Dairy is Nature's Perfect Food (If You're a Baby Cow)

Would you believe me if I told you that countries that contain the least amount of calcium have the lowest rates of osteoporosis? On this National Milk Day I would like to shed some light on the "Milk it does a body good" phenomenon.

Health concern #1: The poorer countries in Asia and Africa have a lower rate of the disease than the United States, where we are told to drink our milk, daily, for calcium. Nathan Pritikin studied the medical research on osteoporosis, and found no basis at all for the Dairy Council viewpoint:

African Bantu women take in only 350 mg. of calcium per day. They bear nine children during their lifetime and breast feed them for two years. They never have calcium deficiency, seldom break a bone, rarely lose a tooth... How can they do that on 350 mg. of calcium a day when the (National Dairy Council) recommendation is 1200 mg.? It’s very simple. They’re on a low-protein diet that doesn’t kick the calcium out of the body’.

You're thinking, WHAT? I've been told that milk builds strong bones.

Here's what that means:

Animal protein is acid forming. When you drink milk (liquid meat) or eat animal protein, your body wants to restore it’s PH balance and make itself more alkaline. SO, it pulls from it’s alkaline reserves which are calcium, magnesium, and potassium from the bones. Too much animal protein leads to more reserves being pulled, leads to weak and brittle bones, which leads to more easily broken bones.

Health concern #2: 75% of the world does not have the proper enzymes to even digest milk sugar, lactose, and many more are allergic or sensitive to it's protein, casein. It's no surprise that we can't digest this well. It's not meant for us, it's meant for a baby cow! This can lead to stomach inflammation and disorders down the road.

Health concern #3: Teens who eat dairy are more susceptible to acne. When your body is acidic it becomes toxic and that toxicity needs an exit point...the skin. If you suffer from acne, stop eating dairy. I promise you will notice a difference.

Health concern #4: Most milk contains hormones and antibiotics. Hormones are such a delicate balance in the body and it doesn't take much to throw that off. Dairy may be the cause of challenging menopausal, perimenopausal, and menstrual symptoms. We already are facing an antibiotic resistant future so do we really need to be consuming antibiotics in our food?

The milk marketing machine has gone overboard to convince you that milk is the only way to get calcium in your diet. The US spends $550 million in milk campaigns! If you are curious where this milk propaganda started, I encourage you to please watch this 4 minute video:

​​​SO, How do I get my calcium if I’m not drinking milk?

Milk does have quite a bit of calcium but these foods also have a decent amount:

• Sardines

• Salmon

• Leafy greens

• Broccolli

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Tofu

• Beans

• Oats

• Rice

• Non-dairy mylks

Finally, a little personal information: I never liked milk. As a child I took the cheese off of pizza. I put the occasional american cheese on a hamburger, maybe drink chocolate milk. I did like ice cream and yogurt but that was it. I rarely, if ever, ate dairy as a child, teen, and adult. In the last 2 years I have been living a plant based, vegan, lifestyle. You think my bones would be falling apart but they are not. My calcium levels are just where they are supposed to be. I don't count grams of calcium daily. I just eat a varied diet full of plants, grains, and seeds. I am hoping this information plants a seed of doubt in your milk habit. I truly believe it is benefitting no one.

Please don't get me started on the inhumane nature of these milk farms. That is for another post at another time.:)