Milk Does Not do a Body Good
The Dairy Industry is Charged With Crimes Against Cows, Human Health
Nov 7, 2009
The switch to vegan is one that is gaining in popularity; not only is it good for the cow, a diet lacking animal products is proven to be conducive to better health.
Cow’s Milk is Harmful to Human Health
Cow’s milk is a maternal lactating fluid, a short-term dietary source of nutrients for newborn cows. In the same way that human milk is intended to feed baby humans, cow's milk is intended to feed baby cows. The human body has no physical need for cow's milk, or for the milk of any other mammal. In fact, humans are the only mammal species that continue to consume milk after the weaning age. Humans are also the only mammal species that drink the milk of a different species.
The commonly held view is that 'milk does a body good'. The mega-dairy industries advertise milk as being an essential part of a healthy diet. Milk is marketed as an excellent source of vitamin D and calcium for bone and marrow health. Dairy is a nutritionist recommended part of a well balanced diet.
In actuality, cow's milk is nature’s design specifically to meet the needs of a growing calf, and is lacking in the essential elements necessary for human growth and balance. It is high in animal-protein, and when consumed causes calcium to be leeched from our bodies. In his "The Milk Letter, A Message to My Patients", Dr. Kradjian's medical findings support the following: that regular consumption of milk has been linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. These are the very diseases that the dairy industry representatives claim milk products have the power to prevent.
Contaminants, Blood, Allowed in Milk
In addition, dairy cows are injected with drugs, hormones, antibiotics, and are genetically manipulated and force-fed in order to increase the individual productivity of one ‘unit’; one cow. Though these characteristics are of the cow themselves, there is evidence to assume that these contaminants are present in the milk of the treated cows, which the buyer then consumes.
Any lactating animal excretes toxins that are present in her milk. Residues are apparent in the finished milk product, including trace amounts of blood, which the USDA allows under a certain limit.
Diary Cows are ‘Milk Machines’
On the farm, the conditions which plague the dairy industries are deplorable; female cows are forced to produce nearly four times the amount of milk they would naturally produce. In order to account for the demanded volume, female cows are impregnated term after term to regulate the milk flow. According to National Agricultural Statistics Services Research by the USDA in 2004, female cows are milked several times a day by metal milk machines, producing up to 50 gallons of milk a day, 4 times the natural production amount for cows.
In a December 2003 issue of The Guardian, a investigative report revealed that many female cows are diseased, malnourished, and suffer from a variety of health conditions. These are the conditions which contribute to their inevitable transfer to the slaughterhouse, where they are transformed into ground beef.
Female Calves for Rennet, Male Calves for Veal
Calves born to dairy farm mothers are separated from them shortly after birth, often on the same day as birth. Female calves either become a member of the dairy cow staff, or are slaughtered for the stomach enzyme 'rennet', an element present in most cheeses which are not specified ‘vegetarian’.
The fate of the male calves is determined at sale. Susan C. Kohler's contribution to the Journal of the Veterinary Medical Association in 2001 describes the issue of calves born from dairy mothers, specifically male calves that are sentenced 'veal'. Veal spend the first few months of their lives within the confines of a tiny stall only slightly bigger than the size of their bodies. They are fed an anemia-inducing diet which produces a light-colored and expensive meat product that sells as gourmet.
Other male calves join the cattle herd, allowed to continue a life marked by the filth and abuse of animals slaughtered for meat.
Federal Laws Fall Short of Animal Rights
The federal laws and regulations which serve to ensure the health and humane treatment of factory farm animals are minimal. Though the federal laws do require that cows be stunned prior to slaughter, many times this is not enforced and is overlooked during the process. In her 1997 book Slaughterhouse, Gail A. Eisnitz elaborates upon these facts, and mentions the absence of lawful procedures in most of the nation's largest meat and dairy factories.
The majority of farm animals are typically marked by disease, exhaustion, dehydration, and bile filth. They are subjected to branding, castration, and de-horning, procedures most commonly executed without the use of anesthesia. During slaughter, most cattle are entirely conscious while they are dismembered and skinned. They are often alive while their throats are slit and trachea removed to allow suffocation to occur, a phenomenon described again by Eisnitz in Slaughterhouse.
Consumer Choice; Go Vegan, Go Vegetarian, Go Certified Humane
Americans continue to support the meat and dairy industry's operations by continuing to buy its products. However, the individual consumer reserves the right to make a choice in protecting the rights of farm animals as well as promoting personal health.
Many consumers make the switch to vegan, refusing to include any animal product in their diets, including milk, eggs, and cheese. Though many sources claim that a vegan diet is dangerous, it is actually an excellent plan to eliminate many disease-causing agents from snacks and meals.
Some consumers simply choose vegetarian, refraining from eating meat, though still consuming animal dairy products.
Consumers can also choose to buy products which are locally produced by farmers who can attest to the humane treatment of their farm animals. Also, meat and dairy products bearing the Certified Humane seal have been inspected rigorously to determine that the farm animals received the best of care in quality conditions, and were slaughtered according to standards higher than those of federal regulations.
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