The issue of whether or not to consume dairy products has many topics to discuss, so I continue with this theme for a 3rd post, this time focusing in on what man has done to milk to make it oh so much more... inexpensive? less-perishable? more pleasing to the eye? How about damaging to the body. Toxic.
Starting with shelf life extension, and fear of germs, the dairy industry and FDA have agreed that pasteurizing dairy products is the only safe way to go. Pasteurization is the process of heating food to a high enough temperature so that microbial growth is slowed. Sounds logical, right? Of course it is wise to reduce pathology in our food products, but what else is being killed along with the potential pathogens? Once again, the source of life-giving nutrition that has yet to be fully recognized and taught in our schools - Living Enzymes.
Enzymes "catalyze about 4,000 biochemical reactions" in the body (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzymes). Without enzymes, most of the biochemical processes in our bodies would be unable to take place. A lack of enzymes equals lifelessness inside the body. A lack of live enzymes in our food equals lifeless food and is more of a burden than a help to the body. As with grains and fruits and vegetables, killing the life in our foods turns them more acidic.
Along with the living enzymes being killed during pasteurization, any good bacteria within the milk that would have been beneficial is also killed. Sometimes in an effort to kill all the germs, we end up killing the substances which are most beneficial to us.
In this way, raw milk is much healthier to drink if you choose to drink cow's milk. What about the pathogens?? In truth, good bacteria has a job. Its job is to keep bad bacteria in check. If we leave the good bacteria in the milk, it will keep any potential pathogens under control. Enzymes also break down unhealthy pathogens. So keeping milk in its raw state is a much surer guarantee of its safety.
If any of you grew up on a farm, you know that after milking a cow, the cream separates from the rest of the milk. This is a natural occurrence, but it doesn't look pretty to see milk in its raw, separating form. Therefore homogenization was created. Homogenization is the process of breaking down the milk fat into small enough particles so that they no longer separate from the rest of the milk. Once again, man is smart and ingenious - until we realize what we have done.
Kurt Oster, M.D. and Donald Ross, Ph.D. wrote a book entitled The X-O Factor, discussing a certain type of protein enzyme that is found in virtually every animal. This enzyme is called xanthine oxidase (XO), and is one of the few enzymes that survives pasteurization. This enzyme is too large of a molecule to be digested or absorbed when consumed by humans. But once the homogenization process has occurred, this molecule is broken down and becomes small enough for human absorption. XO has been shown to attack the vein & artery walls, creating holes which need to be patched up. The body uses cholesterol as a patch. This is one reason milk contributes to high cholesterol. XO has also been found biologically active in the heart tissue of heart attack victims. The enzyme was discovered to actually break down heart tissue. XO also contributes to uric acid production, which is a major cause of kidney stones and gout. This reason is a sure precaution one needs to consider when consuming dairy products.
The next thing man has done to milk & dairy products has not been done just for longer shelf life or a more presentable product. It has been done by the major dairy manufacturers in order to increase milk production in their cows. Cow's milk naturally contains growth hormones called bovine growth hormones (BGH). Scientists discovered a way to genetically engineer these hormones with the hormones of another species of animal, creating rBGH. It was found that by injecting cows with this rBGH, milk production was increased. However, milk from cows that were injected with rBGH contained higher levels of growth hormones. This has contributed to constant mastitis in the cows being milked, but because of the increased output of milk, the industry ignores this. The constant milking of the utters that are engorged with milk causes blood and pus on the utters, which gets into the milk. These high levels of growth hormones are also ingested by people who drink the milk, and this is contributing to early onset of puberty, hormone imbalances of all kinds, weight gain, and the rapid growth of cells - leading to cancer, especially breast cancer (as these are primarily mammary hormones).
Because of the constant mastitis in the cows' utters, anti-biotics are also injected into the cows, which then gets into the milk. Ingesting anti-biotics on a regular basis through dairy products causes a loss of good bacteria in the body (part of the immune system's army to protect you), and creates anti-biotic resistance so that when you really need them they do not work for you.
Getting back to food in its natural form is the way to go. If you are going to drink milk, drink it in its raw, unaltered state. And if you are going to choose milk from a species other than your own (especially in place of breast-feeding), raw goat's milk will work the best with the human body. In each species' milk, there is a ratio of protein, fat, and carbs. Cows milk is much higher in these levels than human milk, as it is intended for a baby calf that will double or triple its weight in a very short time. This is another reason for obesity in this country. We are growing our babies into cows through the use of cow's milk. Goat's milk has a ratio of proteins, fats, and carbs that is much closer to human milk. Also goat's milk is not treated with powerful growth hormones, and is available in its raw, unadulterated state.
To review the previous and present articles on dairy, we see that dairy products do not strengthen the bones, they actually contribute to osteoporosis. Dairy products turn the body acidic and contribute to mucus conditions such as colds, asthma, allergies, as well as other auto-immune disorders including juvenile onset diabetes. Food allergies are increased by preventing the digestion of foods consumed at the same time as dairy products. And man's alterations of "nature's perfect food" has eliminated the life-giving properties in milk, allowed for the absorption of XO into the body which contributes to cholesterol and heart attacks, has increased the levels of growth hormones we consume in milk contributing to hormone imbalances, obesity, and cancer, and has caused us to consume anti-biotics on a regular basis weakening our own immune system. And yet we say, "Milk, it does a body good"? Once again, I say the most beneficial thing we could do for ourselves is eliminate dairy products from our Food Pyramid.
(For further information on these topics and well cited resources, refer to Robert Cohen's Milk, The Deadly Poison, Vicki B. Griffin, Ph.D's Moooove Over Milk, and Frank A. Oski's Don't Drink Your Milk.)
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