LETTERS
Dear Ms. Thompson,
I ENJOYED your article on the health problems of milk; glad someone was willing to do a little research. But there's so much more. In the United States, we have bovine leukaemia in the dairy herds and bovine AIDS. Another serious condition that dairy cows have is Johnne's disease, which all good research now shows is the sole cause of Crohn's disease in humans who drink milk.
The list of potential health problems that stem from drinking the milk of another species is staggering. This is not armchair conjecture but based upon the medical literature. I have just completed a 500-page writing on the subject, supported by 1,300 end notes/citations. The bottom line is this: Nature never intended for humans to drink the milk of another species. Which animals other than humans do? Humans are the only species that 'nurses' into adulthood.
Cow's milk is very different in it's nutritional make-up when compared to human milk. What is perhaps most curious is this: In the U.S. we are told to drink milk to help keep our bones strong and reduce the risk of later fracture. However, when one examines the world populations it becomes very clear that bone fracture risk is highest in the very communities that consume the most dairy and calcium derived from dairy. If you would like more information, feel free to contact me.
Joseph Keon, Ph.D.
Dear Ms. Thompson,
Just two articles for you to take a look at. I must say I enjoy your writing although I think you should be given more space.
http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc99/6_26_99/fob2.htm
http://www.milksucks.com/index2.asp
Andrew Brandon
Dear Ms. Thompson,
Interesting article on milk. I forgot that it affects eczema considering that my family suffers from this and we consume a lot of milk with our cereals. I wish you would do another article to say what are the substitutes for milk, especially where cereals are concerned. What about skimmed milk? Is that the same as the others. Or powdered milk? I think you need at least two more articles to properly cover this topic.
Charmaine Morris
Dear Ms. Thompson
You are on the right track, certified raw milk from grass fed cows is fantastic. We are making a documentary on it entitled 'The Raw Truth' and my husband has been working on his companion website www.raw-milk-facts.com. I will be 47 years old next month and raw milk keeps my bones and muscles strong. It is a fantastic real food!
Caroline Kim Jonsson
Dear Ms Thompson,
There is a lot more to the milk controversy than you have found out. The nutritional value is there but milk is only to be recommended in the absence of adequate vegetable and fruit alternatives.
Certainly, milk was designed for cow calves alone and not even adult cows drink milk. On the side of humans, the mother's breast milk is best for babies alone but after a while it is not good for babies. The lesson should be significant -- cows milk was not designed for human consumption.
We often get the impression that this is a worldwide supplement, but dairy products are largely western in nature. Cow's milk is associated with increased levels of osteoporosis in women because of the animal protein content. In order to absorb protein the body uses calcium. The milk does not provide enough calcium, so calcium is leached from the bones. In societies where dairy is not used, aged women have bone density of teenagers.
Please search in your web browser for the 'China Health and Diet Study'. If you do not check another source, browse this well documented and highly praised study for insights it provides into many health issues.
For the low-down on milk, go to www.notmilk.com.
Jonathan E. Smith
Department of Management Studies
University of the West Indies (Mona)
Dear Ms Thompson,
I do not think that the pasteurisation of milk can destroy either calcium, phosphorus or iodine.
Andrew Pearson, Ph.D.
Biochemistry Section
Department of Basic Medical Sciences
University of the West Indies (Mona)
Send questions and comments to our health specialists at Your Health, c/o The Gleaner, 7 North Street, Kingston; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com. Unless otherwise indicated, letters and the specialists' responses are usually published.
