This week I want to talk about exploding a common myth.
In my time as a natural therapist one thing has become abundantly clear to me. When the natural therapy movement as a whole embraces an idea as true, it takes at least 10 years for it to become even considered by the general public. And probably another 10 years for it to become common enough knowledge to be accepted. Even then, doctors are reluctant to accept it and may do so only grudgingly, if at all. Doctors as a whole are not very conversant in the benefits of nutrition.
One of these myths is dairy. Dairy is considered essential for the growth of children and to prevent osteoporosis.
The west is a high consumer of dairy products. The east, on the other hand is not. In traditional China (before westernisation), dairy was almost unheard of.
The west has a high incidence of osteoporosis. The east has a much lower incidence.
So does this idea of consuming dairy make much sense?
Agreed, dairy IS important for the growth and development of babies. But as soon as the infant is weaned, the enzymes in the stomach change to be better equipped to digest more complicated foods. This results in milk becoming indigestible. This is shown as loose stool, sometimes diarrhoea.
Another factor is that the quality of milk varies with each species. Cows grow to maturity in a year. It takes a human 18 odd years to reach the same maturity. This raises the question of how suitable milk from another species is.
When milk is tested for calcium and other essential nutrients, it comes up trumps, with exceptionally high levels. But is this the end of the story? Doesn’t digestibility come into the equation, the ability of the food to be assimilated?
In nature, milk is not consumed after weaning. To me, this means it is not required.
A final factor is the way milk is ‘harvested’. For the commercial production of milk, calves are removed from their mothers at about two days old. Any mother can understand the enormous anxiety and grief this creates in her. And the calf will also have a strong sense of abandonment.
With these strong emotions coursing through the cow, do you think that the milk might be affected? If the milk is affected, won’t the consumer be, too?
And this is quite apart from the pesticides and fertilised used in pastures, the hormones used to increase yields, the constant antibiotics to prevent disease, homogenisation to make the milk more uniform. And so on.
If dairy is not the best source of calcium, what is?
Green leafy vegetables are not considered to be high in calcium when compared with dairy, but the availably is much, much higher. This means that your body benefits far more from this source of calcium.
Consider this: herbivores such as cows, graze exclusively on grass and other green leafy plants. They grow to their not inconsiderable size within one year. Their massive bones depend only on green leafy plants for their rapid development.
Doesn’t that mean we can too, in 18 years?
Another point worth considering is that all carnivores in nature, crunch up on the bones that come neatly packaged with meat. Humans, in our infinite wisdom, remove the bones. But meat needs calcium to digest. If it is not present in the meal, it is leached out from your bones and your teeth.
And so osteoporosis results.
Humans are omnivores, but at the herbivore end of the scale. This means that we will benefit more from plant material for our nutritional needs.
Another source of calcium that is easily digested, is nuts. Making milk from nuts is far more nutrition optimised than cows milk can ever be.
Free yourself from the bonds of common myths!
