52 Reasons To Avoid Milk & Dairy Products
Part I

by Robert Cohen

A is for ALLERGIES

“In reality, cow’s milk, especially processed cow’s milk, has been linked to a variety of health problems, including: mucous production, hemoglobin loss, childhood diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, arthritis, kidney stones, mood swings, depression, irritability, allergies…”

TOWNSEND MEDICAL LETTER, MAY, 1995



“Most formula fed infants developed symptoms of allergic rejection to cow milk proteins before one month of age. About 50-70% experienced rashes or other skin symptoms, 50-60 percent gastrointestinal symptoms, and 20-30 percent respiratory symptoms. The recommended therapy is to avoid cow’s milk.”

PEDIATRIC-ALLERGY-IMMUNOLOGY, AUGUST, 1994, 5 (5 SUPPL.)



B is for BREAST CANCER

“Human Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and bovine IGF-I are identical. Both contain 70 amino acids in the identical sequence.”

SCIENCE, VOL. 249. AUGUST 24, 1990



“IGF-I produces a 10-fold increase in RNA levels of cancer cells. IGF-I appears to be a critical component in cellular proliferation.”

X.S. LI, EXP-CELL-RES., MARCH, 1994, 211(1)



C is for CROHN’S DISEASE

“Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is capable of surviving commercial pasteurization.”

APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY: 64(3), MAR 1998



“Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (bacteria not killed by pasteurization) RNA was found in 100% of Crohn’s disease patients, compared with 0% of controls.”

D. MISHINA, PROCEEDINGS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES USA :93: SEPTEMBER, 1996



D is for DIABETES

“The National Dairy Board’s Slogan, ‘Milk. It does a body good,’ sounds a little hollow these days.”

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, OCTOBER, 1992



“These new studies, and more than 20 well-documented previous ones, have prompted one researcher to say the link between milk and juvenile diabetes is ‘very solid’.”

DIABETES CARE 1994;17 (12)



E is for EAR INFECTIONS

“Milk allergies are very common in children…they are the leading cause of chronic ear infections that plague up to 40% of all children under age six.”

JULIAN WHITAKER, M.D., “HEALTH & HEALING,” OCTOBER, 1998, VOLUME 8, NO. 10



“Cow and acute’s milk has become a point of controversy among doctors and nutritionists. There was a time when it was considered very desirable, but research has forced us to rethink this recommendation… dairy products contribute to a surprising number of health problems (including) chronic ear problems…”

BENJAMIN SPOCK, M.D., “CHILD CARE,” 7TH EDITION



F is for FAT

“Milk fat has been identified as a cholesterol-elevating fat because it contains cholesterol and is primarily saturated.”

JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE 1991;74 (11)



“Preference for a diet high in animal fat could be a pathogenic factor, and milk and high fat dairy products contribute considerably to dietary fat intake.”

J. AM COLL NUTR, 2000 APR, 19:2 SUPPL



G is for GROWTH FACTOR

“Levels of IGF increase in milk after cows are treated with rbGH.”

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF BOVINE SOMATOTROPIN, DECEMBER, 1990



“The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system is widely involved in human carcinogenesis. A significant association between high circulating IGF-I concentrations and an increased risk of lung, colon, prostate and pre-menopausal breast cancer has recently been reported.”

INTERNATIONAL J CANCER, 2000 AUG, 87:4



H is for HEART DISEASE

“Milk and milk products gave the highest correlation co-efficient to heart disease, while sugar, animal proteins and animal fats came in second, third, and fourth, respectively.”

A SURVEY OF MORTALITY RATES AND FOOD CONSUMPTION STATISTICS OF 24 COUNTRIES, MEDICAL HYPOTHESIS 7:907-918, 1981



“For ischemic heart disease, milk carbohydrates were found to have the highest statistical association for males aged 35+ and females aged 65+. In the case of coronary heart disease, non-fat milk was found to have the highest association for males aged 45+ and females aged 75+, while for females 65-74, milk carbohydrates and sugar had the highest associations.”

ALTERN MED REV, AUG, 3, 1998



I is for IRON DEFICIENCY

“Cow’s milk can cause blood loss from the intestinal tract, which over time, reduces the body’s iron stores. Blood loss may be a reaction to cow’s milk proteins.”

JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS, 1990, 116



“Cow’s milk-induced intestinal bleeding is a well-recognized cause of rectal bleeding in infancy. In all cases, bleeding resolved completely after instituting a cow’s milk-free diet.”

J PEDIATR SURG, 1999 OCT, 34:10



J is for JUVENILE ILLNESSES

“Chronic diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal symptom of intolerance of cow’s milk among children…cow’s milk can also cause severe perianal lesions with pain on defecation and consequent constipation in young children. In young children, chronic constipation can be a manifestation of intolerance to cow’s milk.”

NEW ENGLAND J MED, 1998 OCT, 339:16