Are you a "calf"? Unless you are, do not drink dairy! Calves are the only mammals that benefit from dairy milk. Dairy is the first of the top eight most common allergenic foods; and along with gluten and soy, it is one of the most inflammatory foods in our modern diet. Today's milk contains roughly 60 hormones, a number of allergens, fat, cholesterol, and has a direct link to turning on and off cancer genes. Biologically, there is absolutely no requirement for humans to consume milk from a cow.
There are two components of dairy that tend to cause issues for people. The first component is a large sugar molecule in milk known as lactose that is made up of two smaller sugar molecules called glucose and galactose. In order to break down lactose, so that the two smaller sugar molecules can be absorbed by the cells lining the small intestine, an enzyme called lactase is required. Unfortunately, many people have a reduced or absent activity of the lactase enzyme. As a result, the consumption of dairy or any dairy product will cause a variety of digestive issues such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, gas, diarrhea, allergies, eczema, and acne. This is known as "lactose intolerance" which is a very common but an under-diagnosed medical condition.
The second component found in milk is a protein of which 80% is casein and 20% whey. Casein is a disulfide-bonded protein which means it is exceedingly hard to digest. This protein is literally the ingredient that gives Elmer's glue its gluey consistency. The slow digestion of casein puts a great strain on our digestive system. Our gut has an extremely difficult time breaking casein down which creates a heightened and on-going inflammatory response. Casein also contains natural morphine-like substances known as casomorphins that act like opiates in the body as they enter the bloodstream. These drug-like casomorphins can attach to opiate receptors in the brain. And, they have been compared to heroine in terms of their strength to cause food addictions, especially as in craving for more dairy products like cheese. Casein is associated to mood disorders such as bi-polar and schizophrenia.** In genetically susceptible individuals, scientific literature shows there may be a link between juvenile onset diabetes (type 1) and the consumption of cow's milk, by triggering an autoimmune destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas which produce insulin.**
In the United States, cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death. The link between dietary protein and cancer was confirmed in 1974.** Twenty years later, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, co-author of The China Study, reviewed this information and reproduced similar results.** According to Dr. Campbell and multiple scientific laboratories, casein is now viewed as the most relevant chemical carcinogen ever identified. As elaborated in An Inflammation Nation by Dr. Sunil Pai, nothing promotes cancer growth as fast and in such a clinically relevant way as casein. He writes that as early as 1997, casein was shown in scientific literature to increase IGF-1 5 (insulin growth factor-1), which is a trigger for cancer cells, prompting the cells to obtain more glucose to "feed" them; this in turn, promotes cellular dysfunction. Casein affects the way cells interact with carcinogens, the way our DNA reacts with carcinogens, and the way cancer cells grow.
Although cow's milk has been promoted strongly for its calcium content to make strong bones, the adverse long-term effects of its consumption on human health have been neglected. An accumulated body of evidence shows for the first time that milk protein consumption is an essential adverse environmental factor promoting most chronic diseases (i.e. pathogenesis of acne, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, obesity, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases) of Western societies.**
- Many studies illustrate cow's milk to produce constipation in children*
- In patients with casein antibodies, there was a 7-8x increase in the diagnosis of schizophrenia, and they have similarly demonstrated a 3-5x increased of Bipolar disorder in patients with casein antibodies (IgG)**
- Milk consumption is a well-known cause of acne*
- Milk increases the risk of type 1 diabetes**
- Cow's milk causes intestinal bleeding in 40% of infants leading to iron deficiency*
- Allergy, asthma, and eczema all may be triggered by dairy consumption.*
- Serious risks tied to dairy consumption include weight gain, increased cancer risk, and increased fracture risk.*
- Milk and cheese consumption closely correlated with prostate cancer and testicular cancer incidence, respectively.**
- Casein-free (dairy-free) diet may be of benefit to patients with systemic lupus erythematous* and in the treatment of autism and attention deficit disorders.**
- Casein consumption may be associated with gallstone formation.*
- Opioid peptides from milk possible cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)*
- Highly significant increases compared with controls found in patients with multiple sclerosis for IgA antibodies against casein.*
