Dairy, the Wonder Food?
Lenore Y. Baum, M.A.
Melted mozzarella. Mouth-watering milkshakes. Sinful chocolate sundays. Most of us are emotionally attached to psychologically
soothing dairy products, so it can be difficult to evaluate them objectively. I was no exception.
I followed a lacto-vegetarian diet for fifteen years before I was willing to seriously consider life without dairy. Michio Kushi, one
of the country's leading macrobiotics teachers, suggested that dairy products were contributing to several of my health problems,
including serious digestive difficulties, endometriosis and a chronic candida yeast infection. At this point, I was ready to try anything,
even giving up feta cheese and yogurt!
Only two months after eliminating all dairy products and following a more balanced vegan diet, most of my symptoms magically disappeared
and others diminished dramatically. I was convinced! However, I was left wondering exactly how dairy products contribute to health problems.
Kushi cites casein, the protein in dairy products, as the culprit. Because it is not easily absorbed, it accumulates undigested in the upper intestine,
producing toxins and leading to a weakening of body systems and an increase in mucous deposits. He theorizes that the body attempts to isolate
this excess, creating cysts and tumors. In addition, these deposits can accumulate in the kidney and gall bladder, leading to stones.
Kushi also believes that dairy products are a major contributor to endometriosis, infertility and systemic yeast infections.
But don't we need to consume dairy products to get sufficient calcium? According to Kushi, dairy products like milk and cheese can actually draw
calcium from bones and teeth. This is because dairy consumption produces an excess of protein in the body. Excess protein causes an acidic
condition requiring an alkaline buffer, calcium, to neutralize it.
Thus, the body's attempt to balance high protein, acid-forming foods depletes calcium reserves from our bones.
Herman Aihara, another well-respected macrobiotic teacher, believed that cow's milk is unsuitable for human consumption for several reasons.
First, milk is highly processed, containing many chemical additives such as antibiotics, hormones, pesticides and preservatives. Second, milk is high
in saturated fats, predisposing us to cholesterol deposits in the arteries.
Finally, the protein in cow's milk is seven times larger than human milk protein, causing digestive problems.
John Robbins, author of Diet for New America, agrees. In his book he states, " Dairy cattle are fed such 'delicacies' as sawdust laced with ammonia and
feathers, shredded newspaper (complete with all the toxic colored ink from Sunday comics and advertising circulars), 'plastic hay,' processed sewage,
tallow and grease, poultry litter, cement dust, and cardboard scraps, not to mention the insecticides, antibiotics, hormones and tranquilizers."
Creamy, white dairy products are not as pure and wholesome as they appear.
The Western medical establishment is now confirming the connection between dairy consumption and illness. The Physicians Committee
for Responsible Medicine has concluded that milk, cheese, butter and yogurt contribute to diseases such as cancer, allergies, digestive problems
and heart disease.
There are many healthy alternatives to dairy products. For calcium, try eating dark leafy greens such as broccoli, collards, spring greens, kale and bok choy.
Other good sources are beans, sesame seeds, sea vegetables, tofu and soy beverages. To satisfy the desire for rich foods, choose seed and nut
butters, oil-sautГ©ed vegetables and tofu dressings. Natural food stores sell non-dairy sour cream, butter, cheese and ice cream. Lastly, Amasake,
a sweet rice drink, makes a delicious "milkshake."
Whether you are experiencing health problems or would simply like to eat for optimal health, there are a wide variety of delicious, dairy-free foods
to choose from. Here is one of my favorite recipes to help you get started on the road to greater well-being

Thanks for the article, Gareth. I think the US is way too dependent on cow's milk as a source of nutrition!

That is why I only drink goat milk - baaa-baaa ; ))) !!! And eat goat cheese ; ). Goats can't be fed ANYTHING artificial - they have to graze freely. You can't even find goat milk in early spring because baby-goats need it, which means that goats are not exposed to hormones for continuous milk production. VIVA LA GOATS !!!! Their milk protein is easily digested, it has different molecular structure and even Chron (sp.?) patients can digest it without problems.
DISCLAIMER: This message is not endorsed by any goat farming enterprise and author is not getting any monetary or other compensation for posting this information

interesting. fissulyna thats interesting too, never thought about goat milk...

i love cat milk!
it's so healthy and high in protein without all the bad stuff from cows.
chocolate cat milk is the best.......
(not)

I like Milk Duds...
Made me grow up big, and strong, and healthy...!!

ha ha ha, I love sheep milk too : ) - I guess I should have been a shepherdess ; ),
I am sure I wold be 150 pounds, strong as a bull, with red healthy cheeks , extra toned body from all that climbing and walking and not anemic since I would live on high altitudes : ))))) ! I would sing all day long or play my wooden flute and have bunch of fluffy big dogs to play with. Not to mention young shepherds , wink wink , happy to see me ANY time , ha ha ha, oh my god, I am becoming "hyper" again - this LIS prospective is making me "high" for some reason - who would guess ??? :joker:

Interesting that you mention...I love goat cheese and do digest it better than many other cheeses. when my mom was little, she couldn't eat dairy and had always to drin kgoat milk
I wonder why yogurt is on the bad list... Don't the bacteria partially digest the casin and other proteins making it easier for us to digest. Plus, doesn't it deposit those lovely little probiotics in our digestive track helping us to digest other things as well? Do the macrobiotics folks say anthing about this Gareth? What would a substitute for yogurt be? Maybe I'll look in the stores for goat's milk yogurt...

This is sort of irrelevant but Gareth I tried rice milk (as you recommended) and I actually like it way more than soy milk! I can't wait to eat it with cereal, I've been missing my corn flakes so much. mmm . Thanks for telling me about it!
Are there any other benefits to drinking rice milk?