Is Milk Really Good For You? Learn The Facts

Have you seen the “Got Milk?” ads?  They lead one to believe that milk is the cornerstone of healthy nutrition.  But is milk really necessary for healthy bones and preventing osteoporosis?  Is milk really good for you?

Dr. David Ludwig and Dr. Walter Willett from Harvard, published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  The study found no data to support the claim that the consumption of dairy leads to better bones, weight loss, or improved health.  The study also cited serious risks tied to dairy consumption, including weight gain, increased cancer risk, and increased fracture risk.  The Harvard scientists also found that dairy may cause constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, gas, diarrhea, allergies, eczema, or acne.

If you are bothered by any of these issues, dairy may be the culprit.

Dr. Mark Hyman MD routinely admonishes, “So, is milk nature’s perfect food?  Yes. If you’re a calf.”

Here’s what you need to know before giving yourself the white mustache.

Processing ruins milk

Processing turns a living food with beneficial enzymes and vitamins into an unhealthy processed food. The gleaming white liquid you tote home from the grocery store goes through a number of modifications between cow and consumer.

Pasteurization makes milk much harder to digest

According to the International Dairy Foods Association, “Pasteurization is a process, named after scientist Louis Pasteur, that applies heat to destroy pathogens in foods.”

Pasteurization is required by law in most states, but changes nutritional properties of the milk in significant ways.

• Pasteurization turns the sugar of milk, known as lactose, into beta-lactose.  It is more soluble and therefore absorbs more readily.  This leads to feeling hungry faster.
• Pasteurization transforms the physical structure of milk proteins casein and whey.  the shape of the amino acid configuration is altered into a foreign protein that humans are not equipped to metabolize.
• Pasteurization destroys all valuable enzymes, including lactase for the assimilation of lactose; galactase for the assimilation of galactose; phosphatase for the assimilation of calcium.  Without these enzymes, milk is very difficult to digest.
• Pasteurization destroys part of the vitamin C contained in raw milk.
• Research has shown a decrease in manganese, copper, and iron after heat treatment.
• Pasteurization destroys the friendly bacteria found naturally in milk and encourages the growth of harmful bacteria.
• Pasteurization destroys 20 percent of the iodine present in raw milk, which can cause constipation.

Sally Fallon of the Weston Price Foundation states:

Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

Calves fed pasteurized milk die before maturity.

Raw milk sours naturally, but pasteurized milk turns putrid and processors must remove slime and pus from pasteurized milk by a process of centrifugal clarification. Inspection of dairy herds for disease is not required for pasteurized milk. The practice of heating milk to kill germs was instituted in the 20s to combat TB, infant diarrhea, undulant fever and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) disagrees. They assert, “pasteurization does not significantly change the nutritional value of milk and dairy products.” Robert Irons, PhD points out, “This statement is erroneous, misleading, and factually incorrect. Many nutrients and immune-enhancing components are destroyed by exposure to high heat and the temperatures used during pasteurization. Vitamin A is degraded, proteins and enzymes are denatured, and immunoglobulins are destroyed.”

Pasteurization destroys all valuable enzymes and makes milk hard to digest. Share on X

Homogenization can raise cancer risk

Homogenization is a process of breaking down the fat globules in milk so that the cream (butterfat) doesn’t separate. Homogenization is a purely physical process; nothing is added to the milk and the majority of milk sold in the US is homogenized.

Homogenization has a few negative impacts also.

• When homogenized, butterfat becomes subject to rancidity.
• Homogenization causes a substance known as xanthine oxidase to be created. Xanthine oxidase can play a role in oxidative stress by acting as a free radical. Free radicals lead to cancer and we consume antioxidants to reduce them.

Homogenization can produce a substance that acts as a free radical. Share on X

Removing butterfat (the cream) eliminates the vitamins

• If butterfat is removed to make skim milk, the body cannot absorb and utilize the vitamins and minerals in the water portion of the milk. Butterfat is also the best source of preformed vitamin A.
• Synthetic vitamin D (vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol) is often added to replace the natural vitamin D3 (or cholecalciferol) in butterfat. Synthetic vitamin D2 is toxic to the liver. D3 is approximately 87% more potent than D2.  Also, D3 is converted to an active form the body can use 500% faster than D2 added to processed milk.  And finally, D2 has a shorter shelf life and its metabolites bind poorly with proteins. Keep in mind that although milk is fortified, other dairy products such as cheese and ice cream does typically not contain added vitamin D.
• Butterfat also contains re-arranged acids which have strong anti-carcinogenic properties.
• 1% and 2% milk have non-fat dried milk added. The cholesterol in non-fat dried milk is oxidized, which promotes heart disease. Non-fat dried milk also has a high nitrite content.
• According to Dr. Sara Gottfried MD, low fat dairy is “associated with anovulatory infertility in women who consume two or more servings per day.”

Removing fat to make skim milk prevents absorption of vitamins and minerals. Share on X

Cows in CAFOs require antibiotics that end up in their milk

Most commercial milk is sourced from a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO).  In a CAFO, cows are fed high protein, soy-based feed instead of fresh green grass. Instead of free range grazing, they stand in feed lots and manure all day.  This necessitates the injection of antibiotics to keep the cows from becoming too sick to produce. The antibiotics end up in the milk and harms the gut bacteria of humans.

Cows raised in CAFOs have antibiotics in their milk. Share on X

Milk does not produce healthy bones

A 2011 meats-analysis found that dairy and milk products did not reduce the risk of fractures. A 2007 study showed higher calcium intake was actually associated with a higher risk of fracture.

The 40 year Nurses’ Health Study examines the health habits of over 238,000 nurse participants.  It shows dairy may increase the risk of fractures by 50 percent!

Walter Willett, M.D., Ph.D is the second-most-cited scientist in all of clinical medicine and the head of nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health. He points out that countries with lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis. Also, he says vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures.

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Cows’ milk is rich in phosphorous which can combine with calcium — and can prevent you from absorbing the calcium in milk. The milk protein also accelerates calcium excretion from the blood through the kidneys.”

Dr. Sara Gottfried MD adds, “Keep in mind that calcium isn’t the only mineral that you need for bone health. It must be kept in proper balance with both magnesium and vitamin D3 to get the full benefits of strong bones and teeth.”

Dr. Amy Myers, MD suggests these non-dairy sources of calcium:

• Almonds
• Kale
• Oranges
• Collard Greens
• Broccoli
• Figs
• Spinach
• Rice, almond, hemp and coconut milks
• Sesame seeds

Dairy and milk products do not reduce the risk of fractures. Share on X

Milk has many additional risks

Several years ago, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asked the USDA to investigate the scientific basis of the claims made in the “milk mustache” ads. Their panel of scientists stated their findings with clarity:

• Milk doesn’t benefit sports performance.
• There’s no evidence that dairy is good for your bones or prevents osteoporosis — in fact, the animal protein it contains may help cause bone loss!
• Dairy is linked to prostate cancer. (Clinical researcher and author Neal Barnard, MD also published findings linking dairy to prostate cancer.)
• Dairy causes digestive problems for the 75 percent of people with lactose intolerance.
• Dairy aggravates irritable bowel syndrome.

Chris Kresser offers some balance on the issue of lactose intolerance.  He says, “…true lactose intolerance is rarely diagnosed by medical testing, and adults frequently mistake their gastrointestinal symptoms as a sign that they are unable to digest dairy products at all.”

In fact, a 2010 study found that people diagnosed as “lactose malabsorbers” are actually capable of tolerating 1 cup of milk (12 grams of lactose) when administered in a single dose. Chris Kresser says, “Additionally, many adults who believe they have lactose intolerance are actually suffering from other gastrointestinal disorders such as SIBO, celiac disease, or IBS, and do not see significant benefit from eliminating dairy. Ultimately, there are many people who avoid dairy products without reason for doing so.”

Nevertheless, we find that lactose intolerance is only one of the risks that comes from cows milk. Here are some additional risks:

• increases the risk of type 1 diabetes –  A glass of milk can spike insulin levels 300 percent.
• Dairy is a well-known cause of acne. The Nurses’ Health Study found that those who drank more milk as teenagers had much higher rates of severe acne than those who had little or no milk as teenagers. Skim milk that had the strongest risk for acne. According to Dr. Hyman, “In other studies of over 10,000 boys and girls from 9 to 15 years old, there was a direct link between the amount of milk consumed and the severity of acne.“
• Dairy is addictive. Dr. Sara Gottfried MD published, “There is a biochemical reason why you find it psychologically challenging to quit dairy products. Take cheese, for example. It is one of the most addictive foods because it contains “casomorphins”—opiate-like compounds that create that “can’t put it down” syndrome.”
• Dr. Gottfried states in another article that dairy can pose a danger to thyroid health. “Perchlorate, which is a chemical oxidizer and a pollutant, is found in many environmental sources—including cow’s milk. Perchlorate can negatively impact thyroid function by causing the body to excrete iodine, inducing hypothyroidism in some cases.  It can also cause fetuses in utero to be deprived of necessary thyroid hormones for proper first trimester development. While cow’s milk is far from the only source of perchlorate, eliminating it (along with other sources of environmental toxins), can dramatically reduce aggression toward your thyroid function.”
• causes intestinal bleeding in 40% of infants(!) leading to iron deficiency
• triggers allergies
• triggers asthma
• triggers eczema all may be triggered by dairy consumption
• Sinus problems
• Ear infections
• Chronic constipation
• Anemia (in children)
• psoriasis
• According to Dr. Amy Myers, “Casein is a protein with a very similar molecular structure to gluten and 50% of people who are gluten intolerant are casein intolerant as well.“
• Dr. Myers also says the inflammation from dairy results in “a stronger presentation of autistic behaviors”

Dr. Amy Myers offers the perspective of an autoimmune specialist that treats patients daily: “Dairy causes inflammation in a large percent of the population resulting in digestive issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea, as well as other symptoms including acne, and a stronger presentation of autistic behaviors. I believe dairy is one of the most inflammatory foods in our modern diet, second only to gluten.”

Dr. Daniel Amen specializes in nuclear brain imaging as well as psychiatry. He warns against the effect dairy can have on the brain: “Foods such as gluten, dairy and sugar cause inflammation, which decreases blood flow to the brain.”

Milk has risks including acne, inflammation, prostate cancer, allergies and constipation. Share on X

Milk is full of hormones

There is no such thing as hormone-free milk.

Dr. Hyman advises, “I strongly recommend that you limit the amount of cow-sourced dairy that you consume.”  He says, “…milk is designed to grow things – namely, babies – and in the case of cow’s milk, calves. It is naturally full of what we call anabolic hormones.”

Here are a few of the 60-some hormones in your average glass of milk.– This also applies to organic, raw, and bovine growth hormone (BGH) free milk:

• 20α-dihydropregnenolone
• progesterone (from pregnenolone)
• 5α-pregnanedione
• 5α-pregnan-3β-ol-20-one, 20α- and 20β-dihydroprogesterone (from progesterone)
• 5α-androstene-3β17β-diol
• 5α-androstanedione
• 5α-androstan-3β-ol-17-one
• androstenedione
• testosterone
• dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate acyl ester
• insulin like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1 and IGF-2)
• insulin

There is no such thing as hormone-free milk. Even organic milk contains over 60 hormones. Share on X

Leaky Gut makes dairy intolerance more likely

Chris Kresser says gut health can play a major role in dairy intolerance: “If someone has compromised intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut”, it’s more likely that their immune system will respond to potentially allergenic components in milk such as alpha- and beta-casein, casomorphin and butyrophillin. Along these same lines, people with small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) – which is one of the major causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – may be more likely to react to milk because the bacteria in their small intestine aggressively ferments lactose, the sugar in milk, causing gas, bloating and other G.I. symptoms.”

People with leaky gut may be more likely to react to milk. Share on X

Is organic milk okay?

It is important to choose organic when you can, especially with animal products, because pesticides and chemicals are concentrated in animal fat.  However, pesticides and chemicals are only one concern when it comes to nutrition.

Organic does not equal healthy.  For example, organic and non-organic sugar equally lead to heart disease. Organic and non-organic gluten equally cause an auto-immune response in many people, still spike blood sugar and still get rapidly metabolized to simple sugar.

So it is with dairy.

The organic milk you pay extra for at Costco, Earth Fare or Whole Foods is still pasteurized and has all the negative health effects that pasteurization has on non-organic milk.

According to Dr. Hyman, “Organic cows are often milked while pregnant, producing milk that’s full of hormones.  In fact, the average glass of milk has 60 different hormones in it.   These are anabolic hormones, which means they help you to grow.  But not all growth is good.  You don’t want to grow cancer cells.  You don’t want to grow big bellies.  You don’t want to grow in ways that actually may be harmful.”

Dr. Mercola is very blunt about organic milk: “So don’t waste your money on “organic” milk anymore. This is a waste of your resources. Redirect your energy to find real raw milk sources. Ideally, you can find a local farmer who will be willing to sell this to you. If you find one you will want to encourage him to consider restricting grains from the cow’s feed to improve the quality of the milk.”

Organic milk is better than non-organic but still full of hormones and harmed by pasteurization. Share on X

Raw Milk is usually illegal and heavily debated

Raw milk is illegal for retail sale in 40 of the 50 US states. You can see a map on the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund website.

The functional medicine community debates the value of raw milk, but most agree it is wise to try eliminating all dairy for anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months to see what impact it has on your health.

Here’s what some of the heavy hitters have to say:

Dr. Mercola, MD – “Raw dairy is something I now strongly advise nearly everyone to regularly consume.”

Dr Hyman, MD – “Yes, raw, whole, organic milk eliminates concerns like pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and the effects of homogenization and pasteurization — but to me, these benefits don’t outweigh dairy’s potential risks.”

Chris Kresser – “I do not feel well when eat pasteurized dairy.  It gives me sinus congestion, headaches and intestinal discomfort.  Yet I thrive on raw dairy, and fermented raw dairy in particular played a substantial role in my own healing journey.”

Dr Amy Myers – “Raw milk, although contentiously debated, does have many health benefits that pasteurized milk lacks.” “Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to consume dairy and from what source rests with your body. Try eliminating dairy from your diet altogether and pay attention to how your body reacts, then try reintroducing dairy in its different forms and sources and notice how you respond.”

The Weston A. Price Foundation conducted an informal survey of over 700 families, and determined that over 80% of those diagnosed with lactose intolerance no longer suffer from symptoms after switching to raw milk.

Government web sites insist raw milk is a source of unhealthy bacteria, however this is not the case if the raw milk is clean.

What’s the real bacterial risk from raw milk?  Chris Kresser did a peer reviewed study to find out.  He published an article called Raw Milk Reality: Is Raw Milk Dangerous?  Of the research, he says, “we took a closer look at the claims made by groups like the FDA and CDC that raw milk is “dangerous”. We found that, though the relative risk of becoming ill from drinking raw milk is about 9 times greater than it is from drinking pasteurized milk, the absolute risk of developing a serious illness (i.e. one that would require hospitalization) from drinking raw milk is exceedingly small: about 1 in 6 million.”

Mark McAfee is the CEO of Organic Pastures Dairy and also an internationally recognized expert in raw milk production and safety.  He investigated two deaths in California that the CDC said were linked to raw milk. He noted: “The data I received back from the CDC showed that in fact there had been no death from raw milk at all. The two deaths had been from illegal Mexican bath tub cheese and not raw milk from any place in America. Why does the CDC persist in publishing this erroneous information? …The last people to die from milk died from pasteurized milk at Whittier farms in 2007, not from raw milk.”

Apparently some countries in Europe don’t see eye to eye with the CDC.   Some European nations sell raw milk in vending machines.  Modern Farmer reported: “Europe’s embrace of raw milk vending machines isn’t new. Such daring dispensers of unpasteurized dairy can be found in France, Croatia, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands and, as one map, shows, all over the place in Italy.”

80% of those with lactose intolerance no longer suffer from symptoms after switching to raw milk. Share on X

Goat and sheep milk may work better for some

If you are lactose intolerant, it probably won’t be any easier to digest cow or sheep milk.  All three have similar lactose content.  However, it is possible to have poor toleration for cow casein but still be able to handle goat and sheep milk.  Dr. Amy Myers explains: “Casein exists in two variants, A1 beta-casein and A2 beta-casein, which are differentiated only by a single amino acid in their protein chains. A2 is considered the original beta-casein because A1 only appeared a few thousand years ago after a mutation occurred in European cow herds, and it is often the A1 beta-casein that people react poorly to. Goat’s milk and sheep’s milk lack the A1 beta-casein, which is what makes them more tolerable, but because the A1 and A2 proteins are so similar, these milks can still cause problems for some.”

Steps you can take

Eliminate

Dr. Mark Hyman advises: “take a dairy holiday for two to four weeks, and see how you feel.  Does your postnasal drip go away, and do your sinuses clear up?  Does your acne go away?  Do you stop having bloating, gas, and diarrhea?  Do you have more energy?  Does your eczema clear up?  Do your allergies get better? These are some very simple things you should notice when you eliminate dairy.  Then try eating dairy again, and see how you feel.  Do these symptoms return?”

Chris Kresser recommends similarly: “If you’re not sure where you stand with dairy, the best approach is to remove it for 30 days and then reintroduce and see what happens. Elimination/reintroduction is still the gold-standard for determining sensitivity to a particular food.”

Dr. Sara Gottfried: “Finally, try removing dairy from your diet for 21 days. During that time, keep notes about how you feel. When the 21 days are up, reintroduce a single dairy product and see how you feel. Did the bloating return? Do you have headaches, constipation, mood swings, or itchy skin again? Dairy symptoms can vary widely due to our bio individuality. The importing thing is to pay attention to what’s happening to your body.”

Replace

If you do elect to try dairy again, go with sheep or goat milk and just avoid cow dairy.

Don’t rely on cow milk for bone health.  Instead, supplement vitamin D3. Dr. Hyman suggests 2,000 IU daily.

Get calcium from food.

Probiotics may help.  Studies (1, 2, 3) have shown it is possible for healthy gut bacteria to produce their own lactase enzyme.  Eating yogurt can help promote the growth of these bacteria.  According to Chris Kresser’s article on How to Cure Lactose Intolerance, “Over time, these effects can lead to greater lactase content in the gut, improved lactose digestion, and eventually the elimination of intolerance symptoms.” “If you plan to use yogurt and probiotics to improve your digestion of dairy products, it’s important to start slowly and build up tolerance gradually. Often, negative effects from dairy consumption come from simply eating more lactose in one sitting than one’s gut can completely metabolize. I recommend starting with probiotic supplementation first, and focusing on bifidobacterium longum, a strain that has been shown to efficiently metabolize lactose.”

Go organic

If you tolerate cow dairy well, use only raw, organic products.  I suggest aiming primarily for unsweetened and fermented options like yogurt and kefir.  Treat dairy like a condiment.

I have detailed everything you need to know for a successful elimination diet in a post called A simple elimination diet to help you identify food sensitivities.

I also created a checklist version you can download for free. The checklist version lists only the crucial steps and nothing else.

Recommended for everyone - eliminate dairy for 2-4 weeks, then introduce and see how you feel. Share on X

I would like to hear from you!

Has dairy caused problems for you?  Have you eliminated dairy from your diet? If you have, what happened?

Please feel free to share your story in the comments section below.  Subscribe to my email list. Share this with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, because they might have problems with dairy, also.

Thanks for reading!
Jeff

Additional Resources

Dr. Mark Hyman gives six reasons you should avoid milk and explains why it may be at the very root of your health problems.

Dr. Marc Hyman – House Call: Milk Is Dangerous for Your Health

Dr. Vikki Petersen – Common Food Allergies: Gluten Intolerance & Dairy Products DON’T Do A Body Good!!!

Dr. Josh Axe – Raw Milk: Is It Good or Bad?

Neal Barnard MD discusses the science behind food addictions. Willpower is not to blame: chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar release opiate-like substances.

Journalist David E. Gumpert shares the history of pasteurization and its exaggerated health benefits versus the health benefits of raw milk, a living food containing beneficial enzymes.

Dr. Joseph Mercola interviews one of the leaders in the raw milk movement, Mark McAfee, about being in one of the largest producers of raw milk in the United States and how to educate the public about its importance.

Natural health physician and nutritionist Dr. Richard Gerhauser wants you to learn from his personal experiences with raw milk and how you can apply it to all health recommendations you receive.

Milk War is a story about Durham, Ontario organic dairy farmer Michael Schmidt’s battle to legalize the sale of unpasteurized milk. In defiance of the law Schmidt has supplied his neighbours with raw milk for over 20 years. Schmidt’s farm was raided by armed officers, his equipment was seized, all dairy products were destroyed and Michael was charged with 20 criminal offences for distributing unpasteurized milk. A Canadian David and Goliath story; when asked if he was willing to go to jail Michael said: “Whatever it takes to give people the freedom to choose healthy nutritious food”.

Moo View Farm at Willunga, operates a cow share program, where people can source raw milk through ownership of cows. The farm was raided by South Australia Police, the Dairy Authority and Biosecurity SA in May of 2013 and August 2013. The film was shot over 5 months, from the time of the first public meeting of Cow Shareholders following the raid, to the ongoing court proceedings.

Walter Veith talks about milk. Simply an expert lecture, and easy to understand regardless of your scientific background.