Should we stop drinking milk ? : part 2

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After reading the arguments against consuming milk and dairy products in part one, you may be feeling a little confused as to whether or not you should be drinking milk!

The question is, how do the regulators and milk industry justify the use of hormone treated cows for milk production? It was clear from part one that as Muslims, eliminating milk and dairy is not ideal. Instead, the whole issue for us is whether it's better to drink organic, raw or commercially available milk.So now the question is, how do the regulators and milk industry justify the use of hormone treated cows for milk production and the need for pasteurization of milk? The claim that commercially available milk is not harmful:

Whether or not pasteurized milk leads to cancer is up for debate

The link between drinking commercially available milk and the development of breast cancer is vague and the relationship has not been proven. The World Cancer Research Fund finds the research done so far on the issue inconsistent. (Moorhead)

The rationalization behind the pasteurization of milk:

1. Unpasteurized dairy is a vehicle for the spread of diseases such as TB, salmonellosis and E. coli. (Moorhead) Milk and dairy products can easily transmit these diseases if they are not pasteurized to kill the harmful germs that cause them. It is argued that pasteurization is essential as milk can become contaminated during any of the stages of collection, processing, distribution, or storage of milk. (Science Daily1)

However, if the germs are present in a large number, sometimes they are not killed even through pasteurization. It is also argued that the solution is not to pasteurize the milk but to provide stricter standards of hygiene for cow breeding so as to prevent these diseases from showing up in the first place. (Weston A. Price Foundation)2. Another important point to consider is the increased risk on children, the elderly and pregnant women. The elderly, young children and pregnant women are at a greater risk of diseases that might be transmitted through contaminated raw milk since their immune systems are weaker. For instance, if a pregnant woman becomes infected with Listeria monocytogenes, she could suffer a miscarriage, death of the fetus, or her newborn could suffer from illness or even death. (Bren)

Proponents of raw milk would argue though, that if the milk comes from grass-fed, non-hormone induced, clean cows, this would greatly benefit children and their health would radically improve.

3. The cow's natural habitat.

The elderly, young children and pregnant women are at a greater risk of diseases that might be transmitted through contaminated raw milk.No matter how hard the barn is scrubbed it will never be sterilized and a risk of contamination is always present when breeding cows. When a cow lies down, its udder can become contaminated with germs found in the environment which can then contaminate the milk. (Bren)4. Arguments as to whether or not the losses in vitamins from pasteurization are significant have broken out as well.

On the one hand, F. Sheehan, BSc (Dy), JD, Director of the FDA's Division of Dairy and Egg Safety, says that, "the caseins, the major family of milk proteins, are largely unaffected, and any modification in whey protein that might occur is barely perceptible. Milk is a good source of the vitamins thiamine, folate, B-12, and riboflavin."He goes on to say that, "pasteurization results in losses of anywhere from zero to 10 percent for each of these, which most would consider only a marginal reduction." (Bren) It is also argued by some that those vitamins lost from milk are lost from any kind of food when heated; thus any cooked food will have fewer vitamins than it had raw.

On the other hand, others believe that the percentage is much higher than that. Moreover, the remaining vitamins can't be extracted nor digested because the enzymes used to digest them are destroyed by heat. Folate absorption is also affected as most if not all of the folate present in milk is bound to a protein that enhances its absorption by the gut and this protein is inactivated by pasteurization. (Weston A. Price Foundation)

The Final Verdict

Which side of this debate you choose to believe is up to you.Which side of this debate you choose to believe is up to you. The research supporting the views of both sides of this argument is readily available on the net and one should examine it and its underlying assumptions to make sure it is valid; the decision is ultimately yours to make. The solutions listed below take the path of least harm and try to maximize the benefits we get from milk and dairy products. How lax or severe you'd like to be with these recommendations is again up to you!

1. Eliminate or at least reduce pasteurized milk and its derivatives from your diet.

a. This includes foods like ice cream and cheese. Dr. Hayam El-Shazly, a holistic nutritionist and macrobiotic counselor told IslamOnline.net that, "anything man made is your worst dietary culprit".

b. El-Shazly recommends that if you are going to consume dairy, to "eat yogurt as it's the best form because the enzymes in it help digestion go a little smoother".

c. According to Dr. ph Mercola, a licensed physician and surgeon, you should "rotate small amounts of one form of milk every four days." (Mercola)

d. Make sure you get sufficient calcium intake from other sources such as calcium-rich vegetables, especially dark green vegetables like spinach, artichoke and broccoli. Other calcium rich sources include beets, carrots and beans. Don't forget to expose yourself to sunlight for 15 minutes a day so your body can make enough essential vitamin D, which is needed for the absorption of calcium.

e. Mercola suggests the use of "whole cream that is merely pasteurized (not ultra pasteurized like most commercial cream); diluted with water, it is delicious on cereal and a good substitute for those allergic to milk." (Mercola)

f. Last but not least, El-Shazly advocates "following the prophetic tradition of consuming milk or any dairy product on its own. Do not mix with other types of food".

2. Consume raw milk

a. Consume raw or fermented, full-fat dairy products. (Slattery )

>b. Raw milk and its derivatives are easier to come by in some places than others. But you don't just want un-pasteurized milk; you want to also find grass-fed cows that are not given any hormones or antibiotics.

c. Sometimes goats are an easier solution since they need less space and maintenance.

d. As raw milk may contain harmful bacteria, El-Shazly recommends that it is boiled to reduce the risk of illnesses transferred through the milk.

3. Soy milk, Almond milk and Rice milk

a. When asked about substitutes for milk in recipes, El-Shazly suggested "trying soy or almond milk."

b. Soy milk is an adequate substitute, but unfortunately there is controversy surrounding it as well!

c. Almond milk is the healthiest solution, since almonds boast huge health benefits, although it would be much more expensive of course!

Sources:

Bren, . "Got Milk? Make Sure it's Pasteurized." FDA Consumer Magazine. Sept.-Oct. 2004. Accessed 22 Dec. 2008. Mercola, ph. "Don't Drink your Milk." Accessed 22 Dec. 2008.

Moorhead, Joanna. "Battle of the Bottle." The Guardian. 30 Nov. 2004. Accessed 22 Dec. 2008.

"Response to the FDA." Weston A. Price Foundation. November 2007. Accessed 22 Dec. 2008.

Slattery, . "Milk as It Should Be: Raw." Well Being Journal. Accessed 22 Feb. 2009.

"TB Strain May Be Linked To Unpasteurized Dairy, Study Suggests." ScienceDaily1. May 6, 2008. Accessed 22 Dec. 2008.

"Unpasteurized Milk Poses Health Risks Without Benefits, Study Shows." ScienceDaily2. 18 December 2008. Accessed 22 Dec. 2008.

Noha Yousry graduated from the German Univeristy in Cairo, Faculty of Management Technology, majoring in both Human Resources and Strategic Management. She is currently pursuing her various interests from freelance writing to volunteer work and character education especially for young children and youth.

She can be reached by sending an e-mail to sciencetech@....