According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 1994 the average American ate 586 pounds of milk and dairy products, 394 pounds of vegetables, 121 pounds of fresh fruit, 199 pounds of meat and 193 pounds of products containing flour and cereal. That totals to over four pounds of food per day per person and nearly forty percent of that is milk and dairy, one very lopsided food pyramid!
Pituitary hormones (PRL, GH, TSH, FSH, LH ACTH Oxytocin)
Steroid hormones (Estradiol, Estriol, Progesterone, Testosterone,
17-Ketosteroids, Corticosterone, Vitamine D)
Hypothalamic hormones (TRH, LHRH, Somatostatin, PRL-inhibiting
factor, PRL-releasing factor, GnRH, GRH)
Thyroid and Parathyroid hormones (T3, T4, rT3, Calcitonin,
Parathormone, PTH peptide)
gastrointestinal peptides (Vasoactive intestinal peptide, Bombesin,
Cholecystokinin, Gastrin, Gastrin inhibitory peptide, Pancreatic
peptide, Y peptide, Substance P and Neurotensin)
Growth Factors (IGF's (I and II), IGF binding proteins, Nerve growth
factor, Epidermal growth factor and TGF alpha, TGF beta, Growth
Inhibitors MDGI and MAF, and Platelet derived growth factor
Others... (PGE, PGF2 alpha, cAMP, cGMP, Delta sleep inducing
peptide, Transferrin, Lactoferrin, Casomorphin and Erythropoietin
Growth hormones, fat, cholesterol, allergenic proteins, blood, pus, antibiotics, bacteria, virus and more as it is sponsored, in part, by Monsanto, WestAgro, and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc..
* Milk is the foundation of heart disease and the explanation for America's number one killer.
Beer bellies are indeed making a comeback in America. According to the Food Consumption, Prices and Expenditures, 1996, Statistical Bulletin Number 928, published by the USDA, the average American consumed 24 gallons of beer in 1994. That works out to less than 8 1/2 ounces of beer per day. Total milk and dairy products consumed per capita in 1994 equaled 26 ounces per day, more than triple the amount of beer. One 12 ounce glass of beer contains 144 calories and no fat. On the other hand, a 12 ounce glass of milk contains 300 calories and 16 grams of fat. It seems that beer is taking a bad rap. Protruding stomachs on overweight people should be called milk bellies, not beer bellies.
When we drink milk we are taking in the most powerful growth hormone naturally produced in our own bodies. However, this growth hormone in milk is safeguarded by naturally occurring mechanisms unique to milk. That hormone is called Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and it is identical (70 amino acids, same gene sequence) in cows and humans
(Milk: The Deadly Poison by Robert Cohen 317 pages containing 336 references
ISBN 0-9659-196-0-9)
.NATURE'S PERFECT FOOD? A SECOND OPINION!
Julian Whitaker, MD, is the founder and editor of the largest read health newsletter in the world, Health & Healing. This month his lead topic is MILK and the ANTIDAIRY Coalition. Here are pages 1-4 of Dr. Whitaker's 8-page newsletter. I heartily recommend that you consider subscribing. Whitaker's alternative medicine advice is right on the money and 532,000+ monthly readers have benefited from his brilliant recommendations. Call 1-800-539-8219 to subscribe! (12 issues - $39.95 per year)
(REPRINTED: PERMISSION OF JULIAN WHITAKER, MD)
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Dr. Julian Whitaker's
Health & Healing
TOMORROW'S MEDICINE TODAY October 1998 Vol. 8, No. 10
Dear Reader,
In the movie Men in Black, the character played by Tommy Lee Jones draws the distinction between a "person" and the mass of "people." He states, "A person is smart, but people are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it." In other words, we do a whole lot of things as "people" we would never do as "persons. "Health & Healing readers are "persons." You are making the effort to educate youself, refusing to buy the prepackaged party line dished out by the conventional medical establishment and media. You think for yourself and take control of your own health. Yet there are some area that are so ingrained that we all revert to "people" thinking. Let's discuss one of them in this first story.
FOOD SAFETY
MILK IS "UDDER" NONSENSE
Is cow's milk an appropriate food for humans? The "people" answer is "of course," but the "person" answer is "no, it is not good for humans." Cow's milk is species-specific food for calves. It is no more appropriate to drink the milk of cows than it is to drink the milk of other mammals. We do it because we've always done it. It's a "people" thing, and on close inspection, you'll see that all our beliefs about milk are "udder" nonsense.
Milk Myth #1: Milk Helps Build Strong Bones
American parents pass this myth on to their children, and misguided nutritionists reinforce it. Actually, milk and other dairy products weaken the bones and accelerate osteoporosis. That's right, consumption of milk causes the very condition it's advertised to prevent.
As I'll explain in the next story, osteoporosis results from calcium loss, not insufficient calcium intake. And dairy products, because of their high protein content, promote calcium loss. Studies examining the incidence of osteoporosis have found that high consumption of dairy products is associated with high rates of osteoporosis. If you want strong bones, don't drink milk.
Milk Myth #2: Milk is the Ultimate Health Drink
The notion that milk is healthy for you is, again, "udder" nonsense. While eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains has been documented to lower the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and cancer, the widely touted health benefits of dairy products are questionable at best. In fact, dairy products are clearly liked as a cause of osteoporosis, heart disease, obesity, cancer, allergies and diabetes. Dairy products are anything but "health" foods. The association with heart disease is particularly strong. While we've always known that high-fat dairy products, such as whole milk and cheese, are significant contributors to high cholesterol levels and heart disease, William B. Grant, Ph.D., summarizes the mounting evidence that nonfat milk is also a major player in bringing on heart disease.
Writing in Alternative Medicine Review, Dr. Grant points out that nonfat milk, which contains substantial amounts of dairy protein, is very low in B vitamins. The metabolism of all this protein in the absence of B vitamins contributes to the buildup of homocysteine, a marker for heart disease.
Milk Myth #3: Milk is Necessary for Growing Children
Oh really? Here are three reasons kids and milk don't mix. First, milk is the leading cause of iron-deficiency anemia in infants, and, in fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics now discourages giving children milk before their first birthday. Second, it has been shown that milk consumption in childhood contributes to the development of Type-I diabetes. Certain proteins in milk resemble molecules on the beta cells of the pancreas that secrete insulin. In some cases, the immune system makes antibodies to the milk protein that mistakenly attack and destroy the beta cells.
Third, milk allergies are very common in children and cause sinus problems, diarrhea, constipation and fatigue. They are a leading cause of the chronic ear infections that plague up to 40% of all children under the age of six. Milk allergies are also linked to behavior problems in children and to the disturbing rise of childhood asthma.
(Milk allergies are equally common in adults and produce similar symptoms.) Even so august an authority on children as the late Dr. Benjamin Spock changed his recommendations in his later years and discouraged giving children milk.
MILK MYTH #4: Milk is Pure and Wholesome
As if milk weren't bad enough already, the chemical giant, Monsanto Company, and the FDA have made it far worse. In 1994 the FDA approved the use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST), a genetically engineered hormone from Monsanto that increases milk production in cows by 10-25%. Milk from cows treated with rbST contains elevated levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), one of the most powerful growth factors ever identified.
IGF-I occurs naturally in both cows and humans and, in a fluke of nature, is identical between these two species. While IGF-I doesn't cause cancer, it definitely stimulates its growth. Recent studies have found a seven-fold increase in the risk of breast cancer in women with the highest IGF-I levels, and a four-fold increase in prostate cancer in men with the highest levels. Not only does rbST elevate your exposure to these growth factors, it also increases infections of the cow's udders. Therefore, cows treated with rbST are given more antibiotics, so higher traces of these drugs, as well as pus and bacteria from infected udders, are found in their milk.
In his recent book, MILK - The Deadly Poison (Argus Publishing, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1998), Robert Cohen, a tenacious investigative reporter, describes a level of corruption between Monsanto, the FDA and the Department of Agriculture that, in my opinion, warrants formal investigation and action against several individuals involved. This book documents how data were falsified and studies fabricated, and tells how the scientific community and public have been misled regarding rbST, its effects on our health, and the amounts of this hormone present in milk. Folks, you won't believe this book.
Robert Cohen gives names, dates and document numbers that are irrefutable.
As you would expect, Monsanto is playing rough. In Florida, they put pressure on a FOX television station, which then fired two award- winning journalists with over 20 years experience for attempting to report on the dark side of bovine growth hormone. These two reporters are now suing the network. Monsanto has vigorously attacked those who simply want to label their dairy product as "hormone free." This whole mess is disgusting. It shouldn't surprise you that all of Europe and Canada have banned this hormone and we are the only major industrial country espousing and using it. To get a copy of the June/July 1998 issue of SunCoast Eco report, in which this story is reported, send a check for $3 to Editor-SunCoast Eco Report, P.O. Box 35500, Sarasota, FL, 34278. If you have access to the Internet, for more information on the suit, go to www.foxBGHsuit.com.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LIMITING YOUR DAIRY INTAKE
* To start with, knock off drinking milk altogether. Fluid milk is likely to be the most highly concentrated, easily absorbed source of growth hormones. Instead use soy milk or rice milk in your coffee, cereal and cooking. You'll find dairy-free cheeses, ice cream and drinks in your health food store.
That, my friends, represents half of the October Health & Healing digest. Dr. Whitaker dedicates the remainder of this issue of his newsletter to osteoporosis and heart disease. I would like to quote just a portion of Whitaker's comments about bone disease:
"In only two generations, the rate of hip fractures in the U.S. has quadrupled, and it is currently one of the highest rates in the world. Americans are also near the top of the chart for dairy consumption. Would someone out there please tell me why we keep telling our children that dairy foods strengthen their bones? Excess protein intake-not only from milk but all animal protein sources-increases the need for calcium to neutralize acidic protein breakdown products, destroying bone in the process. A lifetime of a high-protein diet usually eats away at your bones. Lower protein vegetarian diets are associated with significantly higher bone mineral density. So the first and most important dietary step is to eat less protein. This generally means cutting down on milk Although dairy products contain calcium, little of it is deposited in the bones-instead the calcium is used to neutralize the acidity brought on by milk protein."
I conclude today's column by echoing the advertising slogan of the national fluid processors, the marketing arm of America's dairy industry:
MILK? WHAT A SURPRISE!
Robert Cohen
Executive Director
ANTIDAIRY Coalition
http://www.notmilk.com
http://www.antidairycoalition.com
* Dairy products are promoted as a source of calcium, but many vegetable-quality foods are rich in this element. Calcium needs vary with age and other factors. The U.S. RDA. varies from 800-1200 mg/day. (Figures per 100 grams, unit mg. 1009=3.5 ounces, an average serving unless otherwise noted.)
Examples Vegetables: Broccoli 246, Dandelion greens 74, Mustard greens 97,
Parsley 61, Kale 74, Spinach 83, Watercress 90 .
Beans/products: Chickpeas 75 , Soybeans 131 , Kidney beans 70, Tofu 128 ,Tempeh 142 .
Sea Vegetables: Agar Agar 400 , Hijiki 1400, Kombu 800, Nori 400 , Wakame 1300.
Seeds/nuts: Sesame seeds 331, Sun flower seeds 40 , Hazel nuts 60.
Dairy food: Cow milk 28, Eggs 27, Cheese 100/350 .
Grains: Buckwheat 57.
(Source: U.S. Dep. of Agriculture and Japan Nutritionist Association)
For more information how food affects our health: OUR MOTHER EARTH IS CRYING