If you are North American, you no doubt grew up with a glass of milk at every meal and when you were thirsty, you reached for the milk carton and downed another glass or two. 

Then with desserts of course, another glass of milk. Who can deny that biscuits (cookies) and milk are inseparable? Your mother dutifully heeded the milk industries 'advice' on the importance of milk for your family as did the schools. The government as well - being closely related to money making industries.

While the milk industry convinced the general public that milk was the best source of calcium and was the (almost) perfect food. It also was busy developing more and more products based on the white gold.

In the meantime, and since the 50's, food allergies and intolerances have significantly increased, most notably lactose/casein intolerances. Milk was also praised as the singular most important product against osteoporosis. 

America consumes the highest quantities of milk products, and yet has increasingly higher cases of osteoporosis and calcium deficiencies than ever before.

Paradoxically, it is also the only modern, western society that has alarmingly high statistics of malnutrition even amongst the middle class - obviously, this not being due entirely to the high milk consumption but caused by the typical North American diet based on processed, junk foods, high protein and fat intake and otherwise inadequate diet. 

Carbonated drinks leach calcium from the body contributing greatly to calcium deficiency and malabsorption of vitamins as well. 

Relentless Propaganda
What may have been well intentioned in the early 1950's has proven to be one of the best advertising schemes of the modern food industry. Pictures of contented cows, the 50's ideal of the perfect home, the current 'milk moustache' campaign has sold the public on the milk industry's white lie - that milk is good for you. 

Their own laboratories know the truth, yet the public is given half truths and blatant fabrication of the truth about milk.

The milk industry has been relentlessly successful in their drive to convince the public of the 'benefits' of milk.  And it spends millions to dispel and ridicule evidence against its use. They would have you believe that milk is the only and best source of calcium and that milk is liquid protein. Yet it is a known fact that high protein consumption is a Pandora's Box leading to many illnesses.

What is milk? 

In a sentence, it is the first nurturing substance given to a cow's offspring. It is the perfect food - if you are a calf. Humans really have no need to drink it. In fact, humans are the only creatures that consume a nurturing substance from a creature other than their own species.

Milk is mainly composed of water, lactose and casein. Lactose is milk sugar; casein is milk protein. Lactose is found in all mammalian milk. It is interesting that in infancy almost all babies can tolerate lactose (mother's milk), but many develop an intolerance once given cow's milk. 

Lactase is an enzyme present in the small intestine that digests lactose. Not enough of this or lack of it is the cause of lactose intolerance resulting in severe intestinal cramping, diarrhoea and vomiting. 

In babies, symptoms can be as subtle as nappy rash (diaper rash), irritability, frothy stools, passing much wind to screaming bouts after feeding with drawn up legs (a natural reflex to ease abdominal pain). Or more complex as seemingly unrelated symptoms such as skin irritation or eczema. 

70% of the world population is lactose (non-mother's milk) intolerant. Certain races such as African, Asian, Malay, Filipino, Native American, Southern European, Australian Aboriginal and Hispanic race or mixed ethnic background are known not to produce this enzyme or have such low levels of lactase, that this leads to adult lactose intolerance. 

90% of adult blacks are lactose intolerant and 20-30% of Caucasians. In societies where milk consumption is highest, lactose intolerance can develop after the age of 4-5 years. Those of Caucasian or Northern European genetic background usually have no problem with lactose intolerance. 

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copyright 2002 - Patricia Conant - All worldwide rights reserved. 

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