Written by Jon Barron at The Baseline of Health Foundation

http://www.JonBarron.org

This week we're going to take a break from our series on the cardiovascular system and discuss a dairy study released earlier this month. According to the results of the study conducted out of the University of Cardiff in the UK and as promoted in media throughout the world drinking a pint of milk a day may protect men against diabetes and heart disease.



The Study



The 20-year study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, analyzed how the rates of metabolic syndrome were affected by dairy consumption.



Metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome) is a cluster of conditions including obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides that increase the risk of heart disease. Metabolic syndrome is said to be the fastest growing disease entity in the world. On the other hand, although it does predict vascular disease and diabetes quite powerfully, it is probably not a true syndrome and should be thought of more as an elaborate risk formula -- increasing the risk of death by some 50%.



The background



According to the study, which tracked 2,375 men between the ages of 45 and 59 over a 20 year period, eating dairy products reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome. The more they consumed, the lower the risk. At the start of the study, 15% had metabolic syndrome and had almost double the risk of coronary artery heart disease and four times the risk of diabetes of those without the syndrome. But the researchers found that men were 62% less likely to have the syndrome if they drank a pint or more of milk every day and 56% less likely to have it if they regularly ate other dairy products.



The more dairy products the men consumed, the less likely they were to have the syndrome.



The reality



In fact, although the study tracked a decreased risk of metabolic syndrome with increased dairy consumption, it found little actual correlation between dairy consumption and the incidence of diabetes itself. There were only 7 more cases of diabetes among the lowest consumers of dairy versus the highest. The incidence of heart disease was not tracked.



Also, people who had diabetes at the start of the study were excluded from the results so that we don't know if their condition improved or deteriorated while drinking milk. That would be significant information in determining the overall health value of dairy when it comes to metabolic syndrome.



Why it means nothing



There are a number of problems with the study, but let's start with the two most obvious.



1. What were the non milk drinkers drinking?

2. What does drinking milk say about the overall diet of the participants?



If not milk, what?



The study only references the amount of milk and dairy products people were consuming -- nothing else -- not, for example, what else they were drinking or eating. The simple fact is that people only drink so much liquid in a day. If they're drinking more milk, they're drinking less of something else. Conversely, if they're drinking less milk, they're drinking more of something else. If that something else is soda pop or sugared energy drinks, that's a problem. Each ounce of soda contains almost a teaspoon of sugar, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup. That's a major factor in the onset of metabolic syndrome. Tea and coffee drinkers don't necessarily escape scot-free either. Six cups of coffee a day with 2 teaspoons of Sugar in each cup still works out to 40 lbs (18.4 K) of Sugar a year.



In other words, the so called health benefits attributed to milk in the study may have nothing to do with milk at all. They may instead be a reflection of lowered consumption of more harmful highly-sugared beverages.



Overall diet



A question that occurs to me is: why are men in their forties and fifties drinking milk every day? Is it because they want something to drink with their cookies and cake at lunch like children (probably not), or is it because they are making what they consider to be a conscious health choice (even if misguided)? If so, what does that say about the rest of their diet? We know that people who drink lots of soda pop also tend to be high consumers of fast foods and snack foods. In fact, they're usually sold in tandem, not only in fast food restaurants (KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, for example, are owned by Yum! Brands, a spin-off of PepsiCo) but also in grocery store power aisles. So if the drinking of milk was the result of an attempt by some of the participants to avoid fast foods and sodas, were those men also more likely to have eaten whole grain foods and fresh produce as opposed to fast foods and sugared snacks? We know that fast food diets are more likely to contribute to the onset of metabolic syndrome, and that whole foods are more likely to keep it at bay? It sounds likely that the men drinking milk were eating an overall better diet, but the study doesn't tell us either way. In any case, without that information, the study is meaningless. You could probably come up with the same results (maybe even better) by doing a survey on how much water the men drank -- the more water, the lower the incidence of metabolic syndrome.



Heck, why didn't the researchers just cut to the chase and ask about the participant's Sugar intake in foods and beverages?



What do we actually know?



When it comes to dairy, we actually know quite a lot. For example:



* Consumption of cow's milk in children has been linked to a threefold increase in Type 1 diabetes.

* Consumption of milk has been associated with insulin-dependent diabetes in numerous studies.

* Milk consumption is repeatedly promoted as lowering th rel="nofollow"e incidence of obesity, and yet

numerous studies indicate that it does just the opposite.



Then, of course, all the Cardiff study looked at were the triggers for Metabolic Syndrome. Perhaps milk is implicated in other problems such as cancer, allergies, arthritis, infection, and toxicity. And it is!



In Lessons from the Miracle Doctors, I talk about a number of the health problems associated with dairy consumption. Those are actually only highlights; there's much more. First of all, the following two sites might be of interest.



* The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. http://www.pcrm.org

* The NotMilk homepage http://www.notmilk.com



To summarize some of the things that you will find there, there are many, many problems associated with consuming dairy. Many of these are probably conditions you are already noticing in your own body -- particularly those that relate to allergies, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. For example:



* Galactose - Ovarian cancer rates parallel dairy-eating patterns around the world. The culprit seems to be

galactose, the simple sugar broken down from the milk sugar lactose.

*Pesticides - concentrate in the milk of both farm animals and humans. A study by the Environmental Defense

Fund found widespread pesticide contamination of human breast milk among 1,400 women in forty-six states.

The levels of contamination were twice as high among the meat-and-dairy-eating women as among

vegetarians.

* Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria - Joseph Beasley, M.D., and Jerry Swift wrote in The Kellogg Report (The

Institute of Health Policy and Practice, 1989) that even "moderate use of Antibiotics in animal feed can result in

the development of Antibiotic resistance in animal bacteria - and the subsequent transfer of that resistance to

human bacteria."

*Vitamin D Toxicity - Heavy consumption of milk, especially by small children, may result in vitamin D toxicity.

Records show that dairies do not carefully regulate how much vitamin D is added to milk. (Milk has

been "fortified" with vitamin D ever since deficiencies were found to cause rickets.) A study reported in

The New England Journal of Medicine (April 30, 1992) showed that of forty-two milk samples, only 12 percent

were within the expected range of vitamin D content. Testing of ten infant formula samples revealed seven

with more than twice the vitamin D content reported on the label; one sample had more than four times the

label amount.

*Growth Hormones - Recently, cows have started to receive growth hormones to increase their milk

production, although the long-term effects on humans are unknown.

*Casein - Perhaps the biggest health problem with cow's milk arises from the proteins in it: Cow's milk proteins

damage the human immune system. Repeated exposure to these proteins disrupts normal immune function

and may eventually lead to disease. Cow's milk contains many proteins that are poorly digested and harmful to

the immune system. Fish and meat proteins are much less damaging, while plant proteins pose the least

hazard.



Removing dairy from the diet has been shown to shrink enlarged tonsils and adenoids, indicating relief for the immune system -- even more so if you are lactose intolerant.



Similarly, doctors experimenting with dairy-free diets often report a marked reduction in colds, flu's, sinusitis and ear infections. In addition, dairy is a tremendous mucus producer and a burden on the respiratory, digestive and immune systems.



*Colic and Ear Infections - One out of every five infants in the United States suffers bouts of colic. Another

common problem among infants receiving dairy, either directly or indirectly, is chronic ear infections. You just

don't see this painful condition among infants and children who aren't getting cow's milk into their systems.

*Allergies, Asthma and Sinus Problems - Poorly digested bovine antigens (substances that provoke an

immune reaction) like casein become "allergens" in allergic individuals. Dairy products are the leading cause

of food allergy , often revealed by diarrhea, constipation and fatigue. Many cases of asthma and sinus

infections are reported to be relieved and even eliminated by cutting out dairy. The exclusion of dairy, however,

must be complete to see any benefit.

*Arthritis - Antigens in cow's milk may also contribute to Rheumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis. When antibody-

antigen complexes (resulting from an immune response) are deposited in the joints, pain, swelling, redness

and stiffness result; these complexes increase in arthritic people who eat dairy products, and the pain fades

rapidly after patients eliminate dairy products from their diets.

*Childhood Anemia - Cow's milk causes loss of iron and hemoglobin in infants (one reason the American

Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants not drink cow's milk) by triggering blood loss from the

intestinal tract. Some research also shows that iron absorption is blocked by as much as 60 percent when

dairy products are consumed in the same meal.

*Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Lung Cancer - A 1989 study in Nutrition and Cancer linked the risk of

developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with the consumption of cow's

milk and butter. High levels of the cow's milk protein beta-lactoglobulin have also been found in the blood of

lung cancer patients, suggesting a link with this cancer as well.



Concluding that dairy is good for you while ignoring these issues hardly makes sense.



Incompletely digested large dairy proteins, such as casein, become antigens (substances that provoke immune reactions) once they enter the bloodstream in individuals who are sensitive to them. Plus, the milk you buy in the store is not raw milk. If you must drink milk, be smart about your choices:



* Raw organic, if you can find it, avoids many of the problems -- but presents health issues of its own unless

you can be sure of the source.

* Organic pasteurized is better than non-organic, but because of the heat used in pasteurization, it presents

significantly higher allergy problems than raw. I do not recommend non-organic, pasteurized, homogenized

dairy products under any circumstances.

* And while whey eliminates the casein problem, it still contains the two main allergenic proteins, alpha-

lactalbumin and beta-lactaglobulin -- the two most heat sensitive proteins.

* Soy milk, of course, is not an effective alternative, since it is high in allergens itself, blocks the absorption of

important minerals such as calcium, and contains high levels of phytoestrogens, which though beneficial in

moderate amounts, can be counter-productive in large amounts -- particularly for children.



Raw Milk



Are there any health benefits to drinking raw milk? According to the FDA, no. And if all you measure are protein and fat content and added vitamin D, they are correct. But if you consider that pasteurization involves heating milk to approximately 1450 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or longer and therefore kills all enzymes and beneficial bacteria in the process, then the answer is not so obvious. Heating the milk to pasteurize it "denatures" dairy proteins making some of them much more allergenic than they are in their natural state. Consider that many cases of asthma and sinus infections are reported to be relieved, and even eliminated, by simply cutting out dairy. And if you toss in the fact that pasteurization makes calcium insoluble and unavailable to the body (a key reason countries with the highest pasteurized dairy consumption have the highest rates of osteoporosis in the world), the health benefits swing decidedly in favor of raw milk.



Can raw milk become contaminated? Yes, absolutely -- but not often. Most raw milk dairies tend to run extremely clean operations because of the liability issues. And keep in mind that in this recent outbreak only 8 illnesses were reported. We see far more E. coli contamination in meat each year than in raw dairy -- even as a percentage of users. And in fact, we regularly see contamination of pasteurized dairy too, but the FDA never seems to propose that people stop eating meat and pasteurized dairy. It seems raw milk just doesn't have a big enough lobby supporting it.



So am I advocating drinking raw milk?



Not necessarily. I still have issues with some of the proteins in dairy that tend to trigger allergic reactions, whether that dairy is raw or pasteurized. But if you are going to drink milk, raw organic milk is a healthier option than the pasteurized, homogenized moo-cow juice you find in the supermarkets.



Conclusion



I know that peer reviewed studies are the sine qua non of the medical world, but in reality many of them are so much less than they appear. As I have repeatedly pointed out in the past, you can get a study to prove any point you want -- even contradictory points. And once a flawed study is published, it's then cited by other studies over and over again, until utter nonsense becomes incontrovertible "fact." Here are some examples.



* Echinacea

* Antioxidants

* Dairy and Weight Loss

* Echinacea again



Bottom line, when it comes to the current dairy study, pay no attention; it's decidedly flawed.

A recent study claims that young adults are not drinking enough milk -- at least according to press reports on the matter. But according to the study’s lead author Nicole Larson, the focus on the study was on calcium.



The words "milk" and "calcium" are often used interchangeably in the popular press. But while milk is a calcium source, no standard other than that of the National Dairy Council considers it the best calcium source.



The suggestion that you need to drink three glasses of the secretion of a cow's mammary glands in order to be healthy is a bit outrageous and doesn't fit the human evolutionary profile. In fact, most humans around the world cannot easily digest cow milk.



Yogurt has more calcium than milk and is easier to digest. Collards and other greens also have about as much or more calcium than milk by the cup. Greens, unlike milk, have the added benefit of vitamin K, also necessary for strong bones. Sesame is also very high in calcium.



When you measure calcium by cup of food product, milk is high on the list. When you view it by calorie, though, milk is at the bottom. A hundred calories of turnip greens have over three times as much calcium as 100 calories of whole milk.



Sources





Live Science June 24, 2009

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior July/August 2009; 41(4)...





Dr. Mercola's Comments:



The idea that you have to drink milk for strong bones is deeply ingrained – the result of very successful PR by the commercial dairy industry. But what most people do not realize is that pasteurized milk has little to do with strong bones, or good health, for that matter.



In fact, pasteurized milk has no important health benefits at all, and I do not recommend it to anyone.



As stated in the article above, calcium is the issue being investigated, not necessarily the consumption of (pasteurized) milk. The study in question found that during the transition to young adulthood, the daily intake of calcium decreased an average of 153 mg for high school girls, and 194 mg for boys.



Interestingly, time spent watching television was one factor associated with lower calcium intake, whereas an attitude toward a healthy lifestyle was cited as being associated with higher calcium intake. Which makes sense, regardless of the milk issue, since eating vegetables is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting sufficient amounts of calcium, and is part and parcel of a healthy lifestyle.



The Vast Difference Between “Milk” and Raw Milk as a Source of Calcium



Whenever people talk about “milk” they automatically refer to pasteurized milk, which is the only variety you can find in every grocery store in the U.S. However, the drawbacks of drinking pasteurized milk are so many they overshadow any potential benefit from the calcium it contains.



And, in fact, there’s serious doubt about the calcium in pasteurized milk because one of the worst side effects of pasteurization is that it renders much of the calcium contained in raw milk insoluble… This can lead to rickets, bad teeth, and nervous troubles, for sufficient calcium content is vital to children. Additionally, with the loss of phosphorus also associated with calcium, bone and brain formation can suffer serious setbacks.



Pasteurization also destroys part of the vitamin C contained in raw milk, and encourages growth of harmful bacteria.



Worst of all, however, dairy products from cows treated with Monsanto‘s genetically engineered bovine growth h... could sharply increase your risk of cancer and other diseases, especially in children.



These detrimental side effects are not associated with drinking RAW milk, however.



In fact, raw milk is an excellent source of not only calcium but also a number of other nutrients such as vitamins, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilus.



One other significant issue may actually be the species of cow that the milk is taken from. Milk from older cows, Jerseys, Asian and African cows may not cause problems, while milk from new cows like Holsteins, which has a mutation on one of the amino acids of casein, causes many people to not tolerate it well.



Do You Really Need Calcium for Strong Bones?



This long-held belief may not be as accurate as you’d like to think. Numerous studies have found NO association between high calcium intake and lower fracture risk. As is often the case, modern Science may have picked apart and simplified the issue too much.



As Dr. Robert Thompson M.D. describes in his excellent book The Calcium Lie, your bone is composed of at least a dozen minerals, and if you focus exclusively on calcium supplementation you are likely going to worsen your bone density, and can actually increase your risk of osteoporosis.



Dr. Thompson believes that the overconsumption of calcium in the goal of preventing osteoporosis creates other mineral deficiencies and imbalances that will also increase your risk of:



* Heart disease

* Kidney stones

* Gallstones

* Osteoarthritis

* Hypothyroidism

* Obesity

* Type 2 diabetes



A Surprising Alternative to Calcium for Bone Health



Interestingly, he proposes that one of the best practical alternatives is the use of naturally occurring ionic mineral supplements. He believes that almost everyone needs trace minerals, not just calcium, because you simply cannot get all the nutrients you need through food grown in mineral depleted soils.



According to Dr. Thompson, unprocessed salts are one of the best sources of these ionic trace minerals that are so vital for strong bones (as well as numerous other biological functions).



I have long been a fan of high quality salt, and



Himalayan salt is, I believe, one of the healthiest salts on the planet. It contains vitally important trace minerals that are very difficult to get in your food due to the challenges of modern agricultural practices.



The Healthy Bone Diet – Going Beyond Milk



Even if you don’t have access to raw milk or other raw dairy products, and have the good sense to avoid pasteurized milk, there are plenty of dietary options to ensure you’re getting enough calcium in your diet.



But first, it’s important to understand that processed foods will produce biochemical and metabolic conditions in your body that will decrease your bone density, so avoiding processed foods is the first step in the right direction.



Additionally, eating high quality, organic, biodynamic, locally-grown food will naturally increase your bone density and decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis.



Aside from that, specific foods that are high in calcium include:



* Fresh, dark-green vegetables like spinach, kale, turnips, and collard greens

* Dry beans

* Sesame seeds and almonds

* Wild salmon and sardines

* Rhubarb

* Okra



For a more comprehensive list of calcium-rich foods and the amounts of calcium per serving can be found on the International Osteoporosis Foundation's web site.



Another food worthy of mention is onions. They’re high in gamma-glutamyl peptides that have also been shown to increase bone density.



Beware of Conventional Calcium Recommendations



Some conventionally trusted sources such as WebMD suggest eating fortified breads and cereals, soy beans, and fortified soy milk.



Please don’t…



Grains and soy have numerous health risks, which I’ve discussed in depth in many previous articles. But in addition to all the other negative health effects of grains, gluten has specifically been shown to decrease bone density, so eating lots of breads and cereals is not in your best interest despite being fortified with calcium.



Will a High Protein Diet Destroy Calcium?



There’s a common concern that eating a high protein diet will secrete calcium into your urine. But the truth of the matter is that more people are now eating low-protein diets, and your body needs protein, because amino acids are part of the bone matrix.



If you don’t consume enough of specific amino acids your body can’t form strong, dense bones. So you DO want to make sure you eat plenty of high quality protein like free-range eggs and grass-fed meats.



Additional Components Vital for Bone Density



Healthy fats -- Along with your basic food selections, your omega 3 intake and the ratio between omega 3 to omega 6 has a lot to do with building healthy bone. Unfortunately, even many nutritionists are unaware of the important relationship between healthy bones and optimal fat intake.



Most everyone needs to take a high quality, animal-based omega 3 fat as it is very deficient in most people’s diet. I recommend krill oil, as I believe it’s a superior source of omega 3’s.



And, to further balance out your omega 3 and omega 6 ratio, you’ll want to reduce the amount of processed vegetable oils you consume. Oils like corn oil, safflower- and soy oil are loaded with omega 6’s. I also recommend avoiding canola oil for other reasons



Sunshine -- Vitamin D is also important for calcium absorption, so along with your raw milk and vegetables, make sure that you are getting plenty of safe sun exposure this summer. Getting your levels up to about 60 ng/ml will help you optimize your bone density.



Exercise -- You should also remember that, just as exercise and diet work in tandem to beat obesity, the same can be said for osteoporosis. Strengthening bone mass through weight-bearing exercise, especially during puberty, can build a good foundation that can last a lifetime. In fact, there is a stronger connection between exercise and improved bone density amon...!



This is because bone-building is a dynamic process, and by exerting force on your bones through exercise such as strength training, you stimulate new, healthy bone growth.



Related Links:



Everything You Thought You Knew About Calcium Supplementation Could...



The Best Way to Get Enough Calcium



Don't Drink Your Milk!





To read this article and follow all links, visit The Milk Myth



© Copyright 2009 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

(NaturalNews) Knowing about the health benefits of raw milk is not enough. In his book The Devil in the Milk, Dr. Kevin Woodford says we have one more lesson to learn: there is a link between the type of milk we drink and a range of serious illnesses, including heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, autism and schizophrenia. Epidemiological evidence from ten countries has demonstrated a strong association between high intake of milk from A1 positive cows and high incidence of these diseases, and has correlated very closely with World Health Organization data on the level of deaths from mental disorders.



Dr. Woodford, Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University in New Zealand, points out that milk consists of three parts: fat or cream, whey, and milk solids. The devil resides in the milk solids, composed of many different proteins along with lactose and other sugars. One of these proteins is beta casein.



All proteins are long chains of amino acids that have many branches coming off of the main chain. Beta casein is a chain with 229 amino acids and proline at number 67, at least in old fashioned cows, the ones that are A2. These include Guernseys, Jerseys, Asian and African cows. About five thousand years ago, a mutation occurred in this proline amino acid, converting it to histidine. Cows that have this mutated beta casein are the A1 cows. These are more recent breeds in the span of history, like Holsteins and Friesians.



The side chain coming off this histidine is a protein fragment known as beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM 7). The negative health effects of this fragment can be devastating because it is a powerful opiate or narcotic as well as an oxidant. Dr. Thomas Cowan has thought all along that something was "not quite right" on the milk issue. Writing for the Bovine, he says that many of his patients, in spite of trying to eat only the proper dairy products still have illnesses and are unable to tolerate milk. He has suspected "the story with milk wasn't quite finished."



In his attempt to finish the milk story, Woodford brings together a pile of evidence from more than 100 scientific papers examining population studies and research with both animals and humans. He explains the Science underpinning the A1/A2 hypothesis and shows that BCM 7 is associated with milk intolerance and a range of auto-immune diseases including Type 1 diabetes, the diabetes that usually occurs during childhood or young adulthood. In people with Type 1 diabetes, the body destroys its own insulin-producing cells.



There is an important difference between the human beta casein protein and the beta-casein produced by A1 cows. All human beta-casein is more like the A2 type, meaning that human milk releases much less BCM 7 than is released in A1 milk. When New Zealand researchers tested human milk, they found less than 1% of the BCM 7 than was released from the same amount of A1 milk. This means that the narcotic effect from human milk fed to babies is less than one thousandth of that found in A1 milk.



BCM7 has been shown to cause neurological impairment in animals and people, particularly autistic and schizophrenic changes. It also interferes with the immune response. Animals injected with BCM 7 can be provoked into Type 1 diabetes. BCM 7 is pro-inflammatory to blood vessels, and selectively binds to epithelial cells in mucus membranes such as the nose and throat, where it can stimulate excessive mucus secretion.



When BCM 7 is released into the gut, it should be difficult for it to get through the gut wall and into the bloodstream because it is a fairly large molecule. But in people with leaky gut syndrome, it is able to pass easily through the gut wall and enter the bloodstream. Dr. Woodford states that BCM 7 can be detected in urine. According to him there is strong evidence that people with stomach ulcers or untreated celiac disease also absorb BCM 7 in this manner. Babies are likely to absorb it this way too, because their gut walls are able to pass large molecules easily into the blood stream. That is how they are able to absorb their mother's colostrum.



This susceptibility of babies to the effects BCM 7 makes infant milk formula products from A1 cows a very poor choice. Opioids like BCM 7 slow the rate of passage through the digestive tract which explains to Dr. Woodford why babies fed on cows milk formula products rather than human milk are susceptible to constipation and can suffer anal fissures. He suggests it is possible that this slower passage of A1 milk through the digestive system may increase lactose intolerance.



He views early and prolonged exposure to BCM 7 in infant formulas as a significant factor in the rising rates of autism and Asperger's syndrome along with the rest of the range of disease states that can result, and he is pushing for research on the topic. Until this is done, he suggests that mothers breastfeed their babies for as long as possible and insist on breast milk substitutes made with A2 milk.



The reasons for the mutation that produces BCM 7 is unknown, occurring many thousands of years ago. The A1 beta casein gene spread rapidly in many countries in the western world. Speculation has it that the spread of A1 cows resulted from their calves drinking A1 milk and being exposed to the opiate BCM 7, making them more docile than the older breeds. As a result, basically all American dairy cows have mutated beta-casein and are predominantly A1.



It is not known whether BCM 7 is likely to be a problem in cheese, ice-cream, yogurt, or other milk products. The French did not accept the A1 breeds of cows, and the delicious cheeses of France are made with A2 milk. In the U.S. there is only one A2 dairy so far, located in Firth Nebraska.



Absorption of BCM 7 is much less in people with healthy digestive tracts, suggesting that maintaining digestive health should be a priority in anyone drinking milk in countries with predominately A1 cows. One of the best ways to achieve this is with daily use of probiotics.



What can we do about the fact that we have the wrong cows? BCM 7 is not found in goat's or sheep's milk which are A2, so drinking their milk instead of milk from cows is an option. Changing over a dairy herd of cows from A1 to A2 is simple and cheap, and it can be accomplished in less than ten years. It requires only that farmers inseminate their cows, naturally or artificially, with semen from A2A2 bulls. In New Zealand, farmers have already started converting their herds in anticipation of rising consumer demand for A2 milk. An added bonus for them is some recently published research revealing that on average New Zealand A2 cows produce more milk than A1 cows. Dairy farmers in the U.S. may be well advised to begin the switch to A2 as soon as possible to be able to market A2 milk products as consumer demand rises in the face of these findings.



This rosy scenario assumes no politics get in the way of an easy changeover, which could be a big assumption. Since the issue of the link between A1 milk and Type 1 diabetes and heart disease was initially raised in early 2003, the New Zealand Food Standards Authority has demonstrated clearly that in the battle between the interests of the dairy industry and those of public health, the industry always wins. As usual, scientific evidence can be molded and withheld by those with vested interests, and consumer choices can be manipulated by corporate interests.



For more information:



http://www.womenshealthcouncil.org....



http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2009...



http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2008...





by: Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor





About the author



Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a Breast Cancer survivor using "alternative" treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.





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Milk Protein Linked to Autism, Schizophrenia, Diabetes and Heart Di...