A commenter recently asked us a question about how milk fits into the ‘real food’ framework, and whether or not we still drink it. Since you guys are absolutely invaluable when it comes to giving us subjects and ideas to write about, we’re going to talk about milk, too!
So our main question is not whether we should ever drink milk again, but rather three smaller questions:
- How much milk should we drink?
- Is it important to drink skim, 1%, or low-fat milk?
- Is organic milk really that much better for us?
The first thing we noticed is that there are no solid, set-in-stone answers to these questions. They’re complicated, and there are a lot of interests at stake here — milk is a big, fundamental food product, one that’s a big part of many people’s lives, and it’s definitely more complicated than just saying a simple yes/no.
How much milk should I drink?
If we look back at our own childhoods, there was no other drink that played as much of a role as milk did. Many parents never put any restrictions on how much of it we could drink, and the idea of a tall, cold, refreshing glass of 2% still has huge appeal for a lot of us.
But after reading some thoughts on the issue, and looking at the nutritional content, we think milk should be considered not an essential drink you can overindulge with (which is often how it’s marketed), but rather something that can be enjoyed in moderation.
The Got Milk? campaigns and various advisory boards have done a pretty fantastic marketing job over the years, and the idea of a tall glass of milk as fundamental for nutrients and calcium is practically ingrained into some of our minds. But it’s still marketing — milk isn’t exactly a miracle drink, and it’s got lots of calories and a not-insigificant quantity of fat.
That brings us to the second question.
Should we stick to skim milk?
We couldn’t really get a clear verdict on this one, so the common sense route is likely your best bet here. If you’re drinking milk in moderation (ie., not treating it like water), say in a coffee or two, then drinking anything between skim and whole milk is not going to make a gigantic difference, and you can pretty safely go with what you enjoy.
If, however, you’re a big-time milk drinker trying to cut down, and you don’t feel it’s going to be an easy thing to reduce the amount of milk you drink, switching to a lower-fat version might be ideal. In the end, milk can slip into that same category as fruit juice, or even pop — we don’t realize how many calories, and how much fat (or sugar, in soda’s case) we’re consuming, because these drinks don’t tend to leave us very full. Milk is better at that, but it still takes a lot of it to feel ‘full’.
Finally — organic milk.
Michael Pollan has plenty of things to say about the contradictions inherent in, say, Wal-Mart selling organic milk. In general, we’d suggest you pick up his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma and read the chapter on Big Organic — it all pretty much applies to milk, too. Let’s just say that if you’re concerned about cows not being treated very well and living in factory-farm/feedlot conditions, organic isn’t necessarily going to help you there. If it’s just antibiotics or hormones that make you nervous, maybe you’ll feel more confident buying organic.
It’s a difficult issue and there’s no clear answer — it depends on your ethics, on what you can find in your area, and on the compromises you’re willing to make, just like so many of our food-buying decisions.
Over To You!
Have you had trouble cutting down on milk? Has it been a part of your life for as long as you can remember? If you’re from North America, there’s a good chance milk is a big part of your diet — let’s talk about it!
Also just on a side note… Isaac, I also am a nutritionist, possibly working in a very different field to you I focus nore on weight loss and also work as a personal trainer, but I just wanted to mention the fact thht you say “Fact: Soy phytoestrogens, or isoflavones, have been definitely shown to depress thyroid function and to cause infertility in every animal species studied so far”
Would that include the Asian population that have been living on soy foods for the last couple of hundred years? Last time I checked they don’t have any problems with fertility.
You may want to check out recent research as well that has shown that cows milk has more estrogen than soy milk and that increased estrogen is what causes the issues you are talking about.
Also, non GMO soy is very easy to come by, you may be speaking stats for only the area you live in. In New Zealand the majority of soy products are non GMO soy products.
What about almond milk? That is what I drink.
me TOO. I cant stand the taste of cow milk anymore! and dairy is no good. No good at all. This is just hearsay but it apparently leached more calcium out of your bones than it gives. I may have actually read that somewhere. I will try to find it and post..
The issue with soy in the US, not even considering for a moment the huge problems with GMO soy, is that in the Asian societies it is often fermented and eaten differently than it is here, which leads to more of the infertility type problems we are seeing here. The fermented soy tends to be less of a problem in the Asian communities. That’s part of the reason they can eat so much soy. Tempeh, not tofu!
Just think, next time you want a glass of milk, consider how much you want to go and suck on your mothers tits. No? Didn’t think so. Humans are the only species who not only will continue to drink milk past infancy (the only time it’s needed) but also drink the milk of another species. It’s pretty gross when you really consider what it is and where it’s coming come.
Humans are not the only species that continue to drink milk past infancy. Any omnivorous or carnivorous species (excluding herbivorous species as they do not typically recognize animal products as food) would drink milk at any stage of life, if they were able to get it. It is not necessarily the best thing for them – they probably wouldn’t digest it well since they’d have stopped producing lactase – but since they have the instinct to eat all the food they can since it’s hard to come by, they’d drink it for sure. People give cats milk all the time – they drink it readily. (Not that I am condoning that, but it’s undeniable that it happens.) If you left a bowl of milk (milk of any animal, not necessarily a cow’s) out in the forest, some raccoon, coyote, or other four legged beast would come drink it. It is seem as food by them. Therefore your statement, “Humans are the only species who not only will continue to drink milk past infancy (the only time it’s needed) but also drink the milk of another species”, is untrue, excepting that infancy is the only time that milk is the sole provider of the body’s nutrition and is therefore the only time it’s needed. The only reasons for a human to not drink cow’s milk lies in the moral and ethical values of the individual person. There are no proven detriments to health in the adult animal, besides that milk is difficult to digest for some animals that lack the proper enzyme. I accept that many people find the origin of milk to be disgusting, but I am very tired of hearing the erroneous statement about humans being the sole milk-drinkers as adults.
Humans may be the only ones who continue to drink milk after infancy, but we also have 4x the brain mass of every other mammal on the planet. Ever wondered why this may be so? Milk is designed to help the young grow. It is rich in growth factors and has its own built in insulin to maintain stable blood sugar levels. It is an extremely nutritious food, and only requires a small amount to nourish the body. We worked out long ago (around 10,000 years or so) that we could herd animals and drink their milk. This allowed us more time to develop as intelligent beings and grow intellectually. The fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K2) in milk that is consumed in its natural state allow for every hormone we have to be made & allow us to function in optimal health. But not all milk is created equal. Happy cows, raised outside produce nutrient dense milk. Consuming this milk in it’s whole state, unheated and unhomogenised is the easiest way to digest milk as the delicate proteins of the milk have not been heated and denatured. There is so much material available online to read up on this. I have been drinking unadulterated milk for the last 3 years and have seen my health and body go from strength to strength- decreased body fat, improved recovery time from training and hormonal stability that I have never experienced before. Soy, almond or any other milk substitute just can’t provide that kind of life giving nourishment- because they’re not a whole food they’re substitute foods. Happy drinking guys! And thanks for all the bodyrock inspiration. Zuzana is my new training inspiration xx
Hi Zuzana,
I’ve read your article on body fat (you said yours was about 18% or under)… I’ve also read other articles from the so-called experts that a body fat too low (lower than 18%) can be harmful to women. but then you seem very healthy and energetic. and btw, u look really good, too. what’s your take on body fat %? is there a minimum that you should never be under? usually, i just try to eat healthy and exercise. my body fat % is 20.5% and some people said i can keep decreasing it and some said going too low would age you very badly in the long run (say after you’re 30).
There was an interesting experiment done in the late 1930’s involving around 900 cats. To one group of cats the scientists fed “regular” pasteurized milk, to the other group, they fed raw organic milk. In nature, cats stop drinking milk after their so called kittenhood, but in this experiment they continued feeding the cats milk for their entire lives.
What ended up happening was that the group that was fed raw organic milk remained healthy, their offspring several generations down were also healthy. The group that was fed the pasteurized milk ended up developing different chronic illnesses like osteoporosis, and the third generation of these cats became sterile, unable to reproduce.
What’s the lesson here? In normal circumstances, humans (and other animals), only drink milk during their childhood, we’re not meant to continue consuming it thereafter. Pasteurized milk is unnatural and much harder to digest than raw organic milk. Raw organic milk contains at least two key enzymes, lipase and lactase, which help break down fat and lactose in the gut, this means that raw milk digests itself. That’s why it’s perfect for infants and newborn animals because they haven’t yet developed their digestive systems. The fat from raw organic milk is also a good healthy type of fat, if consumed in moderation of course.
However, I would probably not buy raw organic milk from a supermarket, as it’s origin is hard to really know. And I’d definitely not buy raw industrial milk, as industry animals are very unhealthy and the milk is probably full of pathogens.
Skimmed “fat free” milk is even worse than regular pasteurized milk. It’s basically like drinking lactose, it’s only sugar and has very little nutritional value.
Organic pasteurized milk is a step up from the regular kind, but it’s still pasteurized so it doesn’t provide the benefits of raw milk.
Also, milk doesn’t contain that much calcium as a lot of it is also destroyed in the pasteurization process. The funny thing is that they measure the calcium content before pasteurization, and then stick it on the label. Foods such as almonds, sesame seeds, broccoli, spinach, papaya, organes etc. are other good sources of calcium.
A few comments for Johan, just happened to stumble upon this site & article; it caught my attention.
If pasteurized milk truly was so harmful to an organism’s germ line cells’ dna (causing recessive mutations that eventually lead to inherited infertility), wonder why we humans still haven’t seen an explosive rise in infertility since the dawn of pasteurization, and why infertility rates don’t show significant differences between us (milk-gobbling westerners) and non-milk-eating people.
The bodies of healthy (mature) western people produce abundant lipase & lactase. Most non-milk-consuming people have very little lactase excretion in their system, meaning that they haven’t adapted to digesting milk after childhood. We have. Those who haven’t, are diagnosed with lactose intolerance.
Lipase is excreted by the pancreas in all healthy humans. Bile salts are equally important in digesting fat, and additional intake of lipase alone does not provide a very significant increase in the overall digestion speed of fat (triacylglycerids.)
Skimmed “fat-free” milk is by no means just sugar. It contains plenty of proteins (just like its “precursor”), most notably lactoglobulin, which is a fairly good source of branched-chain amino-acids (the liver can’t break convert these to glutamin, so they’re great for rapidly replenishing muscles (=inhibiting catabolic effects) after a workout.
Btw pasteurization does damage the conformation (structure) of proteins (rendering enzymes useless etc.), but that has no nutritional effect in healthy people, since virtually all protein is broken down to AAs before digestion. Intake of intact proteins would cause an allergic reaction in every case, since the proteins are recognized as antigens. They are coming from a different species, after all.
Documented protein aggregation in skimmed & pasteurized milk is minor, and has little significance on the overall digested amino-acid content. Usually vitamin D is also added to make up for the loss during the skimming process.
I don’t mean to attack against you (or anybody), just to show the other side of things. I’m a med student & fitness enthusiast. And I don’t even drink milk, it just tastes so awful, especially the fatty sorts. Yuk! :D
Wow, so much passion in milk! Especially for the males:)
Each day I have one cup of SoGood soy milk (formulated for women – added folate, omega 3 ect.) on my muslie & Wheat Bix for breakfast and a mug of low fat cows milk to drink. I am fairly tall at 5feet10inches (178cm), I am strong, well built, I have never broken a bone, I have excellent teeth.
So there, in moderation it doesn’t seem to be harming me at least.
I have say 75g of natural unsweetened Jana Yogurt every 2 days. I usually have 2 slices of 50% reduced fat Bega cheese at lunchtime.
I think processed meat is a much bigger problem than this milk thing.
lol…. I just realised how many spelling mistakes I made.
Processed meat is just as big of a problem. But cow milk, to me, is much worse. Hormones, keeping female cows pregnant their entire lives so they will produce more milk, and especially the conditions these cows are raised in; poop up to their knees. And btw those udders hang below that. Gross.
Before you make comments about the condition, sanitation, or treatment of cows on dairy farms, why don’t you go and visit one? If you don’t like the conditions the cows are in, don’t buy milk from that farm. Milk doesn’t usually get shipped very far from the farm to the store, so I’m sure you’d have no trouble finding a dairy farm in your area that produced the milk you can buy at your local grocery. I’ve visited several dairy farms in my area. The cows will not produce any milk at all if they are not healthy, and happy (low stress basically), so they can’t be kept in unsanitary or crowded conditions. The conditions on a dairy farm must be extremely, extremely clean. The reason being, e. coli bacteria is found in all animal’s feces. If there is any e. coli found in a tank of milk, which is tested before it goes to factory to be bottled, the farmer has to buy the entire tank, which is then disposed of, meaning the farm takes a great economic loss. Therefore in the milking house everything is 110% sanitized, sanitized, sanitized. The udders are cleaned before the cow is milked. So there is really no reason to worry at all about the milk you drink being tainted from an udder touching feces.
The first calving for a heifer is at 24 months, then they have about 4-5 more, once a year, until their productive lifespan is over. This is probably close to what would happen in nature also. After the productive life they are sent to slaughter, but their meat is not good quality so is usually used for processed meat. Due to the fact that the cows are not able to live a natural lifespan (12-15 years with proper nutrition), many people find it unethical to drink a cow’s milk. Don’t assume it is because all dairy farms are unsanitary and treat the cows poorly, because that is typically not the case. It may happen, if the farmer is a complete jerk or moron who doesn’t know what he or she is doing.
Hi Zuzana,
I wanted to ask you for your opinion and personal insights on whey. Lately I’ve been hearing left and right how good it is for fat loss (specifically for abs) and gaining muscle. Is it really as good as it sounds? Do you take it yourself? Some of the health/food blogs I read talk about whey and putting it in their oatmeal, etc.
Liza
Since this topic is old all I’m going to add is a simple thought.
Milk as mentioned is a big corporate company still making plenty of profit and advertised to have plenty of nutrients and especially calcium which is great for strong bones and can fight osteoporosis which does effect women more so.
As a guy i don’t know the exact states for this on how much more it effects woman but the point i want to make with the sales continually on the rise for milk there has not been a decline in osteoporosis in north America at all but quite the opposite. getting calcium from vegetable sources is absorbed better into the body.
Now i’m also slightly lactose intolerant so i don’t drink milk or milk products if i have the choice and found after i stopped i lost alot of fat from my body with ease.
also another thought… they say salt is bad for you right? then how did our previous generations survive eating food preserved in salt for all those years? the thing is salt is not bad for you its the type of salt that is sold in stores that effects your body in different ways. while both are made from calcium table salt is chemical treated and void of other naturally occurring minerals and far less flavorful hence more is used in my opinion.
ANNND one has to think what dude looked at a cow and thought I’m going to suck on that utter. humans are the only animal that drinks milk after they weened of milk…..awkwaaaaard.
Bhu
I’m not a nutritionist but a very active and healthy 40 yr young. To keep my naturopath happy i’ve all but eliminated my gallon-a-week skim milk habit this past year and have to say that i am more energetic and noticebly more fit than I was a year ago. I have substituted mostly water and watered down fruit juices but miss the milk. Besides this dietary change, I have changed little else in the past year. Not sure what this really says about milk, but i’m still a huge milk fan and once in a while sneak a big glass of skim when nobody’s looking !
Hi all,
This morning I checked out the labels of the milk I mentioned. What do you think about the following:
The Soy Milk,
Per 250mL Per 100mL
Energy(kJ) 550 220
(cal) 132 53
Protein (g) 8.0 3.2
– Gluten (g) 0.0 0.0
Fat, Total (g) 3.8 1.5
– Saturated fat (g) 0.5 0.2
– Trans fat (g) 0.0 0.0
– polyunsaturated fat (g)2.5 1.0
-Omega 3 (alpha linolenic acid) (mg) 563 225
-monounsaturated fat (g) 0.8 0.3
Cholesterol (mg) 0.0 0.0
Carbohydrate, total (g) 15.8 6.3
– sugars (g) 5.3 2.1
– Lactose (g) 0.0 0.0
– galactose (g) 0.0 0.0
Dietary fibre (g) 0.8 0.3
Sodium (mg) 88 35
Potassium (mg) 338 135
Vitamin A (g) 113 (15%)* 45
Thiamine (mg) 0.25 (23%)* 0.1
Riboflavin (mg) 0.37 (22%)* 0.15
Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.35 (22%)* 0.14
Vitamin B12 (g) 0.5 (25%)* 0.2
Folate (g) 88 (44%)* 35
Vitamin C (mg) 20 (50%)* 8.0
Vitamin E (mg) 2.3 (23%)* 0.9
Calcium (mg) 375 (47%)* 150
Phosphorus (mg) 250 (25%)* 100
Iron (mg) 2.3 (19%)* 0.9
Isoflavone Aglycones (mg) 7.8 3.1
*Percentage of Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI)
** 1 serve provides 22% of the folate RDI for women of childbearing age.
The low fat COWS MILK,
per 100ml
Energy 163 kJ
-Cal 39
Protein 4g
Fat total 0.1
Cholesterol Nil mg
Carbohydrate total 5.4g
Sugars (lactose) 5.4g
Sodium 50mg
Calcium 140mg (note 250mL = 43% of RDI)
Apparently it also has some Vitamin B12, Vitamin B2, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium & Zinc.
Oh by the way, I don’t drink coffee & I don’t have milk at any other time. I have a couple of relatives who are dairy farmers in Australia. They do not feed any of their cows or goats anything weird (they are vaccinated & wormed etcetera , eat hay/grass/water from dams), they only keep free range animals in quite large paddocks, they do milk them using some electronic thingies though to save time!
I’d like to add to Johan’s comments. Most humans are lactose intolerant–nature’s way of saying stop drinking milk after the age of say, 5 years old. Those of European descent, however can continue drinking milk into their 30’s, 40’s and some their entire life. This was a natrually selected result of the Northern European environment thousand of years ago (less sunlight means less vitamin D even with a lower amount of melanin in the skin to absorb more sunlight). So something like drinking milk, that most people of European descent (and some North African) take for granted is not a luxury most humans can take advantage of. This is why many cultures consume milk by-broducts either by drinking sour milk in many parts of Asia (in which the lactose is broken down), or yogurt or hard cheeses for the same reason.
As the third world has always been a dumping ground for first world surpluses, this detail was learned the hard way when milk surpluses were sent to poor countries and many fell ill from the ‘help.’ Lactose free milk, however has now been developed so technology has found a solution to this problem.
And as Johan said, there are many ways to get calcium into your diet–the advertising campaigns are just for dairy farmers. And as far as Vitamin D, a little bit of sunlight every day will help your calcium absorbtion.
I should add that I enjoy a nice, cold glass of milk from time to time. They go particularly nice with Oreos!
hi guys!ive recently made the switch over to a food combining way of eating and milk is not really a part of this way of eating.for those that dont know, food combining is not a diet but a way of eating for improved digestion.we dont combine meat and potatoes for instance and its all based on the science of digestion and digestion times for different foods.my health has improved REMARKABLY in the last 26 days doing food combining. according to the founders of this concept, milk doesnt really combine with anything….nothing…….now, this is hard to swallow so to speak for me-being from north america i have been hooked on my milk from a child….the hardest part of this eating plan for me is giving up my cereal with milk in the morning.but trust me….i am better for it….the difference in my digestion and energy levels is unbelieveable…i still indulge in milk however, not with anything else.only on its own and in the evening a few hours after my last meal.and only occasionally.yogurt i eat 3 times a week, and again, alone.and plain…..haha….booooooooooooringggggggggggggg………i know……….i used to throw in nuts and cereals and seeds and all that…..my favorite treat……but from the perspective of digestion, i will NEVER go back to that way of eating.i have been doing alot of reading lately about dairy……alot of people believe that humans were never meant to consume dairy…..this is why we are lactose intolerant….we lack the proper enzymes to digest dairy….in a way, i agree….but only because i know that as far as MIXING dairy with other foods, it was killing me………i cant give up dairy completely…..i love my occassional lowfat cheese and yogurt……..but i have cut down on the dairy and not only have i dropped some weight(not intentionally…ima personal trainer and in good shape and at a weight that is healthy).,but i believe that if we dont consume AS MUCH dairy, our health will dramatically improve….the levels of mucus in the body is reduced, therefore reducing our chances of infection, colds, flus and the like…….i also get my recommended calcium allowance through other foods, so…….oh my,………..oreos with a glass of milk is sounding REALLLLLLLLLLY good right now!!!!
xoxo
rose.
I wanted to share this link on milk: http://kardenaskitchen.com/2010/01/milk-myth-busting/
Zusana, thanks for the balanced approach to the subject. I think you nailed it when you said that “milk is a big, fundamental food group”. So it should be treated just as any other food… Just adjust the amount you drink to your dietary needs.
Lal says:
Quote
“Would that include the Asian population that have been living on soy foods for the last couple of hundred years? Last time I checked they don’t have any problems with fertility.
You may want to check out recent research as well that has shown that cows milk has more estrogen than soy milk and that increased estrogen is what causes the issues you are talking about.”
Isaac Response
Living on Soy? What Asian population are you talking about? That might be how the massive “over night” billion dollar Soy marketers have made it look to the North American population that will believe any and everything they hear… ABOUT NEW MIRACLE FOODS…
I highly highly doubt that organic grass-fed pasture raised raw goats milk is high in estrogen…
I could, however, see how drugged up factory farmed mutant milk could be… which is what those studies where probably on… it is important to always read the fine print of studies… not all milk is the same… so you have to make sure you know what kind of milk the study was done on…
Not so long ago, soy was an Asian food primarily used as a condiment, now a variety of processed soy products proliferate in the North American market. While the traditionally fermented soy foods of miso, tamari, tempeh and natto are definitely healthful in measured amounts, the genetically modified hyper-processed soy “foods” that most vegetarians consume are not.
WHAT ABOUT SOY MILK?
SOY IS NOT A HEALTH FOOD… IF IT IS UNFERMENTED IT IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS FOODS TO CONSUME…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9L5MJYfi2A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjZs0DGW1Jk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdFVnJQJCRI&feature=related
Read the book, “The whole story of soy”. (600 Pages of reasons why Soy was never meant to be consumed by humans)
Do some research on how…
Soy was traditionally only used in crop rotation to fix nitrogen for the soil…
How 90% of Soy is now genetically modified…
How Soy damages the thyroid…
How soy is the highest phytoestrogen food…
ONCE AGAIN SOY IS NOT A HEALTH FOOD!!!!!!!
Fact: Non-fermented soybeans and foods made with them are high in phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that binds to minerals in the digestive tract and carries them out of the body. Vegetarians are known for their tendencies to mineral deficiencies, especially of zinc and it is the high phytate content of grain and legume based diets that is to blame. Though several traditional food preparation techniques such as soaking, sprouting, and fermenting can significantly reduce the phytate content of grains and legumes, such methods are not commonly known about or used by modern peoples, including vegetarians. This places them (and others who eat a diet rich in whole grains) at a greater risk for mineral deficiencies.
Fact: Processed soy foods are also rich in trypsin inhibitors, which hinder protein digestion. Textured vegetable protein (TVP), soy “milk” and soy protein powders, popular vegetarian meat and milk substitutes, are entirely fragmented foods made by treating soybeans with high heat and various alkaline washes to extract the beans’ fat content or to neutralize their potent enzyme inhibitors. These practices completely denature the beans’ protein content, rendering it very hard to digest. MSG, a neurotoxin, is routinely added to TVP to make it taste like the various foods it imitates.
Fact: Parents who feed their children soy-based formula should be aware of its extremely high phytoestrogen content. Some scientists have estimated a child being fed soy formula is ingesting the hormonal equivalent of five birth control pills a day. Such a high intake could have disastrous results.
Though research is still ongoing, some recent studies have indicated that soy’s phytoestrogens could be causative factors in some forms of breast cancer, penile birth defects, and infantile leukemia. Regardless, soy’s phytoestrogens, or isoflavones, have been definitely shown to depress thyroid function and to cause infertility in every animal species studied so far.
Clearly, modern soy products an not healthy foods for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone else, yet these are the very ones that are most consumed.
-Isaac
PS. I am a nutritional researcher… email me at the_future_11@hotmail.com if you have any further questions… or want to compare research…
Thank you Isaac for this very brief and to the point post.
To many people want to put their heads in the sand concerning the many products that have been pushed on society just to sell a product that they are producing just so that they can make a profit, or get rid of something that they have no other use for ,or that is costing them millions of dollars to get rid of, so instead they find a way to sell it to the public and tell them that it is good or nutritious for them.
Soy and the many different products made from soy is just one of these.
Others on my list are.
Floride/Florine
Canola oil
Any hydrogenated oils.
homogenization,
Antibiotics,
Pasteurization
To just list a few.
And voting…..How many votes does it take to vote the panties off of an unwilling woman?
The answer is that it doesn’t matter how many votes there are, no one has that right, no one.
Now just put that to anything else that is voted on.
Voting is an criminal act.
again thank you Isaac.
The DARK Side Of Soy – America’s
Favorite ‘Health’ Food
How Much Soy Do Asians Really Eat?
Those who dare to question the benefits of soy tend to receive one stock answer: Soy foods couldn’t possibly have a downside because Asians eat large quantities of soy every day and consequently remain free of most western diseases. In fact, the people of China, Japan, and other countries in Asia eat very little soy. The soy industry’s own figures show that soy consumption in China, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan ranges from 9.3 to 36 grams per day.1 That’s grams of soy food, not grams of soy protein alone. Compare this with a cup of tofu (252 grams) or soy milk (240 grams).2 Many Americans today think nothing of consuming a cup of tofu, a couple glasses of soy milk, handfuls of soy nuts, soy “energy bars,” and veggie burgers. Infants on soy formula receive the most of all, both in quantity and in proportion to body weight.
In short, there is no historical precedent for eating the large amounts of soy food now being consumed by infants fed soy formula and vegetarians who favor soy as their main source of protein, or for the large amounts of soy being recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Christiane Northrup, and many other popular health experts.
Soy and the Thyroid: A Pain in the Neck
More than 70 years of human, animal, and laboratory studies show that soybeans put the thyroid at risk. The chief culprits are the plant hormones in soy known as phytoestrogens or isoflavones. The United Kingdom’s Committee on Toxicology has identified several populations at special risk: infants on soy formula, vegans who use soy as their principal meat and dairy replacements, and men and women who self-medicate with soy foods and/or isoflavone supplements in an attempt to prevent or reverse menopausal symptoms, cancer, or heart disease.
Infants with congenital hypothyroidism need 18 to 25 percent higher doses of thyroxine drug than usual if they are bottle-fed with soy formula. Likewise, adults who boost their thyroid with drugs such as Synthroid while also eating thyroid-inhibiting foods such as soy put extreme stress on their thyroids. Toxicologist Michael Fitzpatrick, PhD, points out that this is the way that researchers induce thyroid cancers in laboratory animals.
-Isaac
PS. I am a nutritional researcher… email me at the_future_11@hotmail.com if you have any further questions… or want to compare research…
Are we over the joy of soy? Yet…
It’s in everything from chewing gum, chocolate and bread to microwave meals, frozen pizzas and processed meat.
A growing body of research suggests a worrying link between excess soy consumption and fertility problems in both men and women.
This is because soy contains chemicals called phytoestrogens, which can mimic the female hormone oestrogen and disrupt the body’s normal production of sex hormones.
Most men believe their soy intake is relatively low. But if they eat refined foods – the everyday items on supermarket shelves – they are probably mistaken. So they may be unwittingly lowering their sperm count.
Soy is not just in traditional blokey packet foods such as meat pies, sausages and sliced bread; it’s also in protein bars, shakes and kilojoule-controlled frozen meals.
Dr Geoffry De Iuliis, of the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, co-led a study into the impact of environmental oestrogens on human sperm last year. He and his team found high levels of genistein – a phytoestrogen compound found in soy – caused stress on sperm, leading to DNA damage, which has been linked to reduced fertility and increased risk of miscarriage.
ABOUT 60% OF ALL PROCESSED FOODS… now contain soy phytoestrogens, says Sheena Lewis, professor of reproductive medicine at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland.
In Australia, the Australian Food and Grocery Council estimates that soy is in about 50 per cent of foodstuffs. The council expects this figure to rise over the next decade.
“Over the past 50 years, fertility rates have declined across Europe and Australia, making infertility an urgent public health issue,” Professor Lewis says.“Recent studies report that sperm counts of young men are now so low that they reflect a generalised decrease in male fecundity and may be a major cause of this decreased pregnancy rate.”
This trend has occurred, she says, while phytoestrogens have become more common in food.
Why is soy in every food all of a sudden?
Answer:
Monsanto owns all our food and 90% of Soy is genetically modified…
Soy is very cheap to mass produce…
Population control… I know it sounds weird but think about it… humans are destroying the planet and unless we change our rate of consumption (highly unlikely) or rate of population increase… the world is in big trouble… I am not saying for sure this is why… but it is a compelling theory…
Do some research on how they are giving Soy formula to poor neighborhoods all across the US… some scientists have estimated a child being fed soy formula is ingesting the hormonal equivalent of five birth control pills a day. Such a high intake could have disastrous results.
-Isaac
PS. I am a nutritional researcher… email me at the_future_11@hotmail.com if you have any further questions… or want to compare research…
Hi,
“… a worrying link” or correlation does not necessarily mean causation.
But, I would agree that too much of anything (soy, food or exercise) will have a negative effect once it exceeds an ‘equilibrium’ point.
Best wishes for your research.
Quote
By:Kalevi
“Skimmed “fat-free” milk is by no means just sugar. It contains plenty of proteins (just like its “precursor”), most notably lactoglobulin, which is a fairly good source of branched-chain amino-acids (the liver can’t break convert these to glutamin, so they’re great for rapidly replenishing muscles (=inhibiting catabolic effects) after a workout. Btw pasteurization does damage the conformation (structure) of proteins (rendering enzymes useless etc.), but that has no nutritional effect in healthy people, since virtually all protein is broken down to AAs before digestion. Intake of intact proteins would cause an allergic reaction in every case, since the proteins are recognized as antigens. They are coming from a different species, after all. Documented protein aggregation in skimmed & pasteurized milk is minor, and has little significance on the overall digested amino-acid content. Usually vitamin D is also added to make up for the loss during the skimming process.”
Isaac’s response:
Raw milk contains lactic-acid-producing bacteria that protect against pathogens. Pasteurization destroys these helpful organisms, leaving the finished product devoid of any protective mechanism should undesirable bacteria inadvertently contaminate the supply.
Raw milk in time turns pleasantly sour while pasteurized milk, lacking beneficial bacteria, will putrefy. But that’s not all that pasteurization does to milk. Heat alters milk’s amino acids lysine and tyrosine, making the whole complex of proteins less available; it promotes rancidity of unsaturated fatty acids and destruction of vitamins. Vitamin C loss in pasteurization usually exceeds 50%; loss of other water-soluble vitamins can run as high as 80%.
Pasteurization alters milk’s mineral components such as calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur as well as many trace minerals, making them less available.
Pasteurization, destroys all the enzymes in milk— in fact, the test for successful pasteurization is absence of enzymes. These enzymes help the body assimilate all bodybuilding factors, including calcium. That is why those who drink pasteurized milk may suffer, nevertheless, from osteoporosis.
Lipase in raw milk helps the body digest and utilize butterfat.
After pasteurization, chemicals may be added to suppress odor and restore taste. Synthetic vitamin D2 or D3 is added — the former is toxic and has been linked to heart disease while the latter is difficult to absorb.
The final indignity is homogenization which has also been linked to heart disease.
Powdered skim milk is added to the most popular varieties of commercial milk— one-percent and two-percent milk. Commercial dehydration methods oxidize cholesterol in powdered milk, rendering it harmful to the arteries.
High temperature drying also creates large quantities of nitrate compounds, which are potent carcinogens.
Modern pasteurized milk, devoid of its enzyme content, puts an enormous strain on the body’s digestive mechanism.
In the elderly, and those with milk intolerance or inherited weaknesses of digestion, this milk passes through not fully digested and can clog the tiny villi of the small intestine, preventing the absorption of vital nutrients.
All the healthy milk-drinking populations studied by Dr. Price subsisted on raw milk, raw cultured milk or raw cheese from normal animals eating fresh grass or fodder. It is very difficult to find this kind of milk in America.
Research has known since the 1930’s that pasteurized milk does not and can not increase bone density… when you pasteurize milk you completely denature and destroy the enzyme phosphatase… without phosphatase it is impossible to adsorb the calcium present in milk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKxnPfwdWB8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr5pl6lgjJ8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHcyAH0rOPE&NR=1
Don’t believe me… do some real research… I am not just talking about reading funded research papers by the massive billion dairy industry!
After truly researching the difference between factory farmed drugged up pasteurized milk (Man’s Mutant Milk) and organic grass-fed pasture raised raw milk (Nature’s Original Milk)…
It would be an understatement to say that the difference is night and day…
Raw milk is real milk…
Always has been always will be…
Hopefully one day common sense will win out over billion dollar lobby groups…
Common sense: Would you pasteurize mothers milk?
-Isaac
PS. I am a nutritional researcher… email me at the_future_11@hotmail.com if you have any further questions… or want to compare research…
Hi I have small kids what should I be giving them for calcium? RIce milk is not an option. I don’t like to give them calcium supplements.
Thanks
Karol
AUSTRALIA
Try “Salba” You canorder it online or go to a local Farmer’s Market Grocery store like Sprouts or Whole Foods, It’s got a ton of great nutrients and the taste is neutral! I include this is my workouts. I’m training to run 22 miles in 24 hours relay style for a charity, starting off as I never ran long distances, I was able to reach 2 miles before cramping in my sides and so on, with Salba I reach 5 miles on a tread mill with 5% incline at 7mph nonstop. It is a seed that you can purchase in either whole seed form (very tiny) or milled version. I usually put it in my oatmeal, pancakes, breads, etc…
You can learn more about it on their site http://www.Salba.com
i am twenty year old male and have been drinking an abundance of mile my entire life. for at least the last 10 years i have been drinking 1-3, usually at least 2 liters of milk a day. while i could do withouth the cows being injected with hormones that can cause cancer, expecially since i drink so much, the fat isnt as unhealthy as you would find in some fries and it is a source of protein. yes there may be a lot of calories but they arent exactly just empty calories like you would find in a double cheeseburger. i am not some kind of bodybuilder but do like to work out, and sometimes you need the calories just as much as you would need the protein. i love to drink milk its almost all i drink and i feel just fantastic
Fortunately even though we may not see Raw Milk sold in stores for years! (unless you make your voice heard) You can still purchase it at local Dairies, just have to do the research to find one and what method to get it. There are many benefits to Raw milk over the pasteurized garbage.
To Lal the Nutritionist;
Unfortunately, a lot of so called “acceptable” eating habits known to the mass public or taught by people such as yourselves are not comprehensive. What I mean by this is exactly what Paul mentioned–the US (and Canada) are VERY unique in the way they process and harvest food! This isn’t news and I don’t understand why “clinical …. (you name it) ” here appeal to the way “other countries doing it, doesnt harm them” method. It’s just not logical. We have totally different standards and completely different methods.
I gave up milk years ago and most dairy products and supplemented the calcium with actual pills and more broccoli (did you know sprouts have 8 times more calcium in them then 1 glass of milk?).
Here in Canada, a farmer won a case that was getting a lot of attention about selling his own raw milk. He won.
And good for him. He should be able to sell his product without big brother butting in, especially when there is no risk. Everything is so damn regulated here, it makes me sick.
Don’t worry about wrinkles Zuzana! Smile more and live life more cheerful(not saying you’re not happy). A person who smiles is already beautful so SMILE SMILE SMILE!! :D
I have a question for the milk experts. Why do humans drink cows milk? Shouldn’t we be drinking human milk. Should we be drinking milk at all? Every living mammal on this planet is born to drink its mother’s milk, something about genetics and the cycle of nature I assume, then in its natural environment without human intervention it never drinks milk again. So what’s the story with us humans? Just because we can doesn’t me we should. What does your common sense tell you to do?
How fast can I see muscle definition?
Once again, thank you for introducing me to the works of Michael Pollan. He is an amazing journalist. And I get so much info just from reading all of the comments from your blogs… I love it. So, almond milk it is then?
Goat milk is the BEST for you and your BODY
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=131
http://www.saanendoah.com/compare.html
Wow very nice article …I was wondering when someone would mention GOAT MILK….
GOAT MILK … the only Milk one should have PERIOD.
Please stay away from all other milk because it’s
NOT GOOD FOR YOU…
yes even skim.. 2 percent, 1 percent milk IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU….ask a Nutritionist.
ASK a Naturopathic Doctor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturopathy
after i started to drink only goat milk all the Phlegm and my nasal passages cleared up…
http://Nutrapathic.com
Application for Organic, Transitional, Sustainable and Convention Farming
Thank you
And what about the idea that milk is a perfect absorbent for radioactive strontium-90? I haven’t found convincing information pro and contra yet.
2) Susanna, you’re great. I am grateful to you so much for your workouts. I belive this is the world of fitness that was hidden in gyms with costly personal couches who train cindy crawford etc, and you’re just giving it away increasing the amount of simply healthy people. How much time would it have taken me to find all that out? Especially taking into account my current tough financial situation with no help at all from any relatives… Your sports spirit helps me to even manage quite another problems. A couple of combined simple exercises, both plesurable and making the heart work – this is exactly what I need, because my unavoidable hours before the computer drive crazy. I have finally found excellent cardiotrainings! Your exercises are both simple and effective. And it’s just so right to share it, earning the entire world’s attention and friendship in return. Such a site must grow incredibly popular, that’s the way to gain its maximum popularity ever possible with all the resulting benefits. To tell you the truth, I think that’s the only right way to teach anything.
3) being skinny is also achievable rather easy. It comes from complete fasting which is also a kind of physical exercise :). Taken accurately with regard to strict medical guidelines, it’s very helpful to a variaty of problems, either spiritual or health. I recommend everyone 1 day a week without eating at all. If you can’t do it, try not-eating till 12 or till 22 o’clock. Watch the effects. And of course, no overeating on that day – fruits, no meat, no fat. And – important – no frustration! +physical exercising. 1 day is absolutely harmless for everyone. If you’re interested I’ll send you the physiological principles (when I have time:) – I’ll need to translate them). Being skinny (and healthy at the same time) – is rather a simple task, but it requires real self-discipline, more mental than of any other kind. And this practise is also a life-long journey. Combined with such exercising as Susanna’s it is going to give an outstanding effect, I guess.
4) Susanna, your accent reminds Russian, but I saw your reply in Czech. I am just wondering occasionally which is it actually? :)
Marina, 31, Russia
Milk has a lot of fat which we need to control our intake of it, limit yourself.
I drink a lot of whole milk every night before I go to bed, its no big deal if you lift weights everyday and eat whole foods (not the supermaket) The trick is to eat like you live off the land and work out like a bodybuilder. You dont need protein shakes or supplements or any of the garbage. You have to eat lean, be consistent and make sure you get a solid nights rest. Then repeat and watch how you get the results you want. I’ve been working out for three years only and I’m basically a male version of this chick
GOAT MILK … the only Milk one should have PERIOD.
Please stay away from all other milk because it’s
NOT GOOD FOR YOU…
yes even skim.. 2 percent, 1 percent milk IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU….ask a Nutritionist.
ASK a Naturopathic Doctor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturopathy
after i started to drink only goat milk all the Phlegm and my nasal passages cleared up…
http://Nutrapathic.com
Application for Organic, Transitional, Sustainable and Convention Farming
Thank you
hey thats maltese milk right?
In today’s society there is a lot of information… meat is bad, meat is good, broccoli has protein, people need to eat meat to get protein because vegetarians are deficient in it, milk is good and milk is bad.
At the end of the day, just look at all the info and make your own decisions and be happy with them.
Trying to convince people about one food ideology over the next is like trying to argue about politics or religion. It causes much pain to those who stand strongly behind their beliefs and it’s an un-winable battle.
I’ve drinking unpasteurized goats milk as my recovery drink after my high intensity workouts every day. Since I’ve started my allergies have gone away and I used to have really bad dry eyes, but that’s gone away also.