Is milk as great as we make it to be?

Since a young age we are told that we must drink milk in order to have strong bones. What if I told you that the food that is promoted as being “good for your bones” mayb actually have the opposite effect? Increasingly, studies are relating the intake of dairy products with several diseases, including osteoporosis, in fact in countries where they consume less dairy, as in China, there is less osteoporosis than in those countries where it is consumed on a regular basis. Curiously the calcium from dairy products is not deposited in the area of the bones that need it, but in areas such as joints, this gives rise to osteoarthritis, or kidney stones forming or in the gall bladder, forming gallstones, it also can settle in the breast or in the arteries which can form the atheroma plaques obstructing them. Additionaly milk with vitamin D supplement increase these abnormal calcium deposits. Osteoporosis also has been associated with the consumption of protein and dairy products. Dr. McDougall asserts that how many more proteins we consume more calcium we lose, when you consume meat proteins occurs an acid reaction and the body needs calcium to maintain the balance in the blood, so that you lose a great deal. To remedy the shortcomings of calcium supplements is not the most appropriate option, since many contain dangerous amounts of lead, arsenic, mercury and other toxic metals. Some healthier alternatives to consume calcium might be nuts, sesame seeds, spinach, kale, quinoa, chickpeas, the vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, but there is that consume it in moderation, that very high levels of this vitamin are toxic, the daily recommendations for calcium are 800 mg. for adults. In addition animal milk desmineralizes, it deteriorates out reserves of vitamin A, zinc, iron, calcium, and vitamin B 12 and interferes with the absorption of iron which favors anemia. There are increasing numbers of cases of lactose intolerance. Newborns may assimilate properly caseins of breast milk, but in adults the gastric levels of renin, (enzyme needed to break the molecules of casein), drop quite significantly, in addition the milk neutralizes the gastric acid necessary for the actual digestion of the milk, thus making digestion much more difficult. Milk contains lactose which is composed of glucose and galactose (sugar), the latter requires enzymes to break it down into its component pieces and adults lose these with age. The problems to metabolize galactose produce an accumulation of this sugar in the ovaries and may lead to an increase in the levels of circulating hormones which may trigger ovarian cancer. Also breast cancer has been related to the intake of milk because the fat contained in the milk increases the production of estrogen in women and an excess of estrogen increases the reproduction of cancer cells. Other diseases related to the consumption of dairy foods are heart disease and the slowing down of the intestinal transit due to the large amount of saturated fat they contain; cataracts, to become the galactose to galactitol which can damage the structure of the lens of the eye. Dairy however can cause other problems aside from diseases, there are also other hazards such as growth hormone (rBGH) to that is given to the cow in order to produce more milk. Luckily in Europe use is prohibited, but in countries like the United States is not illegal. The rBGH stimulates the production of another hormone (IGF-1), to consume high levels of this hormone might occur a uncontrolled growth of cells which would lead to a cancer.

A.P.M

#nutrition2