose intolerant, it’s no surprise to see evidence that milk consumption causes ear and respiratory infections in children. Lactose intolerance is caused by the body being deficient or lacking in lactase, the intestinal enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose, the sugar mostly found in cow’s milk.
  • Milk is associated with acne in teenagers. It appears to be no coincidence, therefore, that in westernised countries where cow’s milk consumption is so high, around 85% of teenagers suffer from this condition.
  • Constipation is an increasingly big problem (no pun intended) for children and adults alike. A 2013 study eliminated dairy from the diets of children with chronic constipation and 100% of them were cured.
  • The research data does not support claims from the milk industry that the calcium in cow’s milk improves bone health in children or adults. In fact, some research indicates quite the opposite – cow’s milk appears to cause osteoporosis.
  • Cow’s milk is very high in saturated fat because it’s a nutritional package designed for the growth of a cow. In fact, between 30% and 80% of the caloric value comes from fat – and mostly of the saturated sort.
  • Looking for one of the reasons for the increase in childhood obesity? Look no further than the top of that cheesy pizza or that harmless-looking bottle of chocolate milk.
  • The female cow puts IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) into her milk to boost the growth of her babies. All female mammals do this, including human mothers. But if we continue to consume IGF-1 past weaning (four years old at the latest for humans), then those extra growth factors can become problematic. The IGF-1 in cow’s milk increases our body’s own production of IGF-1. If you have an adult body with “non-self” cells or cells that have been damaged by a carcinogenic substance, these kinds of extra growth promoters will potentiate or push such cells into the cancer promotion phase.
  • And it’s not just the IGF-1 in cow’s milk that can lead to cancer development – the protein in milk, casein, has been shown to be involved in each of the three stages of cancer development.
  • And casein in milk products is also known to be addictive. Easy to appreciate this when you see how many people’s faces turn ashen when you inform them that a WFPB diet means NO MORE CHEESE.

Just A Spoonful of…What?!

And these are not the only problems with cow’s milk – what about the average 1.1 million somatic cells (better known as pus cells) that can found in just one spoonful of the white stuff?

 

Why Choose Plant Foods Instead?

Plant foods can provide not only everything that is claimed to come from cow’s milk, but much more besides – including calcium, vitamin C, fibre, protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and many other minerals and nutrients.

When You Know The Facts

When so much evidence exists for the harmful effects of young cow growth fluid (or just good-old “milk”, as it has come to be known), which informed parent would think of actually drinking it themselves….let alone feeding it to their children?


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