It’s true that dairy, in general, has been under fire in the healing circles as a product that makes you sick. There is no question that it is associated with many serious health issues.
Relentless and clever marketing campaigns by the dairy industry such as “Got Milk” have tried to instill the belief in the consumer that milk is good for you. So, what’s the truth?
Let’s sort this out…
First of all, these marketing efforts are based on commercial COW milk and its’ dairy products like cheeses and yogurts. They love to boast that you need the calcium from milk in order to have healthy bones. But, does it really build bones and is this enough of a benefit to outweigh the negatives?
You decide…
- Commercial cow milk contains high levels of synthetic hormones like estrogen
- Increased levels of synthetic estrogens in your body spells cancer risk
- Many studies show that milk consumption is a high risk factor for many malignant cancers
- The main protein in milk, casein, has been shown to promote cancer growth
- Feeding high estrogen milk to children leads to premature sexual maturation
- Added growth factor hormones cause cancer proliferation
- Modern day cows are being genetically modified to become continuous milk producers
- Protein fragments found in cow milk can trigger autoimmune responses
- Cow milk is a common allergen that can also trigger autoimmunity
- Commercial cattle are typically fed with gmo grains containing high levels of pesticides
- Commercial cattle are also given continuous antibiotic doses for infection prevention
- Studies have shown that cow milk is actually detrimental to bone health
- Higher milk intake leads to increased risk of bone fractures
- Cow milk is very acidic which creates a favorable disease environment
- High acidity causes calcium leaching from the bones to neutralize acids
- Cow milk is a known mucous producer
- It is causes inflammation in the body
- Many are allergic to cow milk
But wait, you say… What about organic cow milk?
It’s a step in the right direction, for sure. That would eliminate the use of synthetic hormones and antibiotics. Free range, grass fed would eliminate the gmo grain issue. But it doesn’t help the highly acidic nature nor the detriment to bone health nor the mucous producing nor the autoimmune triggering aspects of cow milk nor the cancer causing risks.
The medical trade journal, BMJ, recently published a study that was conducted in Sweden to determine the effects of cow milk drinkers. In this study, 10,000 people were tracked for between 20 to 30 years.
What they found was that these cow milk drinkers were at greater risk of cardio disease and the development of cancer. They also found these milk consumers were significantly more prone to bone fractures.
Granted, cow dairy is high in calcium, but according to my scales, the cons far outweigh any potential pros, and this gives cow milk a big THUMBS DOWN. 👎👎👎
However, before you rule out ever being able to enjoy any milk products again, this ruling out of cow milk does not rule out dairy in its entirety. There is another healthy and time tested dairy with many proven health benefits…
Goat dairy.
The Western world has not yet caught on to the benefits of goat milk. In other parts of the world such as Asia and South Africa, goat milk has been wildly popular for centuries. It is estimated that 65% of the global population enjoys the benefits of goat dairy.
This is partly due to its close similarity to human milk, but also because many claim their health problems like eczema, digestive disorders, bloat, constipation, mucous production and asthma are dramatically reduced or simply go away altogether when consuming goat milk.
Let’s take a closer look…
- Goat milk actually contains more calcium than cow milk
- The proteins in goat milk are smaller and much easier to digest
- The fat molecules are 1/5th the size of cow dairy making it much easier to tolerate with digestive issues
- It is 33% richer but yet far easier to break down
- Its similarity to human milk makes it more easily accepted by the young or frail
- Goat milk is very alkaline
- It also does not form phlegm so is more tolerable by asthmatics and allergy sufferers
- It assists with constipation
- Goat dairy has higher evolved carotene with cancer preventing properties
- Since goats are naturally immune to diseases, their milk is used to cure tuberculosis and other diseases in many countries
- It has a mild taste
- Goat dairy reduces bad cholesterol and can increase the good cholesterol
- It has higher proportions of medium-chain fatty acids for better energy
- It is an excellent source of vitamin A and therefore helps maintain overall health of skin
- The lactic acid in goat milk helps get rid of old skin cells while brightening the tone of your skin
- It contains moisturizng compounds your skin will love
- The minerals in goat milk like calcium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium are digested more easily
- Studies show it as a treatment for bone demineralization and anemia
- It is made up of just 2% curd compared to 10% curd in cow milk which makes it far more digestible
- Goat milk is anti-inflammatory
- It contains a different kind of casein not linked to many inflammatory responses
- It is better tolerated by those who are lactose intolerant
- Probably the biggest advantage of goat milk is its benefits for digestive health
- Goat milk yogurt and kefir contains substantial probiotic benefits for gastrointestinal health
- It also promotes weight loss, lower blood pressure, and protection against diabetes
According to my scales, goat milk gets a resounding THUMBS UP! 👍👍👍
All that said, you must shop for a good organic source of goat dairy. Do not settle for less or you risk synthetic hormones and antibiotics.
Remember, whatever is given to the goat is in its milk, then you consume it. Look for a local goat farm that takes pride in its organic products.
Many small goat farms offer tours. Go take a tour of your local goat farm to see for yourself how the goats are farmed and milked, and get to know your goat farmers.
Got Goat?
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