Milk
A Vegan Health Article from All-Creatures.org

These vegan health articles are presented to assist you in taking a pro-active part in your own health.

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[Ed. Note: Also visit Babies and Infants.]

Most of these quotations are from the book ‘Moooove over milk’ (132 pp. published 1997 by ‘Let’s Eat’, Hot Springs, U.S.A.)

BABIES AND INFANTS

"Babies who are fed whole cow’s milk during the second six months of life may experience a 30% increase in intestinal blood loss and a significant loss of iron in their stools." Paediatrics 1992; 89 (6):1105 -1109

"We should strive to use foods . . . . that meet the nutrient needs of the older infant . . . yet avoid toxicity. Cow milk simply does not meet this standard of quality." Journal of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 1993;16 (1):2

"Drinking cow’s milk may weaken immune function in children and lead to problems with recurring infections." Nature 1978; 272 (5654): 632

"About 20% of babies suffer from colic, or abdominal cramping and gas. Milk proteins may be one of the leading causes of this digestive disorder." Lancet 1978; 2 (8087): 437-439, Paediatrics 1991; 87 (4): 439 -444

DIABETES

"A young age at introduction of dairy products and high milk consumption during childhood may increase the child’s risk of developing juvenile diabetes." Diabetologia 1994; 37 (4): 381 -387

"Early cow milk exposure may increase juvenile diabetes risk by about 1½ times." Diabetes Care 1994; 17 (1): 13

"Epedemiologic and serologic data in humans also suggest a relation between cow’s milk and diabetes." New England Journal of Medicine 1992; 327 (5): 302-307

("Cow’s milk protein) may play a fundamental role in the development of . . . IDDM." Diabetes 1996; 45 (2): 178 -182. [IDDM:Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus]

DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS

"An estimated 50 million Americans experience intestinal discomfort after consuming dairy products. Symptoms include bloating, stomach-pain, cramps, gas or diarrhoea." Postgraduate Medicine 1994; 95 (1) 113 -120

CATARACTS

"Adults who consume large quantities of milk, who have high lactase activity, . . . suffer repeated small galactose challenges, accumulation of galacticol in the lens, and a greater likelihood of developing senile cataracts." Digestive Diseases and Sciences 1982; 27 (3) 257 -264

HEART DISEASE

"Milk fat has been identified as a (cholesterol-elevating) fat because it contains cholesterol and is primarily saturated." Journal of Dairy Science 1991; 74 (11): 4002 -4012

"Milk and many components of milk (butterfat, milk protein, calcium from milk, and riboflavin) . . . were positively related to coronary heart disease mortality for all 40 countries studied." Circulation 1993; 88 (6): 2771 -2779

"Two glasses of whole milk contain about the same amount of cholesterol as one 3-ounce beef steak." Lifestyle Capsules p.309

Substituting just 20 grams of soy protein for animal protein daily can "significantly lower serum concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides." James Anderson MD, New England Journal of Medicine 1995; 333 (5): 276 -282 [the volunteers in this study all consumed the same amounts of fat and cholesterol; the reduction in blood cholesterol levels was due to the protective effect of soy.]

OSTEOPOROSIS

"Cultures with the highest milk consumption have the highest osteoporosis rates, a disease rarely found in non-milk-drinking cultures." Dr. Hans Diehl, Dynamic Living p.108.

"Osteoporosis is caused by a number of things, one of the most important things being too much dietary protein!" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1974; (9): 916 -925

"Dietary protein increases production of acid (in the blood) which can be neutralized by calcium mobilized from the skeleton." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1995; 61(4): 909

"Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes are good sources of boron, which helps stop calcium loss in the body. Because milk is low in boron and high in phosphorous and protein, it is not a good osteoporosis-fighting food." Dr. Forest H. Nielsen, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Nutrition Today Jan/Feb 1988; 4 -7

"Excessive protein intake could account for the 1.0% to 1.5% loss in bone mass each year typically seen in post-menopausal women." Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 1982; 99(1): 46 -55

"Sulphur amino acids in animal products seem to be primarily responsible for the increased calcium loss." Calcified Tissue International 1989; 44 (5): 335 -338

"Meat based diets are more acid producing than lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV) diets; and LOV diets are more acid producing than vegan diets." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1985; 85 (7): 841-845

"In Western countries eating more than 75g a day of protein is likely to cause excessive calcium loss." Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Am) 1967; 49 (5): 915 -924

"Soybean milk is an excellent source for increasing bone mineral density and mechanical bone strength . . . the peptides (proteins) in the soybean milk are effective for the acceleration of intestinal calcium absorption." American Institute of Nutrition 1993; Journal of Nutrition, Science and Vitaminology 1994; 40; 201 -211

CANCER

"Nations with the highest dietary fat consumption also have the highest rates of prostate and breast cancer." Advances in Cancer Research 1980; 32:237 -345

"Dietary factors (mainly high fat and animal protein intake) appear to be the most important risk determinants for colon cancer." Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 1986; 6 (1): 24 -54

In a study involving 3,334 cancer patients, frequent whole milk consumption led to "significant risk increases for cancers of the oral cavity, stomach, rectum, lung, and breast." Nutrition and Cancer 1990; 13 (1-2): 89-99

There is much evidence suggesting that compounds present in soya beans can prevent cancer in many different organ systems". Journal of Nutrition 1995; 125 (3 Suppl): 733S -743S)

INFECTIONS

"US government regulations permit pasteurised milk to have up to 750,000 lymphocytes [pus cells], 20,000 bacteria, and 10 coliform organisms per 1/5th. teaspoon – about 8 drops! But at 40 F, the temperature of a good refrigerator, the population of those ‘bugs’ can double every 35-40 hours!" Moooove over Milk

No wonder milk is a major source of human infection. For example as recently as Thursday 29 June 2000 over 5,000 people in Japan became seriously ill after drinking milk contaminated with the Staphylococcus germ, typically found in the pus of boils and abscesses.

"Any time a patient of mine is found to have streptococcal pharingytis or pyoderma, we can establish by history that he has ingested milk protein within five days . . ." Dr. Frank Oski, MD (paediatrician). Don’t Drink Your Milk p.24

ALTERNATIVES

We have not touched on CJD, TB, Listeriosis, Campylobacter, Salmonella, E Coli, Crohn’s Disease, Lactose Intolerance, or Allergies. Fortunately there are many good alternatives to animal milk. Soy milk for example, especially that fortified with vitamin B12 and additional calcium. Plant-based milk is CLEAN and CRUELTY-FREE! It is admittedly more expensive than cow’s milk, but how much do you value your health? If the government subsidies were removed from livestock farming the price would be much more competitive. Turning soy into milk via a machine wastes nothing. Feeding the soy to dairy cows to produce cow’s milk wastes 90% of it. Which should be realistically cheaper? Over nine tenths of the world’s soy production is fed to livestock.

Governments continue to subsidise with taxpayers’ money the production of meat and milk. It is cruel to animals, harmful to human health, and wasteful of land, water and fossil fuels. We should make our voices heard in opposition to this policy.

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All-Creatures.org Health Position and Disclaimer

We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.