Drink More Milk and Break More Bones?

We have been told from a young age that we need the calcium from milk so that our bones would develop properly. For adults, the calcium in cow's milk was proposed as the key solution to prevent bone loss and fractures. In my opinion, the overpromotion of milk as a fundamental food group has been one of the longest scams in American healthcare!

A recent review in the New England Journal of Medicine found that high dairy consumption did not reduce the risk of bone fractures. The main push for milk consumption in the United States has been for the reduction of bone fractures later in life. The authors of the study found that "in populations with generally adequate nutrition, high consumption of milk may increase the risk of fractures later in life, and the association of greater height with the risk of cancer remains a concern."

Research has demonstrated for a long time the paradox that countries with the highest intakes of milk and calcium often have the highest rates of hip fracture. There can be many reasons for this, such as the high phosphorous content of milk which causes the urinary excretion of calcium. Also, cow's milk does not provide vitamin K2, which activated a protein to direct calcium into the bones and is an inadequate source of vitamin D (small amounts added to milk), and magnesium. Calcium works in tandem with K2, vitamin D, and magnesium for bone formation.

The Government Still Pushing Milk

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food pyramid used to recommend 2-3 servings of milk, yogurt, and cheese group. In 2011 the USDA changed the food pyramid to Choose My Plate as a different visual for diet recommendations and was updated in 2017. While there were improvements with an emphasis on vegetables and fruits and healthy oils, it still contains dairy as a staple food. The USDA notes that "About 90% of Americans do not get enough dairy, therefore most individuals would benefit by increasing intake of fat-free or low-fat dairy, whether from milk (including lactose-free milk), yogurt, and cheese, or from fortified soy milk or yogurt. The amount of dairy foods you need each day depends on your age and can vary between 1 ½ to 2 cups for toddlers, 2 ½ cups for children under 10 and 3 cups for older children through adults." In other words, the USDA wants you to believe that most people have a "dairy deficiency."

Cow Milk Is For Young Cow's

The primary function of cow's milk is to nourish young cows. The authors of this study agree with me that the most natural role of milk is to "nourish and promote the growth of young mammals." Who would argue that breastmilk is the preferred food source for infants? Yet, in many industrialized nations, cow's milk is pushed as a superfood when it should be far from making the list of superstar foods for humans. I understand that cow's milk is relatively inexpensive and is cost-effective for supplying calcium, protein, and fat to people, especially those with low socioeconomic status. However, this study's authors agree that normal growth and development can occur throughout childhood without dairy products if the proper attention is given to diet.

Consider that up to 50 million American adults are lactose intolerant, where one cannot digest the milk sugar lactose. This genetically related condition is even more common among specific populations. For example, 95 percent of Asians, 60% of African Americans and Ashkenazi Jews, 80% to 100% of American Indians, and 50% to 80% of Hispanics have lactose intolerance. As a result, symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, gas, and bloating can occur.

It is quite clear that the human body is not designed for cow's milk as a preferred food. Consider the summary below when comparing cow's milk to mother's milk.

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Comparison of Cow's Milk and Mother's Milk

Thomas Campbell, MD, coauthor of The China Study, has 12 facts about cow's milk to consider:

In observational studies both across countries and within single populations, higher dairy intake has been linked to increased risk of prostate cancer
Observational cohort studies have shown higher dairy intake is linked to higher ovarian cancer risk
Cow's milk protein may play a role in triggering type 1 diabetes through a process called molecular mimicry
Across countries, populations that consume more dairy have higher rates of multiple sclerosis
In interventional animal experiments and human studies, dairy protein has been shown to increase IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) levels. Increased levels of IGF-1 has been implicated in several cancers
In interventional animal experiments and human experiments, dairy protein has been shown to promote increased cholesterol levels (in human studies and animal studies) and atherosclerosis (in animal studies).
The primary milk protein (casein) promotes cancer initiated by a carcinogen in experimental animal studies.
D-galactose in cow's milk has been found to be pro-inflammatory and is given to create animal models of aging.
Higher milk intake is linked to acne.
Milk intake has been implicated in constipation and ear infections.
Milk is perhaps the most common self-reported food allergen in the world.
Much of the world's population cannot adequately digest milk due to lactose intolerance.

Healthy Milk Alternatives

My family and I have long used healthier cow's milk alternatives. In our fridge, you will find calcium-enriched coconut milk, coconut yogurt, and almond milk. There are several other types of alternative kinds of milk available, including hemp, rice, and hazelnut.

Dina Cheney, a health food culinary specialist, is an expert on the subject of plant-based milks. She notes that alternative kinds of milk have many unique features, which include that they are delicious and varied, lower in sugar than dairy milk (except some rice milks), cholesterol and hormone-free, vegan, kosher, paleo compatible, dairy and lactose-free, and customizable. There are many ways to enjoy plant-based milk and creams. You can drink these kinds of milk straight, either warm or chilled. They can be added to cereals. As well, they are an alternative to add to coffee or tea. They can also be used as creams for the base of ingredients in dips, curries, puddings, milkshakes, and ice creams.

In her book The New Milks, Dina also discusses how to make your own almond milk. Her directions include:

Start with raw, unsalted almonds. Pour them into a medium-large bowl, and cover with water; let soak for several hours or overnight.
After the soaking period, rinse and drain (in a colander) in the sink.
Pour into a blender, along with water. Use either a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of water to almonds, depending on how thick and creamy you'd like the resulting almond milk to be.
Puree until smooth, 1-2 minutes (1 minute in a high-speed blender).
(Optional) To strain, position a nut milk bag in a large bowl. Pour the almond milk into the nut milk bag, form into a bundle, and squeeze the milk out into the bowl. This will take about ten squeezes. You're trying to wring out all of the liquid. (Alternatively, don't strain, or line a hand-held strainer with a few pieces of cheesecloth, and place over a large bowl.)
Use as is or season with a bit of salt, vanilla extract, or other flavorings.

Calcium Solutions

You may be wondering about foods to boost your calcium intake. This is important because most children or adults do not consume enough calcium in their diet, whether they consume cow's milk or not. This is one of the reasons I have many children and adults supplement calcium (along with the synergistic nutrients K2, D, and magnesium). Depending on a patient's diet, I often recommend daily supplementation of 500 to 600 mg of high absorbable calcium in addition to foods that contain calcium. Good sources of non-dairy calcium include almonds, dried digs, tofu, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, broccoli, kale, oranges, mustard, and collard greens, and sea vegetables.

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Dr. Mark Stengler NMD, MS, is a bestselling author in private practice in Encinitas, California, at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine. His newsletter, Dr. Stengler’s Health Breakthroughs, is available at www.markstengler.com and his product line at www.drstengler.com

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References

Dairy | MyPlate. Myplate.gov. (2021). Retrieved 20 February 2021, from https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/dairy.

Lactose Intolerance: Information for Health Care Providers. Nichd.nih.gov. (2021). Retrieved 20 February 2021, from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/documents/NICHD_MM_Lactose_FS_rev.pdf.

Willett, W., & Ludwig, D. (2020). Milk and Health. New England Journal Of Medicine, 382(7), 644-654. Retrieved 20 February 2021, from.