If you don’t drink milk…where do you get your calcium?
Not having cow’s milk in our home now for almost five years we tend to hear this question a lot. I understand the beliefs that are behind this question…but it still doesn’t make it any easier for me to hear. It actually at times makes me mad- that the public is so oblivious when it comes to the nutrition in dairy products that they believe not consuming it does them harm…when the exact opposite is true.
There is so much to say on this topic- it would probably have to be told in more than one blog. But I thought I would start with some thoughts that LOGICALLY tell us why we shouldn’t drink the milk that comes from a cow. I will need to do a blog on the scientific reasons later. These logical thoughts are what I tell my children when they ask about cow’s milk…if they understand them- why shouldn’t the rest of us.
- Cow’s milk is genetically formulated for its young, it is the food for a 90 lb. calf at birth, which will eventually reach the weight of somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds in only 2 years. Human milk is genetically formulated for its young; it is the food for a 5 to 10 lb. infant who will eventually reach the weight somewhere between 100 and 200 lbs. in 18 years. In other words, cow’s milk is specifically designed for an animal that will grow very large, very fast. So when speaking logically, if we want to get real big, real fast, like a cow…we should drink their milk.
- Every mammal on Earth- whether it’s a dog, a cat, a whale, a cow, a hippo, a giraffe, a tiger or a human being, large or small, omnivore or carnivore- eats his first food from his mother’s breast. Each species has its own milk that is unique to that species and no other. This highly nutritious milk it is the best possible food during infancy. Every mammal stops drinking milk once it is weaned, except human beings. We not only continue to drink milk after infancy but we choose to drink milk from an animal that is not even remotely close to us in size. Does this seem a little off to you? If we were to drink another mammals milk- we would be better to drink chimpanzee’s milk since they are most like us genetically…right? Actually studies have shown that the human body digests goat’s milk far better than a cow’s, since their digestive tract is more similar to ours. So why did we choose a cow?
- The protein component in milk is a thick coarse substance called casein. There is 300 percent more casein in cow’s milk than there is in human milk, and it is used to make one of the strongest glues in existence- a glue used for gluing wood together (I will need to do an entire blog on casein in the future).
- Osteoporosis– Why do we have such high incidence of this disease when we drink all that calcium in cow’s milk?
The countries around the world that have the least incidence of osteoporosis are the African and Asian countries. The countries whose population consumes the least amount of dairy products are the African and Asian countries. The four countries of the world whose population has the highest incidence of osteoporosis are the United States, Great Britain, Sweden and Finland. The four countries of the world whose population consume the greatest amount of dairy products are the United States, Great Britain, Sweden and Finland.
When we eat a diet high in animal products- high amounts of calcium is being leached from our bones- which in turn causes disease.
- The longest living peoples in the world do not eat DAIRY PRODUCTS and live to be happy and healthy into their 100’s (The Abkhazians of Russia, the Vilcabambans of Ecuador, the Hunzas and the Okinawan’s of Japan)
- The body absorbs the calcium differently from different foods and absorbs calcium most efficiently from vegetables. Only about 32 percent of calcium in milk is absorbed, while 54 percent of the calcium in bok choy is absorbed. There is 334 mg. of calcium in 100 calories of skim milk. There is 787 mg. of calcium in 100 calories of bok choy.
- Scientific studies have consistently repeated the observation that most common cancers are associated with stimulated growth in childhood, especially growth fueled by a diet heavy in growth-promoting animal products, such as cow’s milk.
- Most of the animal products eaten by children, such as cheese and milk, are exceptionally high in saturated fat. Saturated fat consumption correlates with cancer incidence worldwide. It also raises cholesterol levels and causes heart disease.
Every health expert out there acknowledges that a diet high in fiber and low in saturated fat and cholesterol is best. Dairy products are extremely HIGH in fat and cholesterol, and are DEVOID of fiber…the exact opposite. So why do people still feel the need to eat dairy- CALCIUM. Where do I get my calcium…the same place a cow does- from PLANTS! Everything that grows from the ground has calcium in it- in particular our green vegetables.
The Correct Statement is: GREENS do a body good!
Information found in the following books:
Source: WFM Blog – 2