Without a doubt, milk has one of the highest levels of calcium, but it also contains high levels of saturated fat, and may not be as healthy or digestible as we think!

We all know that calcium is extremely important for healthy bones. 95% of the calcium in our body is stored in bones and teeth. There is a huge debate going on about how much calcium we actually need and whether milk and dairy products are indeed the best source. There is increasing scientific evidence that the “pinta” may not be as healthy as it first appears.

What is absolutely clear is that our consumption of dairy based products has increased hugely in the past 70 years – we no longer have plain milk and the occasional piece of cheese. Go and look in your local supermarket at all of the dairy based products that we are being tempted with – cheeses, ice cream, yoghurts, puddings and deserts, cream and so on - and now we are being presented with all sorts of milk based products that are said to help balance the beneficial bacteria in our guts! Where will it end?

Where Did We Get Calcium From Before Dairy Milk?

At a common sense level, we are the only species on the planet that continues to drink milk after we have weaned, and we are the only species on the planet that drinks milk belonging to another species! Drinking the milk of a dog or cat would be unthinkable, so why are we so happy drinking milk from the cow? And since the human species has been on the planet for millions of years, one has to ask the question “Where did we get our calcium from before dairy milk existed?” The answer of course is from other foods that are also rich in calcium – green leafy vegetables, dried beans, fish and bones!

Ten Fold Increase in Food Intolerance

In a leading article in the Daily Telegraph, top Doctors, Scientists and Nutritionists reported that there has been a 10 fold increase in people with food intolerance in the last 25 years.
As a food intolerance practitioner, I am aware of the increasing evidence that the number of adults showing intolerance to dairy products is increasing. Allergy UK states that nearly 40% of the adult population now has intolerance to dairy products. Their views seem to be backed up by leading specialists such as Dr. Harry Morrow-Brown who also considers that the number of people intolerance to milk has increased dramatically over the past 20 years.

Who Should We Believe?

There really are two views!

The first that the recommended daily dose of milk of 3 glasses will help to prevent osteoperosis. Yet, even with our increased consumption of milk and dairy products, osteoperosis results in more than 1.5 million fractures every year. In very moderate amounts, there is also some evidence that it may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and colon cancer.

On the other side of the debate is the argument that the increased consumption of milk and dairy products is leading to other health problems such as coronary heart disease and prostate cancer.
Whilst short term studies appear to support the need to consume quite large amounts of calcium, longer term studies have cast doubt on the value of consuming the amounts currently recommended for adults. These studies do not support that high calcium intake lowers the risk of osteoperosis. Further these studies showed that calcium supplements equally did not protect against fractures. Indeed, they suggested that supplements taken in the absence of adequate Vitamin D might even increase the risk of hip fractures.

It is also interesting to note that in countries where the average consumption is less than 1/3 of the recommended amount for adults in the USA and UK, the incidence of bone fractures is actually quite low (e.g. India, Japan and Peru). Of course, these countries lead more active lives and are exposed to higher amounts of sunlight.

Studies at Harvard University have concluded that milk does not protect against bone fractures. Their evidence suggests that dairy milk actually causes leaching of calcium from the bones. They have also found evidence that too much dairy product is linked to prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. Most interestingly, they have found evidence to suggest that the recommended doses of calcium do not actually reduce the incidents of osteoporosis. They therefore question the amount of milk typically recommended for consumption. Their research is also now focusing on Vitamin D – which appears to play a critical role in developing and maintaining healthy bones. It is just possible that it is the lack of Vitamin D that is contributing toward the increase in osteoporosis. We are hiding away and covering up more than ever from the beneficial effects of the sun on our skin!

Saturated Fat and Heart Disease

We all know that heart disease is on the increase, yet our consumption of fatty meats is on the decline. So let’s look at milk. Even skimmed milk contains high levels of saturated fat – with 25% of the calories still coming from this source – and cholesterol. Three glasses of whole milk contain as much saturated fat as 13 strips of bacon. At the end of the day, there is no waste in the food industry so the fat that is stripped out from the milk is being put into other products that we then consume – ice cream, baked goods, butter, etc. Is this the real reason for the increased incidents of high cholesterol – nothing to do with meat?

What else can we say about milk?

If we look away from the calcium debate, there are some other interesting issues to consider about milk.

• The hormones and antibiotics fed to cattle end up in our own food chain and have been linked to ovarian and breast cancer, prostate cancer, as well as atherosclerosis and heart disease.
• Synthetic growth hormones have been linked to infertility in men who drank lots of milk as boys
• Milk becomes contaminated by pesticides and insecticides – some tests have indicated that milk contains up to 200 times the safe levels. This has led to concerns about asthma, intestinal bleading, colic, ear and throat infections and allergies in children

• milk contains blood and pus from the cow – originating from the udder or insufficient cleaning of the udder and teats before milking. Although governments adopt “acceptable” levels in testing the quality of milk, I am not sure that I want any of it!
• Milk and dairy products are highly acid forming in the body and to neutralise this effect, the body uses calcium and other minerals to level out the pH balance which can decrease the store of calcium in the body – leeching it from the bones.
• Milk contains the protein casein – this is the base for one of the strongest wood glues and cow’s milk has 300 times more casein than human milk
• Cow’s milk lacks essential fatty acids human infants need for neurological development. Babies drinking whole milk in their first two years develop allergies, colic, diabetes; milk causes internal bleeding in children, which contributes to anemia

With all of this in mind, perhaps milk and diary products are not the innocent and enjoyable food source that we have been led to believe. It may actually be a slow acting poison that is leading to increased levels of disease in the Western world.

With increased evidence that we don’t need to consume as much calcium as we thought, should we not revert back to what mother nature provided us – rich sources of calcium that come along with fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and pulses – perhaps much more digestible than milk and without the other hidden problems! Hmmmmmmmmmm........ Certainly food for thought.