Today, many of the problems
parents have with their babies are linked to new parenting and
feeding techniques that have been implemented during the recent
century. Colic, for instance, is far more common in the U.S. than
in many other places around the world. Two chief causes for its
rise are the stress suffered by babies being regularly separated
from their mothers, and the common difficulties babies have
tolerating the large cow's milk proteins in infant formulas and
breastfeeding mothers' diets. Cow's milk is a foreign substance
that has pervaded every corner of our diets—starting with
artificial infant feeds, but finding its way into mother's
breastmilk through the foods she eats as well. As it turns out,
health problems such as childhood diabetes, obesity, bowel
disease, osteoporosis, heart disease, cataracts, colic, ear
infections, hyperactivity, and cancer, on the rise in both
children and adults, are strongly linked to infant feeding
choices.
While there are literally thousands of research studies, each
revealing at least one of milk's hazards, the dairy industry goes
to great lengths to stifle any damaging rumors. Blanket
statements, such as, "There is simply no scientific research
to back up these claims," are easily made. With a long and
successful history of dairy promotion, these are readily accepted
by the public. More people need to go to the real research and
learn the truth for themselves. They should be very suspicious
of these foreign foods being pushed on their children. They should
question motives as well as possible outcomes. Although some of
the dangers of cow's milk consumption relate more to adults than
to children, parents' actions form the basis for lifelong
dairy-consuming habits in their children.
The harmful components of cow's milk include all the major
parts of it, as well as some more minor elements. Lactose is a
sugar meant for babies, but it's generally harmful to adults. The
proteins in cow's milk are different from human milk proteins and
cause problems of digestion, intolerance, impaired absorption of
other nutrients, and autoimmune reactions. Few of the proteins
meant for baby cows are found naturally in human mother's milk,
and none are found in any natural adult human food. Even the high
protein content in cow's milk creates problems. Human babies need
the saturated fats and cholesterol in mother's milk. Bovine milk
fat is not appropriately composed for human babies and is only
deleterious to the health of children and adults. Cow hormones are
not meant for humans, and older children and adults are not meant
to consume hormones. And, cows have been selectively bred over
time to create high levels of these hormones—those being the
cows that grow the fastest and produce the greatest amount of
milk. Cows also concentrate pesticides and pollutants into their
milk fat, from their high dietary food and water requirements. The
high amount of drugs now given to cows adds to this chemical soup.
But we need milk to build strong bones, don't we? Actually, heavy
milk consumption leads to increased osteoporosis.
Deflating Dairy
The highly promoted idea that milk builds strong bones refers
to the prevention of osteoporosis—this is the reason for
strengthening bones. Decades of effort to demonstrate that high
calcium diets chiefly derived from dairy products build strong
bones have failed to prove any such correlation. In fact, the
opposite seems to be true1. It
appears that high calcium intake before puberty, and especially in
young childhood, may have some slight positive effect on bones,
but this diet is not the answer. A balanced intake of all the bone
minerals, along with adequate vitamin A, C, and D, is what is
truly needed. A balanced intake of minerals cannot occur when the
diet emphasizes dairy. Dairy's high calcium causes relative
deficiencies in magnesium and other bone-building minerals, and
its high phosphorus and animal protein reduces calcium
availability. Physical activity has the greatest benefit—the
body efficiently uses what is available to build strong bones when
it senses the need. Human milk and vegetable sources are superior
to dairy for calcium and other nutrients in many ways. There are
fewer nutritional or other health advantages to giving cow's milk
to children than is generally believed, while there are certainly
many risks.
Almost every day another health research finding is made about
whole grains, soy, a serving of vegetables, two fruits per day,
cashews, legumes, fish, or some other food, other than milk
that is, and their connection to a reduced risk of heart
disease, breast cancer, stroke, diabetes, or other disease. This
is because cow's milk and its derivatives today make up one-third
of the adult diet, and half to two-thirds of caloric intake in
children, thus replacing so much other important, nutritious food
needed in the diet. This leads to insufficient intake of important
vitamins, several minerals, and healthy fiber and vegetable oils.
Cancer-preventing antioxidants in foods are missing in this milk
diet as well. While one form of antioxidant vitamin A is added to
milk (but not all dairy products), it is likely counteracted by
the pesticide and drug residues. The full complement of vitamin A
and associated enzymes, found in vegetables and other foods, are
required for cancer prevention. Many, many more kinds of
antioxidants are found in vegetables, legumes, fruits, and grains.
No other animal in the animal kingdom drinks milk beyond
childhood. No other animal suffers from osteoporosis, except the
occasional pet raised on human meals.
If there remains a desire to provide milk to a child who has no
diarrhea, rashes, or other intolerance reactions, organic
(organic—not raw) non-fat milk would be the best choice. In
raw (unpasteurized) milk there can be many potentially dangerous
microorganisms, in addition to the leukemia virus. In organic milk
there are fewer antibiotic residues, no added hormones, and
cows are given better feeds. Non-fat means less chemical residue
and no artery-damaging saturated fat. Children can obtain fat in
the form of non-hydrogenated (especially monosaturated) vegetable
oils, be it in potato chips or cashews. Goat's milk is considered
by many to be superior in many ways, and today low-fat versions
are available. Much less documented information is available about
goat's milk, but it appears that the proteins are less problematic
for digestion, although allergic intolerance to these can also
occur. Lactose and hormones would remain an issue although, to
date, goats apparently are not injected with extra growth hormone.
Although it was apparent from day one that formula was a health
risk for infants, back when it was first promoted, cow's milk for
older children appeared to be a nutritional manna. And with one or
two glasses a day from a healthy, range-fed animal, it likely
nearly was. Since this time, however, the quality of dairy has
drastically reduced while its consumption has exploded... with a
little advertising help. The evidence suggesting that the early
faith in milk was misplaced has been building up for decades. The
dairy industry has had to take increasingly extreme efforts to
keep this information out of public awareness.
I have only touched on the tip of the existing evidence against
the health claims of the milk industry promoters. Since our
childhood, the dairy industry has worked hard to have dairy
products enshrined in a food group of their own. Even though they
were given their own space in the new Eating Right food pyramid,
they found themselves placed in a small upper portion and have
lobbied to have the pyramid withdrawn.2
Many nutrition experts such as Harvard's Dr. Walter Willett3
suggest they should not be a featured group in the pyramid at all.
The dairy industry has also successfully convinced many
vegetarians that milk from cows, especially cheese, is a
vegetarian food. Since few substantiated health claims can be made
anymore, the milk industry's most recent promotion has been to
simply show their product on the upper lip of celebrities of all
kinds, even those who are dairy-allergic (Bill Clinton), and even
on those who are too young to be consuming whole milk (the Rugrats).
Before this promo, it was simply "Got milk?" While an
ever-growing preponderance of scientific information points to the
dangers of cow's milk, favorable public and even mainstream
medical opinion about dairy products has been very successfully
maintained.
Knowing and avoiding the potentially harmful effects that high
dairy consumption and milk-sensitivity reactions can have on your
child is just as important and loving as nursing, close bonding,
and informed health care decisions. What we feed our children
matters; how we parent them matters. These measures will lead to
the best health, comfort and happiness available to a child.
Parents have the power to create and enjoy healthier, happier
children with brighter futures.
