Recent TV and print ads feature celebrities with "milk mustaches," implying that drinking milk is synonymous with good health. But for some of us, milk is not as nutritionally beneficial as might be assumed.
Do you have recurring sinus infections or colds that you can't seem to shake? Do your kids have chronic ear infections? Eating dairy products could be the problem. Milk and dairy products are mucous-forming agents, causing a build up in the nose, ears and chest.
Antibiotics will clear up those infections, but they aren't selective about the bacteria they kill, sometimes killing off necessary "good" bacteria along with the "bad" bugs. Antibiotics also suppress the immune system, thereby lowering our resistance to the next infection process.
Do we have to drink milk to build strong bones and teeth? Not necessarily. Milk and dairy products are generally advocated as the best way to obtain calcium when, in fact, the healthiest way to obtain calcium is through leafy green vegetables -- which have a better balance of minerals, resulting in easier assimilation -- along with a nutritious and balanced diet.
Lack of calcium is one cause of osteoporosis. Bone loss is due largely to the lack of adequate absorption of several minerals, because minerals are not ingested in a balanced fashion. Vitamins D and C, and magnesium, boron, manganese and molybdenum are all necessary for the prevention of osteoporosis.
But over-consumption of calcium may interfere with the absorption and use of other essential nutrients, such as iron and magnesium. Magnesium deficiency has been implicated where calcium is deposited in places that it doesn't belong, such as in the kidneys and arteries.
And what about the quality of most milk? Dairy cows are injected with hormones to produce more milk, as well as having antibiotics placed in their feed to prevent diseases. Both the hormones and antibiotics are passed into the milk the animal produces, and are then consumed by humans.
If one feels compelled to consume dairy, consideration should by given to the chemical-free organic varieties available in most health food stores, such as goat's milk (which is the closest to human milk).
One last point: How many species can you think of that drink the milk of another species? Shouldn't that tell you something?
Copyright 1998 Beverly Roberts Singh
