Wednesday, March 11, 2009
We’ve all been told to drink our milk. After all, it builds strong
bones and keeps us healthy right? Well there is increasing evidence of
the negative health implications of dairy. It seems the dairy industry
may not be telling us the whole truth all these years. Below are 6
truths about dairy
1. Dairy products have long been associated with
calcium consumption in order to build healthy bones and reduce risk of
osteoporosis. However, clinical research shows otherwise. There
are more bone fractures in countrys that consume milk products (US,
Canada, Great Britian) then those that don’t (Asia, Africa).
The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which followed more than 75,000 women
for 12 years, showed no protective effect of increased milk consumption
on fracture risk. In fact, increased intake of calcium from dairy
products was associated with a higher fracture risk. An Australian
study showed the same results. Additionally, other studies have found
no protective effect of dairy calcium on bone.
Research shows that vitamin D (from the sun) and magnesium help the
absorption of calcium. While some dietary factors are actually harmful
to calcium absorption such as excess protein, excess sodium, caffeine,
highly acidic foods and nightshade vegetables (tomotoes, potatoes,
peppers and eggplant)
2. Milk is not the only source of calcium. There
are various other foods that provide the body with calcium such as
kale, swiss chard, sesame seeds, tempeh and
soybeans. Pasteurization has also been shown to kill off calcium in
milk.
3. Dairy causes inflammation in the body. Because of this, it has been linked with acne by at least three large-scale studies reported in the American Journal of Dermatology. Research shows that there is up to 44% more chance of developing acne in those who drink milk.
4. Dairy may cause and contribute to the growth of cancer. Dairy is acidic and cancer thrives in an acidic environment. More then that however, The China Study showed
that rats were given aflatoxin, a possible carcinogen. Those rats that
had a diet of 20% casein (a milk protein) developed carcinogenic tumors
100% of the time, while those served 5% casein had no sign of cancer.
Meanwhile, switching the rats from a 20% casein diet to a plant-based
diet resulted in a decrease in tumor growth. Switching back to the
casein diet brought renewed tumor growth.
5. Those that eliminate dairy from their report a huge increase in energy, reduction in allergy symptoms and cramping.
6. Approximately 75 percent of the world’s population is lactose intolerant,
which means that they are unable to fully digest dairy. Lactase is the
enzyme needed to digest lactose, and most people stop producing it
around the age of 5.
Every body is different, so with just a little experimentation and
observation, you can probably figure out what’s best for your body type
in terms of dairy. You may want to try removing all dairy
products-including mik, cheese, butter and yogurt- from your diet for
up to 3 weeks. At the end of this time period take note of any change
in your body. Have any symptoms such as bloating, headaches, post-nasal
drip, skin breakouts, cramps, mucus, allergies or fatigue diminished?
Introduce dairy again-did any symptoms reappear? If you do well with
dairy, stick to high-quality, organic products, since these tend to be
less processed.
So several people may be wondering if I am not consuming dairy, where
will I get my calcium from? Here is a great resource list to see the
Calcium Content of Selected Non Dairy Foods:
Food Amount Calcium (mg)
Sesame Seeds 1/4 cup 351
Blackstrap molasses 2 Tbsp 400
Collard greens, 1 cup 357
Tofu, processed with
calcium sulfate* 4 ounces 200-330
Calcium-fortified orange juice 8 ounces 300
Soy or ricemilk, commercial,
calcium-fortified, plain 8 ounces 200-300
Commercial soy yogurt, plain 6 ounces 80-250
Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 249
Tofu, processed with nigari* 4 ounces 80-230
Tempeh 1 cup 215
Kale, cooked 1 cup 290
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup 175
Okra, cooked 1 cup 172
Bok choy, cooked 1 cup 158
Mustard greens, cooked 1 cup 152
Tahini 2 Tbsp 128
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 94
Almonds 1/4 cup 89
Almond butter 2 Tbsp 86
Hijiki 1 cup 600
*Read the label on your tofu container to see if it is processed with calcium sulfate or nigari.
**Note an 8oz serving of Milk contains 300mg calcium.
Magnesium is crucial in calcium absorption. This is important to
note because in America we have one of the highest rates of
osteoporosis, yet consume some of the highest rates of dairy or what
most associate with calcium. One of the reasons for this is that there
is a direct link between magnesium consumption and calcium absorption.
Studies showed that when participants were given an abundant amount of
calcium and vitamin D and had magnesium taken away, 9 out of 10 were
calcium deficient. As soon as the magnesium was reintroduced, calcium
levels rose dramatically. What’s the best source of magnesium???? RAW CACAO!!!!!