Plant-Based Junkies

Now that I have your attention, I would like to briefly discuss dairy, and the numerous reasons to Ditch Dairy:

10 Reasons to Ditch Dairy
Posted by Julieanna Hever MS, RD

1. Dairy destroys your bones. Countries around the world that drink the most dairy have the MOST osteoporosis and hip fractures. As dairy and calcium consumption increases, so do your risk factors for osteoporosis and bone fractures. The high levels of sodium and animal protein places your body in metabolic acidosis (when your blood becomes acidic). To compensate for that, your body pulls minerals out of the bone-thanks to their great alkalizing effects-and they are excreted in your urine. To recap: the more dairy you eat or drink, the more bone you lose.

2. There are excellent plant-sources of calcium that do not cause metabolic acidosis; rather, they are alkalizing and support bone health. Broccoli, kale, other leafy green veggies, sesame seeds, tahini, calcium-set tofu, and fortified plant milks/juices all have adequate amounts of calcium to meet daily requirements.

3. The number one most important factor in bone health is exercise. To increase and maintain bone density, stress needs to be applied to your bones regularly. Add resistance training, and exercises such as walking, jogging in order to increase mass, and prevent osteoporosis. This factor far outweighs any nutritional component.

4. Casein-the primary protein in milk-causes physiological addiction. Have you ever noticed that the more cheese you eat, the more of it you crave? Casomorphines are formed in your brain when you eat or drink dairy. These are opiate-like substances that produce euphoria, making you physically need more dairy. The only way to break this addictive cycle, is to cut it out entirely.

5. Casein is a potent carcinogen. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, found casein to be a powerful cancer promoter after decades of laboratory research. He was able to turn cancer on and off simply by increasing the amount of raw casein fed.

6. Dairy provides high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, which are known to cause atherosclerosis. This leads to heart disease.

7. Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health too. No matter how much calcium you are consuming, you need vitamin D to help absorb it. Plus. 70-97% of the population is insufficient or deficient in their vitamin D levels. Ask your doctor for a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test and if your level is below 35-50 ng/mL, add a daily dose of sunlight (a few minutes at peak hours with no sunscreen). If this doesn’t improve your D levels, you need to supplement.

8. We are the only species that drinks the lactation excretions of another species AND the only species who continues to drink milk after being weaned.

9. Besides being inherently unhealthy and disease-promoting, dairy comes packed with pesticides, antibiotics, hormones (even organic), steroids, heavy metals, and other toxins fed to the cows to improve milk production.

10. Seventy percent of the world’s population is lactose-intolerant. The fact that more people than not react with painful gastrointestinal symptoms upon consumption of dairy demonstrates the fact that the human body is not intended to consume it. Doctors and dietitians are now pushing the use of lactase enzymes and other symptom-relieving medications in order to ensure “adequate” intake of dairy products. Yet, if we have to force our bodies to accept something it doesn’t want, shouldn’t that be a sign that something is wrong?

The Perils of Dairy (skip to minute 7)

The Truth about Dairy
Posted by Mark Hyman, MD

According to Dr. Willett, who has done many studies and reviewed the research on this topic, there are many reasons to pass up milk, including:

1. Milk doesn’t reduce fractures.  Contrary to popular belief, eating dairy products has never been shown to reduce fracture risk. In fact, according to the Nurses’ Health Study dairy may increase risk of fractures by 50 percent!

2. Less dairy, better bones. Countries with lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.

3. Calcium isn’t as bone-protective as we thought. Studies of calcium supplementation have shown no benefit in reducing fracture risk. Vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures.

4. Calcium may raise cancer risk. Research shows that higher intakes of both calcium and dairy products may increase a man’s risk of prostate cancer by 30 to 50 percent. Plus, dairy consumption increases the body’s level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) — a known cancer promoter.

5. Calcium has benefits that dairy doesn’t. Calcium supplements, but not dairy products, may reduce the risk of colon cancer.

6. Not everyone can stomach dairy.  About 75 percent of the world’s population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products — a problem called lactose intolerance.

Based on such findings, Dr. Willet has come to some important conclusions:

• Everybody needs calcium — but probably not as much as our government’s recommended daily allowance (RDA) and calcium from diet, including greens and beans is better utilized by the body with less risk than calcium supplements.

• Calcium probably doesn’t prevent broken bones. Few people in this country are likely to reduce their fracture risk by getting more calcium.

• Men may not want to take calcium supplements. Supplements of calcium and vitamin D may be reasonable for women.

• Dairy may be unhealthy. Advocating dairy consumption may have negative effects on health.

If all that isn’t enough to swear you off milk, there are a few other scientific findings worth noting. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently asked the USDA to look into the scientific basis of the claims made in the “milk mustache” ads. Their panel of scientists stated the truth clearly:

• Milk doesn’t benefit sports performance.

• There’s no evidence that dairy is good for your bones or prevents osteoporosis — in fact, the animal protein it contains may help cause bone loss!

• Dairy is linked to prostate cancer.

• It’s full of saturated fat and is linked to heart disease.

• Dairy causes digestive problems for the 75 percent of people with lactose intolerance.

• Dairy aggravates irritable bowel syndrome.

Simply put, the FTC asked the dairy industry, “Got Proof?” — and the answer was NO!

Plus, dairy may contribute to even more health problems, like:

• Allergies
• Sinus problems
• Ear infections
• Type 1 diabetes
• Chronic constipation
• Anemia (in children)

Due to these concerns, many have begun to consider raw milk an alternative. But that isn’t really a healthy form of dairy?

Our bodies just weren’t made to digest milk on a regular basis. Instead, most scientists agree that it’s better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other food sources, like whole plant foods — vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and seaweed.

So here is some advice for dealing with dairy.

• Don’t rely on dairy for healthy bones. If you want healthy bones, get plenty of exercise and supplement with 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily.

• Get your calcium from food. These include dark green leafy vegetables, sesame tahini, sea vegetables, and sardines or salmon with the bones.

• Try giving up all dairy. That means eliminate milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream for two weeks and see if you feel better. You should notice improvements with your sinuses, post-nasal drip, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, energy, and weight. Then start eating dairy again and see how you feel. If you feel worse, you should try to give it up for life.

More reasons………

When Friends Ask: “Why Don’t You Drink Milk?”

• Dairy Products Taste Delicious—Actually the Additives Do
• Dairy Products Build Bones – Actually They Damage Them, Too
• Dairy foods increase growth hormones
• Dairy Foods Raise Estrogen:
• The overall effect of the Western diet is bone damage:
• Dairy Products Make People Trim—That’s Not What They Tell Each Other
• Recommending Dairy is Racist
• The Dairy Industry Remains Unaccountable

Marketing Milk and Disease

Dairy Products and 10 False Promises

Dangers Of Milk And Dairy Products – The Facts

Health Concerns about Dairy Products

Excerpt from the book, The China Study:  “We found that not all proteins had this effect.  What protein consistently and strongly promoted cancer?  Casein, which makes up 87% of cow’s milk protein,  promoted all stages of cancer process.  What type of protein did not promote cancer, even at high levels of intake?  The safe proteins were from plants, including wheat and soy.”

We as a society eat meat and dairy products because they taste so good. Because they are so-called comfort foods.  Because the saturated animal fat creates wonderful taste sensations upon our taste buds. Two out of three of us who eat such food as our body’s fuel will die of a cardiovascular event such as a stroke or heart attack.

It is never too late to reverse heart disease. Day one begins with a recognition of gastronomy’s cruelest joke.  That which tastes the best, pizza, barbecued ribs, ice cream, hamburgers, does the most damage. The choice is to either live a life free of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and not spend ten to twenty years dying like the average American does, or give up those most delicious hard-to-digest foods, and live a longer, healthier, and more active, pain-free life in which the body and mind remain true to the initial design plan.

**ADDED 1/1/13**
13 REASONS TO STOP EATING DAIRY (by DREENA BURTON)

**ADDED 2/10/13**
Dairy Products Increase Risk of Prostate Cancer (by PCRM -Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine)

**ADDED 2/10/13**
2 big reasons to steer clear of the cheese tray (by Lani Muelrath)

Look for Milk, and CHEESE substitutes in our next blog!