For the sake of keeping it short and simple, I will focus on milk in this post. However, most of the information here can be applied to yogurts, kefirs, cheeses and other dairy items as well.

If your kid drinks milk, chances are very, very high that it’s making them sick.

There are a multitude of reasons why the milk on today’s store shelves weakens young (and old) immune systems. I will keep this post brief and to the point. Ask any additional questions you have in the comments section and I will respond as soon as I can.

Here’s the skinny on 99.9% of the milk you find in stores today.

1. It is pasteurized.

Supermarket milk is a mixture of milk obtained from thousands of cows. These cows are raised in confined, unsanitary conditions, and therefore the milk they produce is easily contaminated with disease-causing bacteria.

To deal with this problem the milk is passed between metal plates an heated to 161 oF for approximately 15-20 seconds. This kills 99.999% of living microorganisms in the milk. The milk can then be stored for 2-3 weeks. There are other methods of pasteurization (UHT Pasteurization) that allow milk to be stored for 3-4 months.

While pasteurization may sound like a good thing (and it can be, as nothing will make you sicker quicker than milk from sick cows), it alters the milk in several significant ways.

1. Good and bad bacteria (probiotic and pathogenic) are killed by the heat. They are not removed from the milk however. This means that all of the bacterial cell components are broken up and suspended in the milk, and they in turn act as histamines in the human body, which explains the increasing prevalence of milk and food allergies among today’s population. Kids with runny noses are quite common these days.
2. Heating denatures proteins and alters the structure of certain amino acids, making them difficult to absorb and breakdown. Undigested milk proteins can lead to uncomfortable digestive problems…
3. The vitamin content milk is decreased by as much as 80%.
4. Beneficial enzymes, being proteins and thus heat-sensitive, are also denatured. This contributes to difficulty with digestion and increases strain on the pancreas, and often accounts for lactose intolerance in many individuals.
5. Mineral availability (calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, sulphur, trace minerals) declines significantly.

2. It is homogenized.

Homogenization is used to process milk into the various fat contents, like nonfat, 1%, 2% etc.

Homogenization is used reconstitute the milk from thousands of different cows into a single uniform solution with a desired fat content.

To homogenize milk, it is placed under enormous amounts of pressure and sent through a sieve with microscopic pores that shear all of the fat molecules to the same size.

This allows the fat to stay in solution and not separate out like fresh milk.

Homogenization is not a necessary step, and is a useful way for processors to disguise the true quality of the milk that the consumers are buying, because in the end it all looks the same.

Homogenization alters the milk in the following ways:

1. Typical milk fat is composed of whole fat cells, or adipocytes. When homogenized, these cells are broken up into many tiny pieces, and are thus prone to rancidity. Chemicals may be added to repress odors and restore taste.
2. Rancid fats are linked to the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
3. Homogenized fats have been linked to heart disease.

These homogenized fats are very pro-inflammatory, and inflammatory foods take a consistent toll on the immune system.

3. It is fortified.

Remember how pasteurization decreases the natural vitamin content of milk? When the milk is processed synthetic forms of these vitamins are added back in. They’ll show up on the label as Vitamin D3 or D2 and Vitamin A Palmitate.

These fake vitamins are poorly absorbed and short change the immune system.

4. It is reconstituted.

Milk is reconstituted after processing with a few more additives in addition to those already mentioned. For example, many brands of nonfat milk included condensed skim milk in the ingredients.

Here is what condensing milk does:

1. Milk is condensed via high temperature drying. The proteins in milk, when dried at such high temperatures, form nitrates, which are known cancer causers.
2. Condensed milk also contains cholesterol that has been dried at high temperatures. Cholesterol subjected to this process will oxidize. Oxidized cholesterol is known to cause heart disease and lead to arterial clotting.

Reconstituted foods are pro-inflammatory and difficult to digest, not to mention damaging to human cells.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to rail against common milk and not offer a solution.

If your kids love dairy, your solution is raw milk and other raw dairy products, which I’ll have more on very soon.

If you live in California, Connecticut, or New Mexico you can purchase raw milk in stores. If you live in other states you can buy straight from the farm or join a raw milk cooperative.

If you would like to know where you can find raw milk near you check here.

The last thing I’ll say about raw milk is that it is awesome (assuming it comes from healthy, pasture fed cows). I don’t drink glasses of it, but I do have some with my granola every morning. Haven’t been sick since I started drinking it over 2 years ago.

I will be back with a very detailed post very soon on raw milk and why it is the only milk your kids should be drinking.

Yours in health and happiness,

- Casey

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_a_palmitate

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitamin-k2.html#article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folic_acid

http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/enzymes_T3.html

http://www.realmilk.com/

Fallon, Sally and Enig, Mary G., Ph.D.  Nourishing Traditions – 2nd Edition (2001) Pg 33-35.

Nestle, Marion. What To Eat (2006)

Share on Facebook