Not to be argumentative but there is a lot that is wrong with milk and dairy products.
There are books written about this topic, I will try to keep it short and to the point. The biggest problems are in the production, processing and the "ingredients". The American Dairy Industry has done a phenomenal job at marketing and pulling wool over our eyes so that we don't see the obvious anymore.
The milk of most mammals varies considerably in composition, their content of fat, protein, sugar and minerals show great differences, all designed to provide optimal nutrition to the baby of the specific species. In no other time in life is there a greater growth than during the time of being breastfed (human or any other species), milk is designed to promote fast growth.
This is where the first problem occurs. Milk (and with it dairy products) contain an insulin like growth factor called IGF-1. This is needed to promote the fast growth of babies but it has been shown to promote cancer growth in adults, i.e. the transformation of breast cells to cancerous forms, IGF-1 is also a growth factor for already cancerous breast and colon cancer cells, promoting their progression and invasiveness. There is a reason why the breastfeeding stops after a certain time because it stops being beneficial.
About 50 years ago the average cow produced about 20,000 lbs per year in milk, nowadays, the average cow produces 50,000 lbs per year. This is a achieved with antibiotics, drugs and rBGH which multiplies IGF-1 levels in milk exponentially. Aside from increasing amounts of IGF, one of the most powerful growth factors, our intake of hormones (including high levels of estrogen) and drugs through milk and milk products keeps increasing.
Production:
Pasteurization: During the pasteurization process enzymes that are important for the absorption and assimilation process are destroyed, as a result the human pancreas has to work overtime to produce more enzymes which can lead to stress on the pancreas and result in diseases like diabetes, inflammation, etc.
Homogenization: Subjecting the butterfat in milk to high pressure and breaking up the fat molecules. With the fat a significant amount of vitamins is removed, later vitamin D is added, however, synthetic vitamin D is known to be toxic to the liver. Skim milk is sold as a health product but the fat is there for a reason, it helps the body absorb the vitamins in the milk. There is convincing research that homogenization is a significant factor for an increase of incidents in heart disease, hardening arteries and an increase in cholesterol.
Aside from all the problems in production and processing (yes, milk, cheese and dairy are processed foods) milk is the # 1 allergic food in the country. Not only is it well documented as a cause of diarrhea, cramping, bloating, gas, gastrointestinal bleeding, rashes, anemia, mucous building resulting in recurring ear and sinus infection but there is also very convincing evidence that the casein in milk promotes cancer growth. In fact, if you read The China Study by Dr. T. Collin Campbell, it has been shown in experiments that cancer growth can be turned on and off merely by feeding or omitting casein.
So what happens if we just stopped drinking milk and dairy products, wouldn't we have problems getting enough calcium and osteoporosis would skyrocket? NOPE!!! In fact, drinking milk or eating large amounts of dairy products can leach calcium from your bones, due to the high phosphorus levels in milk which prevents the absorption of calcium. Milk protein also speeds up the excretion of calcium through the kidneys. So, in fact, the intake of large amounts of milk and dairy products does more harm than good. This is also evidenced in the fact that the United States has the highest intake of dairy products in the world but we also have the highest occurance of osteoporosis and bone fractures.
This is not something I came to lightly. I was the cheese and dairy whore-in-chief, after all I am from a dairy country!!! When I had to change my diet I was very adament that someone would risk serious injury if they wanted me to give up my beloved cheese and yes, gasp, also my Fage Greek yogurt
I gave it up a little over a year ago (kicking and screaming all the way
) and it has made a huge difference in my health and the way I feel and look! I never thought I would say that but I will leave cow's milk to baby cows because this is who it is intended for.
Interesting reads or videos about this subject are "The World according to Monsanto"
http://freedocumentaries.org/int.php?filmID=300 (free video), "The China Study" by T. Collin Campbell.
