Got Good Milk? What if all this dirt about dairy was just a bad dream?
The milk marketing boards would love for you to wake up to that unreality. But it's the producers of organic milk and dairy who just might have a case.
"The raging debate over 'milk as medicine' vs. 'milk as poison' reflects how today's food processing techniques can completely alter the state of a food, changing it from its natural healthy form to something totally different," writes Ontario naturopath and organic dairy farmer John Pronk.
"Modern processing techniques (pasteurizing, homogenizing, and skimming) destroy most of the beneficial nutrients in milk," Pronk continues. "Enzymes (which make milk easy to digest) and beneficial bacteria (which prevent people from developing allergies to foods) present in raw milk are destroyed by the heat of pasteurization, making it harder to digest and more allergenic. . . .
"Dairy cattle are now fed a fixed ration of feeds which they would not typically eat if given a choice. . . .Not only might this be considered inhumane, but what is not considered is the effects of these feeds on the quality of the milk and the effects of this milk on those who drink it.
"Having to deal with feeds that disagree puts an extra stress on a cow's immune system. Stressed cows are much more susceptible to infections and, not surprisingly, farmers are seeing very high rates of mastitis (udder infection) in these herds. The typical treatment for mastitis is antibiotics; antibiotic residues then end up in the milk. Overuse of these antibiotics has lead to the problem of antibiotic resistance.
"Milk has historically been used very effectively as medicine for a number of different conditions. Fresh raw milk from healthy animals contains many beneficial nutrients that can be very nourishing and healing. Complete protein, lactoferrin, various digestive enzymes, immunoglobulins (antibodies), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and beneficial lactobacillus bacteria are just a few of the valuable nutrients that milk, in its natural form, supplies. . . .
"I would say that organic milk is a lot closer to the whole food milk used to be. I would consider conventional store-bought milk to be a 'modified milk ingredient'; nothing close to the natural food it was a century ago."
Although the healthfulness and medicinal value of organic milk is still more a matter of lore than science, one thing is for sure: the evidence against modern milk can no more be applied to organic milk than the evidence against white rice can be applied to brown. These are cows of an entirely different colour.
Back to MILK: What is the Deal? From an email by John Pronk to writer Teryl Faulkner:
I am a Naturopathic doctor practicing in Palmerston, ON [Ontario]. I have an interest in the issues surrounding milk because there is a lot of one-sided information out there about it benefits and its problems.I have been an independent organic inspector for the past 7 years; this involves inspecting farms (crops, livestock, processing, including dairy farms) that are seeking certification of their production. My family also manages an organic dairy farm in Harriston; we converted to organic methods ~15 years ago. The opinions I express here are only my own; not necessarily a reflection of the Naturopathic profession as a whole (although I know that many N.D.'s hold the same opinions.
The raging debate over `milk as medicine' vs. `milk as poison' reflects how today's food processing techniques can completely alter the state of a food, changing it from its natural healthy form to something totally different.
True, milk has historically been used very effectively as medicine for a number of different conditions. Fresh raw milk from healthy animals contains many beneficial nutrients that can be very nourishing and healing. Complete protein, lactoferrin, various digestive enzymes, immunoglobulins (antibodies), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and beneficial lactobacillus bacteria are just a few of the valuable nutrients that milk, in its natural form, supplies. Research supports the therapeutic use of these nutrients for conditions ranging from allergies, to cancer, to ulcerative colitis. Cures of tuberculosis, diabetes, and various types of infections are all on historical record.
Unfortunately milk today, as most know it, is much different than it was 100 years ago. Over the past century milk production has changed significantly; not only in the way it is now extensively processed after coming from the farm, but also in the way cows (or goats or sheep, for that matter) are managed on these farms.
Modern processing techniques (pasteurizing, homogenizing, and skimming) destroy most of the beneficial nutrients in milk. Enzymes (which make milk easy to digest) and beneficial bacteria (which prevent people from developing allergies to foods) present in raw milk are destroyed by the heat of pasteurization, making it harder to digest and more allergenic. Homogenization breaks down fat globules in milk so that the cream does not rise to the top. Seems benign enough, but the problem with homogenization is the release of a protein called xanthine oxidase (XO) from the fat globules; XO damages the arteries and is implicated in arteriosclerosis.
Skimming milk may reduce its fat content, but that also affects our digestion; it allows milk to pass through the stomach to [sic] quickly and to be absorbed before it is fully digested. This is believed to be a major contributor to inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, allergies, skin problems, etc.
Today's typical dairy cow leads a very different life than the typical cow 100 years ago. The cow is naturally a grazing ruminant that is accustomed to a diet of fresh grass. Dairy cattle are now fed a fixed ration of feeds which they would not typically eat if given a choice; In addition to soybeans, corn, grains, and fermented hay (which make up the bulk of the ration) dairy farms are now also feeding food industry rejects; things like stale donuts, expired fruit loops, broken chocolate bars, cotton seed oils, etc. With the wake of mad cow disease, the dairy industry is now advising farmers to avoid feeding animal remnants to cattle. However, fishmeal is now considered an acceptable source of fats in cattle feed. Not only might this be considered inhumane, but what is not considered is the effects of these feeds on the quality of the milk and the effects of this milk on those who drink it.
Just as we see in nursing mothers, (where a mother eating foods that disagree with her will often cause colic or other reactions in her nursing baby,) milk coming from cows fed feeds that disagree with their digestion may be the reason for such widespread milk intolerance.
Having to deal with feeds that disagree puts an extra stress on a cow's immune system. Stressed cows are much more susceptible to infections and, not surprisingly, farmers are seeing very high rates of mastitis (udder infection) in these herds. The typical treatment for mastitis is antibiotics; antibiotic residues then end up in the milk. Overuse of these antibiotics has lead to he problem of antibiotic resistance.
I have noted just a few of the problems that come to mind when you mention this debate. Organic milk is another story that presents exceptions to the above problems; I would say that organic milk is a lot closer to the whole food milk used to be.
I would consider conventional store-bought milk to be a `modified milk ingredient'; nothing close to the natural food it was a century ago.
For more info on the benefits of `good' milk, there ais a book titled `The Milk of Human Kindness is Not Pasteurized' by Dr. W.C. Douglas (1985).