Choosing Dairy-Free
For years we have been drinking cow’s milk and enjoying buttery goods – why do we need to stop now?
75% of the population is lactose intolerant; they are unable to break down lactose (milk sugar), which is the main carbohydrate in dairy.
When we’re infants, our bodies produce a digestive enzyme called lactase, which breaks down lactose from mother’s milk. But many people lose the ability to do that in adulthood.
Lactose intolerance creates symptoms such as:
Abdominal bloating, pain, or cramps
Borborygmi (rumbling or gurgling sounds in the stomach)
Diarrhoea
Flatulence, or gas
Nausea, which may be accompanied by vomiting
In some cases, between 2 and 3% of children younger than 3 are allergic to cow’s milk.
Cow’s Milk Allergy Symptoms:
Hives/Rashes
Stomach upset
Vomiting
Bloody stools, especially in infants
Anaphylaxis, a rare, potentially life-threatening reaction that impairs breathing and can send the body into shock
Let’s take a step back and look at the basics.
Human breast-milk is for human babies. Cow’s milk is for calves. Goat’s milk is for kids (as in baby goats!), Sheep milk is for lambs, can you see a pattern? Why did humans decide to drink cow’s milk?
In Europe there was a genetic change called lactase persistence that enabled early Europeans to drink milk without getting sick. It has been mapped to dairying farmers who lived around 7,500 years ago in central Europe.
At that time, cow’s milk compensated for the lack of sunlight and synthesis of vitamin D in skin at more northern latitudes. Fermentation was invented to create butter, cheese and yoghurt. This process reduced the lactose content in cows’ milk to enable our bodies to process it.
It was making our ancestors sick back then and it’s still making us sick now! However, unfortunately there are different components of present day cows milk that is causing health issues:
Hormones in milk
We are ingesting large amounts of the female hormone oestrogen through dairy products. Studies have shown that there are links between high levels of oestrogen and the development of cancers. Imbalanced hormones also cause mood swings, weight gain, fatigue and digestion problems (amongst other issues).
In modern dairy farms, cows are milked about 300 days a year. During that time, the cows are pregnant and the more times a cow has been pregnant, the more hormones she produces through her milk every time. For those fellow mothers out there, can you imagine being pregnant 300 times? Going through the motions over and over again?
With all animals, no one was made to stay pregnant for 300 days of the year, so there are massive health implications for the poor cow, such as continuous infections and disease. To combat this, farmers treat the cow with antibiotics. These antibiotics are absorbed in the bloodstream making their way into the milk we drink today.
It seems that we are getting double doses of antibiotics into our diets without knowing it!
Inflammation
Gluten and Dairy have similar molecule structures, which is why Dairy is second to Gluten for causing inflammation.
Casein, the protein in dairy is absorbed through the intestinal walls and can trigger inflammation in various forms such as in the joints (arthritis), skin (eczema), airway (asthma) and brain (behavioural problems, depression).
We have been often told that we need calcium to ensure healthy bones.
However, studies have shown that countries with lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.
There is also evidence that vitamin D is more important in supporting bone health than calcium.
List of alternative sources of calcium:
1) Dark Leafy greens such as: Spinach, Kale, Chard, Collard Greens, Bok Choy
2) Broccoli
3) Sesame seeds
4) White Beans
5) Almonds
6) Edamame Beans
7) Figs
8) Oranges
Eating a varied diet of whole foods is your best bet to ensuring you receive a good balance of natural vitamins and minerals.
(images via Pinterest)