Milk is a staple food in most of the world. Dairy products are a good source of protein, but are also high in fat, acid- and mucus-forming, and difficult for many people to digest. Most cows’ milk products are loaded with synthetic hormones and other additives that can cause allergic and toxicity reactions. If you suffer from asthma, chronic inflammation or degenerative disease, read on to discover why milk products may not be an ideal food for your body and why goats’ milk is a better choice for some.
Milk, Acid and Mucus
Although milk itself is barely acidic (pH of 6.4-6.8 according to the FDA[1]), its impact on the body is more significant: it ups the acidity in the body and boosts mucus production, contributing to inflammation and congestion. Milk products are also thought to support harmful bacteria in the body, such as candida.
Those with a cold, sore throat or skin breakouts may find an improvement in their health by avoiding milk and milk products, and asthmatics, in particular, can benefit from avoiding milk products entirely.
Although some notice no difference, many singers avoid milk products before a performance to keep their throat more open and the voice clearer.
Hormones and Pasteurization
Part of the problem with the milk products available today in North America is that virtually all (with the exception of some raw cheeses) have been pasteurized in order to be legal to sell. This process denatures proteins, destroying enzyme activity in a food, and may alter how the food is digested – a likely cause of allergic reactions in many people.
Hormones given to milk-producing cattle in their feed and supplementation can also make their way into the milk, cheese, and yogurt that we eat. Synthetic hormones in meat and milk products are believed to contribute to the increasingly early onset of puberty in many Western countries, as well as growth issues in children and adult fertility problems.
Cows’ Milk vs. Goats’ or Sheep’s Milk
There are two main advantages to going less mainstream and avoiding cows’ milk in favour of goats’ milk or sheep’s milk products.
1. Goat and sheep’s milk are less likely to contain hormones and additives (see above).
2. Goats’ milk is more easily digested.
On a basic level, humans were never “designed” to digest cows’ milk or goats’ milk. Our bodies are meant to consume (human) mother’s milk for the first several months or years, and then move on to other foods. Many people only become lactose-intolerant as teens or adults, when the enzymes to digest any kind of milk stop being produced by the human digestive system.
Goats’ milk is the easiest for humans to digest, because goat milk proteins are most similar to the protein found in human milk.
In areas where cows’ or goats’ milk has traditionally been a staple, people have for the most part evolved the ability to continue digesting milk into adulthood. Yet in those whose ancestors did not consume milk - such as people of Chinese or Japanese descent – lactose intolerance is especially common.
Other Alternatives to Dairy: Nut, Soy and Rice Milks
Non-dairy milks are good choices for those who choose to avoid cows’ or goats’ milk.
Nut milks (e.g. almond milk) are usually the most nutritious, since rice milk is almost purely carbohydrate (and therefore high glycemic) and soy milk may act as a hormone imbalancer.
References:
(1) US Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition: “Approximate pH of Foods and Food Products.” Accessed November 6, 2007 at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/lacf-phs.html
Victoria Anisman-Reiner - Victoria Anisman-Reiner is a freelance writer with extensive experience in holistic health care and animal training.
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