To milk or not to milk?

[Mandarine]

The question really is....do you drink milk? If so, what kind? and why?

I drink Organic Fat free milk and love it, but I''m wondering if anyone has thoughts on this. My sister came to visit and bought Soy milk (she likes it with her Chai Tea!). I tried it and it''s not bad (taste wise)...but is it better for you? worse for you? the same?

I did some research and found that Soy milk might look better when you look at the back of the package, but in reality is not that safe. On the other hand I found fat free milk is not good for you either...but with so many views on different sites on the web it''s hard to know which ones to believe!

I know a lot of people would say milk is bad in any form (other than real raw milk), but I eat cereal and gotta have my "cafe con leche" in the mornings...so what''s the best option?

M~

 

[JulieN]

http://www.milksucks.com/pus.asp
http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=98

 

[LizzieC]

I researched this awhile back, and I determined that soy milk in moderation is the best bet. The probs occur (mostly for men because of the phytoestrogens) when people have TOO much soy. I have a little bit of light soy milk in my coffee in the morning and that''s about it. I think my tummy is happier since I stopped drinking the cow''s milk.

 

[Mandarine]

JulieN..hehe...I guess that says how you feel about it!

and I do realize this....I doubt the cow's where my milk is coming from are in large, happy meadows...I know they're not (even organic milk), but also know I can't stop drinking that one glass of milk (half with the cereal, half with the coffee) or stop eating cheese!!! (even just saying the words "stop eating cheese" freaks me out! hehehe). I do know where you're coming from though.

Lizzie, how about the reports that the Soy milk has all this manufactured protein (as supposed to natural protein coming from an animal)?.

I'm open to all views, that's why I'm asking...so feel free to post!

~Edited to add a comment...

 

[Odilia]

It's funny that you bring this up today because the subject of raw milk came up the other day with a friend, and then I tripped across this article accidentally. Personally, I love milk, although I've read various things against it, but I also think this article makes a good point, that the pasteurization messes it up. I used to get raw milk when I could, and I'd rather take my chances with the bacteria than have the pasteurization. But anyway, usually I get milk at Whole Foods, trying to avoid all the hormones and antibiotics, and I prefer whole milk, but I also try to vary it with rice, soy, and almond milks. Although as you said, there can be problems with things like soy milk as well. Who knows? There are so many conflicting opinions on so many health issues, I just try to diversify and hopefully not get too much of anything. But if I had my druthers (and threw caution to the wind), I'd drink tons of raw milk!!

I just seem to love it!

ETA: Along the lines of what Lizzie said about soy milk, I have also heard that the phytoestrogens in it can be a problem for women too, because many women are estrogen dominant for so many reasons, and that too much soy can exacerbate that.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=399520&in_page_id=1774

Untreated milk cuts children's allergies
By PAT HAGAN, Daily Mail

22:16pm 7th August 2006

Join the debate » Drinking ‘raw’ milk could reduce children’s risk of suffering allergy-related conditions such as eczema and hayfever, new research suggests.

British academics investigating why farmers’ families suffer fewer allergies than others found that even occasional consumption of raw — unpasteurised — milk had a powerful effect.

Just a couple of glasses a week reduced a child’s chances of developing eczema by almost 40 per cent and hayfever by 10 per cent.

Blood tests revealed that drinking raw milk more than halves levels of histamine, a chemical pumped out by cells in response to an allergen.

It is thought the milk contains bacteria that help to prime the immune system.

But the findings, published in the Journal Of Allergy, Asthma And Immunology, are controversial because unpasteurised milk is also a source of potentially fatal food-poisoning bugs.

Raw milk was banned from sale in Scotland 20 years ago, and can be sold by farmers in England and Wales only with labels clearly warning of the risks.

There has been a huge increase in the number of children suffering allergies in the past 30 years. One in three is now affected by eczema, hayfever or asthma — double the level 20 years ago.

And in the past ten years, the number of people needing emergency hospital treatment for severe allergic reactions has trebled to about 6,000 a year.

One of the biggest mysteries is why children raised on farms seem to suffer less than those in towns and cities, even though they are exposed to many more allergens.

When researchers at the University of London analysed the diet and health of 4,700 primary school children in Shropshire, they found that those who lived on farms had significantly fewer symptoms of asthma, hayfever and eczema.

The study looked at whether children were breast-fed and how often they were in contact with animals or played in barns. The greatest benefits were found to come from drinking raw milk.

Blood samples showed raw milk drinkers had 60 per cent lower levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE).

When the immune system comes into contact with an allergen, it overreacts by pumping out huge quantities of IgE.

The antibody causes cells to release histamine into the bloodstream and it is this release that triggers allergy symptoms.

‘It might be that even relatively infrequent exposure to unpasteurised milk is sufficient to have a protective effect,’ the researchers concluded.

But some experts are warning parents that any benefits are still far outweighed by the chances of their child becoming infected with organisms such as E. coli and campylobacter, two of the main food-poisoning bugs.

‘Even if there are benefits in terms of allergies, the risks from drinking unpasteurised milk are just too great,’ says Professor Hugh Pennington, a retired microbiologist who has investigated some of Britain’s worst food poisoning outbreaks.

‘Pasteurisation is there as a safety net to kill off any bugs.’

Pasteurised milk sold in supermarkets has been heated to 71C for 15 seconds. This destroys bad bacteria and extends the shelf life.

But some campaigners believe it also kills off good bacteria which help protect the gut against disease, and significantly reduces the milk’s vitamin content.

Unpasteurised cow’s or goat’s milk has not been heat-treated, and still contains bacteria from the animal.

Sold as ‘green top’ bottled milk, it accounts for about one per cent of milk sales in England and Wales and is available only direct from farms, or through farmers’ markets.

It is estimated that about 130 dairy farms sell raw milk.

The Chartered Institute Of Environmental Health is pushing for a ban on sales of unpasteurised milk in England.

But John Barron, from Beaconhill Farm in Herefordshire, says demand is growing for raw milk produced by his 40-strong herd of Jersey cows.

He sells about 50 litres a week, at £1 a litre, from his farm and through markets.

‘I’ve got lots of customers who give it to their children and there has never been a single case of food poisoning,’ he says.

‘I get inquiries from as far as Manchester, Birmingham and Yorkshire from people wanting to know where they can get hold of raw milk.

'I even get calls from cancer victims because they believe it will help them. Demand is definitely growing.’

 

[Cind11]

I drink fat free organic milk also because I don''t like thinking what kind of ''crap" the cows are given that I could be drinking in non-organic milk. I feel better that my 12 and 14 year old daughters drink this as well. Maybe I am only deluding myself because there is probably tons of bad "stuff" in the meat we eat. I do try to buy organic (chicken etc.) whenever possible. I am uncomfortable about the idea of drinking soy because of some negative things I''ve heard.

 

[galeteia]

I almost had tubes put in my ears because of an unrecognized milk allergy. Horrible ear infections at age 3. Screamed myself into exhausted every night for almost three weeks (or so my mother tells me). Doctors back then refused to admit that cow''s milk is rough on humans. (70% of Canadian Humans, in fact) She took me to a herbalist, they said I was allergic to milk, took it out of my diet, and have never had a problem since.

I am not lactose intolerant. It''s the milk proteins themselves I can''t handle. Milk seems to turn humans in mucus-producing machines.

Cows milk isn''t your only option. Goats milk is often easier for humans to digest. I''m trying not to wig out here, but in my experience, milk is a pretty bad thing. I don''t do well with soy either, but at least it doesn''t supress my immunne system like cows milk does.

 

[gailrmv]

I read something about that raw milk (without pasteurization) can cause some infections that can cause stillbirth or miscarriage. It actually was in a novel I read but it seemed pretty well researched - so if you plan to become pregnant I would read up on that.
I recently switched to soy milk almost exclusively (at home anyway). Thinking about it, the purpose of milk is to fatten up the young, and no species that I can think of except humans continue to drink milk past childhood. So I''ve been using light soy milk and it is pretty good.

 

[Mandarine]

Thank you all for your comments!!!

Gala, that sounds horrible!!!...

Old-Fashiongirl - Great article!! This is exactly what my FMIL was telling me...it really is the pasteurization what messes it up!. I was just looking at my mil''s label and it says "Oragnic Fat free mil" ULTRA-Pasteurized!. Apparently whole foods sells one type of milk that is organic AND with low-pasteurization....so I think I''m going to try that.

I try to buy organic as much as I can...but it now seems like the "organic" label doesn''t always mean really-really organic!....so who knows!.

There has to be a middle ground between "Got Milk?" and "milksucks.com" hehe. I''m not going to fool myself because I know I won''t stop drinking it, but I do want to make an effort to at least drink what''s best (or least bad)

 

[JulieN]

I do half cows' mlk and half soy.

 

[strmrdr]

growing up the only milk I liked was fresh milk.
Milk the cow and let the cream rise to the top, skim it some, stir, pour in glass bottle, pour over ice cubes and its awesome!
processed milk does not have the same taste at all and they add a lot of garbage to it too.
When I couldnt get it which was most of the time I just drank water.

I''m getting lactose intolerant now so they only milk I drink in on cereal once in a blue moon.

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Got MILK

I

Milk!

Ice cold Fat Free for me please! Ohhh yummy!

I love it, have never had problems with it ... drink it because I think it''s delish, and it''s one way to get some calcium.

I also buy our local dairy brand, which has no hormones, etc ... added. It is a little more expensive ... but it is fresher tasting ... Ooops ... got to go to the fridge right now!

I don''t drink soy milk, I get plenty of soy from tofu which is one of my staple foods.

Have a great day!

 

[mingagreen]

We drink alot of milk in our family, milk and water is all my DD will drink. I usually buy Back to Nature organic whole milk which is made right down the street at our local dairy, but sometimes I will by Stoneyfield Farm or New Horizon, but for some reason they freak me out a bit, has anyone noticed how long milk lasts these days. Ocassionally we get raw milk, I am not a huge fan of it but DD likes it. I have had it and really liked it and then another time it tasted totally diffeent, I guess te cows were grazing in another field that day. That milk is from a local biodynamic farm that were get a lot of things from, beautiful happy cows!!!

 

[diamondfan]

I do not think soy is better for you nutrionally but have heard some people tolerate it better than cow's milk...BUT I have always heard, for some, it is more tough on the digestion. I used lactaid skim and I love it, it is slightly creamier and tastes okay, and is easier on my stomach. I think milk is healthy if you stay away from whole milk...except for young kids, where some fat in the milk is important for brain development...

eta: why is nonfat milk bad for you? I have never heard that...

 

[rainbowtrout]

Raw milk from the Amish in Lancaster County used to help my allergies, plus raw local honey. I love milk, but I usually only drink it if I can get raw and local. Other people think it tastes wierd, but I love it. Also generally only do imported cheese--I like European farming practices better. All this means is that I eat less dairy than I would want and probably about what I should.

The problem with big brand organic for me is that they are rarely small farms at all--they are subsidiaries of the big companies which also factory farm. Organic farming becomes another way to factory farm--if a cow gets sick they won''t treat it, they just remove the cow from the herd and kill it so as to not violate "organic" rules. Not terribly compassionante, that. I will say that I buy Stonyfield Farm yogurt regularly because I need the bacteria and the calcium, and its pasturized within an inch of its life anyway.

My father feels like JulieN--whenever he calls and I have a sniffle/am stuffy/or even just a stomachache, he tells me "stop eating all that dairy, it''s why you feel sick and are stuffy." Well, I tried going off dairy to solve my nasal congestion--and it didn''t help AT ALL. The raw milk helped and yogurt helps. I have absolutely no problems digesting milk...unlike FI, who is lactose intolerant to the nth degree.

On the subject of raw milk, briefly: when I had stomach flu last year, my doc was HORRIFIED that I drank raw milk and ran about a dozen tests. So you know, you can get strains of bovine TB from milk, among other things. So only drink fresh and local if you know it is hygenic. Pasturization was invented for a REASON: it kept alive a valuable calorie source and kept people from dying. I''m going to have to swear off all dairy in Morocco next yr because they don''t pasturize.


Last ramble: I DO NOT buy the "cow milk is good for cows, so human milk is good for humans, so why do we do something sick like drink COW MILK???" arguement. Um--so peach flesh is only good for peach seeds? Soy protien is only good to nourish the soy endosperm? We shouldn''t eat plants at all because their cell walls aren''t digestible for animals? riiiiight. Everything in moderation, and some things are harder to digest than others. But there is nothing more freakish about cow/goat milk than about eating anything else that is or was alive, plants included.

 

[sumbride]

I always heard pregnant women shouldn''t eat or drink soy products because of the estrogens... anybody know if that''s true?

 

[rainbowtrout]

Oh, yeah, I forgot soy and rice milk (what my parents mostly drink) and lactaid:

Personally I''m not a fan of lactaid, it tastes like milk with sugar added (which it basically is) and it''s impossible to get the drops to add to organic milk or raw or whatever, so you are stuck with their milk.


Soy milk: Tasty, same caloric profile and nutritional one as milk. Fewer problems with animals, of course--but of course there are questionable heath benefits here, and farming practices as well (some farms plant monocultures of soy and lose their native plant diversity). Western soy milk--usually sweetened with corn syrup-- has a lot of junk added to it compared to "beany" tasteing Eastern-style soy milk. It''s fine on my system.

Rice Milk: Yummy, sweet, I don''t think it has added sugar but not sure. Not sure about the nutritional profile. Good on cereal, little watery, little hard to digest.

Sumbride: I remember *something* about estrogen and soy milk, but I thought it applied to all women, not just preggers ones.

 

[Odilia]

Date: 8/9/2006 9:12:19 AM
Author: sumbride
I always heard pregnant women shouldn''t eat or drink soy products because of the estrogens... anybody know if that''s true?

I''ve heard things along those lines, although as rainbowtrout said, it could apply somewhat to all women because there is so much in our food and environment that is making many of us estrogen dominant, and that could just exacerbate it. I would think, as you said, it wouldn''t be best for pregnant women because you need so much progesterone, (I just lost a baby due at least in part to low progesterone, so I wouldn''t want to take any chances) and I would think that it would be best not to take soy products during the second half of any cycle, again because that''s when you need progesterone to be dominant. I''m probably not saying this very accurately but anyway.... But then again, you get differing opinions on it.

Here is one of those opinions:
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jan/21/soy.htm
Soy: Is it Healthy or is it Harmful?

By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege

In recent years soy has emerged as a ‘near perfect’ food, with supporters claiming it can provide an ideal source of protein, lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease, reduce menopause symptoms, and prevent osteoporosis, among other things. But how did such a ‘perfect’ food emerge from a product that in 1913 was listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) handbook not as a food but as an industrial product?

According to lipid specialist and nutritionist Mary Enig, PhD, "The reason there’s so much soy in America is because they [the soy industry] started to plant soy to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry. Once they had as much oil as they did in the food supply they had a lot of soy protein residue left over, and since they can’t feed it to animals, except in small amounts, they had to find another market."

And another market was what they found. To put it simply, after multi-million dollar figures spent on advertising and intense lobbying to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about 74 percent of U.S. consumers now believe soy products are healthy.

If you’re thinking the health claims surrounding soy sound too good to be true you just may be right. Soy has become another misunderstood food category, to be added to the ranks of coconut oil, saturated fats and vegetable oils. The two former have gained a negative reputation where a good one actually applies, but vegetable oil, along with soy, have emerged with sparkling reputations that cover up the truth.

For just a brief look at what’s really going on, consider that numerous studies have found that soy products may:

Increase the risk of breast cancer in women, brain damage in both men and women, and abnormalities in infants
Contribute to thyroid disorders, especially in women
Promote kidney stones
Weaken the immune system
Cause severe, potentially fatal food allergies

Soy products also contain:

Phytoestrogens (isoflavones) genistein and daidzein, which mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen
Phytates, which block the body''s uptake of minerals
Enzyme Inhibitors, which hinder protein digestion
Haemaggluttin, which causes red blood cells to clump together and inhibits oxygen take-up and growth
Further, most soybeans are grown on farms that use toxic pesticides and herbicides, and many are from genetically engineered plants. When you consider that two-thirds of all manufactured food products contain some form of soy, it becomes clear just how many Americans are consuming GM products, whose long-term effects are completely unknown.

Perhaps the most disturbing of soy’s ill effects on health has to do with its phytoestrogens that can mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen. These phytoestrogens have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and drinking even two glasses of soy milk daily for one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman’s menstrual cycle. The FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, however no warnings exist on soy. Two senior toxicologists with the FDA. Daniel Sheehan and Daniel Doerge, have even come out saying "The public will be put at potential risk from soy isoflavones in soy protein isolate without adequate warning and information." Soy is particularly problematic for infants, and soy infant formulas should be avoided. It has been estimated that infants who are fed soy formula exclusively receive five birth control pills worth of estrogen every day.

There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products like tempeh, miso and natto and soybean sprouts. If you want to get some health benefits from soy, stick to these four forms and pass up the processed soy milks, soy ‘burgers’, soy ‘ice cream’, soy ‘cheese’, and the myriad of other soy junk foods that are so readily disguised as health foods.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related Articles:
Why Soy Can Damage Your Health; The Shadow of Soy; Scientists Protest Soy Approval; Newest Research On Why You Should Avoid Soy; The Trouble With Tofu: Soy and the Brain

 

[asscherisme]

Blech, I hate milk. My doctor has me taking a calcum supplement daily because the ONLY milk I consume is in my morning coffee! I have a strong family history of osteoperosis so I make sure to take the calcum daily.

I'm 37 and started taking the supplement at 30. My grandma AND my aunt have both broken their hips from small falls. YIKES! So I make sure to get my calcium.

Also, weight bearing excercise helps to strenthen bones. Walking, running, weight training.

I wish I liked milk but I don't.

I'm afraid of soy products because of breast cancer. Strong family history of breast cancer too.

My SIL use to drink TONS of soy milk thinking it was healthier. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and her oncoloigst told her that soy milk and soy products are dangerous for women with a breast cancer risk because they contain estrogens. The soy milk connection for her may not have made a difference but I figure why take the change. She stays far away from soy now and I do too after she told me that. If I have soy its in very small and rare amounts, for example love hot and sour soup and that has tofu in it.

Its amazing how past 35, I'm suddenly more aware of and fearful of my family history happening to me!

 

[DonaBella]

I just read somewhere an article on women''s health. It said that by consuming 200 mcg. of selenium and 500 mcg. of folic acid a day, you can help keep your breasts healthier from breast cancer. It was written by a Dr. Susan Lark. I just thought I''d mention that, but I do not know more about it.

 

[Odilia]

another couple of articles on problems with soy I found that looked interesting (but I didn't read):

http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/soy_and_children.htm
Link Between High Soy Diet During Pregnancy and Nursing and Eventual Developmental Changes in Children

http://www.mercola.com/2000/jun/10/soy_dangers.htm
20/20 Feature on the Dangers of Soy

http://www.mercola.com/2000/aug/20/soy_dangers.htm
Soy May Cause Cancer and Brain Damage
Two senior US government scientists, Drs. Daniel Doerge and Daniel Sheehan, have revealed that chemicals in soy could increase the risk of breast cancer in women, brain damage in both men and women, and abnormalities in infants.

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 8/9/2006 9:12:19 AM
Author: sumbride
I always heard pregnant women shouldn''t eat or drink soy products because of the estrogens... anybody know if that''s true?

I heard this awhile back. You can get all of your daily calcium from broccoli and not have milk products at all. As I get older, I have less and less milk. My stomach just doesn''t handle it as well. If I have it at all, its in a wee bit of cereal. I have it more with oatmeal when the weather is cold, but even then, it''s just enough to moisten it. I sometimes have to take a lactose supplement due to the discomfort dairy in general gives me.

For the sake of excess hormones, if I was preggers, I would NOT have soy products.

 

[lawmax]

After living on dairy products my whole life (loved my yogurt), I found out I was allergic to milk and cut it completely...whey, casein protein, etc. I don''t have stomach aches anymore!

I''m also allergic to soy, but won''t touch the stuff anyway! It''s so bad for us and now, it''s such a huge industry, that if you read labels, you''ll see that it''s in almost everything!

I drink enriched vanilla rice milk in my coffee.

Dairy is NOT the best way to absorb calcium. It''s a myth.

 

[Odilia]

Date: 8/9/2006 11:47:34 AM
Author: lawmax
Dairy is NOT the best way to absorb calcium. It''s a myth.

Even a lot of calcium supplements aren''t either. You have to get the right one, or from the right foods.

 

[Mandarine]

http://www.organicpastures.com/products/

These look like happy cows!!!

I have never tried raw milk...and really don''t drink that much milk that I would go through the trouble of ordering raw milk online. I think I will try the whole foods fat-free low-pasteurization milk.

Regarding the Dr. Mercola articles...I just don''t know about that guy. I know a lot of stuff is bad for you but I also believe you have to live a little!. Dr. Mercola just seems to be too extreme (IMO)....he doesn''t believe you should drink milk (period) or eat ANY kind of grains. The only milk he sort of recommends is raw milk from cows that only eat grass (no grains). He also doesn''t believe in sweetners (such as Splenda) amongst other things.

IMO, anything in moderation is acceptable.

I''ve never tried almond or rice milk...they do sound delicious though

 

[Odilia]

Date: 8/9/2006 2:40:58 PM
Author: Mandarine
http://www.organicpastures.com/products/

and really don''t drink that much milk that I would go through the trouble of ordering raw milk online. I think I will try the whole foods fat-free low-pasteurization milk.

It does seem kinda weird to order it online. How do they keep it cold enough, since bacteria is such an issue? I''ll have to look for the low-past. milk like you said.

Date: 8/9/2006 2:40:58 PM
Author: Mandarine
Regarding the Dr. Mercola articles...I just don''t know about that guy. I know a lot of stuff is bad for you but I also believe you have to live a little!. Dr. Mercola just seems to be too extreme (IMO)....he doesn''t believe you should drink milk (period) or eat ANY kind of grains. The only milk he sort of recommends is raw milk from cows that only eat grass (no grains). He also doesn''t believe in sweetners (such as Splenda) amongst other things.

I haven''t read too much of his stuff, although I have read enough that I know what you mean; I could never be as strict as he recommends, and don''t know that it would be worth it anyway - i.e. so many disagree on some of these health issues. Hard to know who''s right, other than try what they say and see if it helps. It seems like you''d have to live in a plastic bubble to do what some of them say. But anyway, he does sometimes have some interesting and worthwhile articles about particular issues.

As for rice and almond milk, they''re okay, and they at least sort of satisfy, to some extent, my craving for creamy drinks, but they''ll never be as good as good old cow''s milk!

 

[JCJD]

I drink soy - cow''s milk makes me too phlegmy (TMI, sorry). I''m also vegetarian and half Asian, so I eat a lot of soy products - yay tofu!

In college I visited one of the Organic Valley coop''s dairy farms in Wisconsin, and the cows looked very happy. They all had names. Gorgeous rolling green pastures. Also, my impression was that the organic label requires no widespread habitual use of antibiotics for all the animals regardless of health conditions (a preemptive strike on bacteria in your whole herd) and that there are some antibiotics that are acceptable for individual use so long as that animal''s milk is not used for a set period of time for the drugs to be flushed out of the system. How far off am I?

 

[rainbowtrout]

I''m with the moderation crowd. I mean honestly, tons of people living in Asia have been eating soy for a very long time and to my knowledge it doesn''t give them higher rates of breast cancer...

And I read a long time ago in SciAm that the mutation for the lactose operon is the single fastest spreading mutation in the human race. Generally only positive mutations spread...so I imagine being able to eat dairy must have SOME advantages!

And to say all grains are bad for you irritates me....honestly, how do we come to the conclusion that wheat bread is BAD for you?? (unless you have a gluten allergy, which I think is fairly rare)

 

[rainbowtrout]

Random personal viewpoint:

I generally only drink water. If I want calcium, I eat yogurt and greens. if I want VitC, I eat an actual orange or apple. Helps keep off the pounds and it''s just MHO that it''s better for you. Even low fat milk isn''t a superfood--it might taste good and have good qualities, but it''s not like broccoli or spinach or the like.

 

[flopkins]

Date: 8/9/2006 11:16:09 AM
Author: old-fashioned girl


Link Between High Soy Diet During Pregnancy and Nursing and Eventual Developmental Changes in Children

20/20 Feature on the Dangers of Soy

Soy May Cause Cancer and Brain Damage

To me, these mercola articles smell very strongly of very biased, sensationalized reporting. I mean, just read the titles of the articles - they just sound so overly dramatic. I looked at the articles on his website - all the of the links he has are broken, no directed links to original articles, etc... and all the articles are old, 1999-2000 ish.

Maybe I am biased, bc I was a soy milk baby - I had strong reaction to cow's milk and my mom did not have enough breast milk - and I am a fine, functioning member of society - no brain damage (that I know of!) here.

I, like many asians, was lactose intolerant as a baby, but grew out of it as I got older, and drank a lot of milk (perhaps 2 or 3 glasses a day). I stopped drinking milk regularly in college and although I can still eat dairy products, straight milk does give me some stomach problems now that i don't drink it regularly -

There is a lot of lobbying on both sides, I believe for the milk and soy industry, and I think moderation is key - how many ads have you seen on TV promoting milk?!! I remember seeing many over my lifetime. (ALthough, IMO, the corn industry is to blame for the fattening of america!! hehe.)

If you look at the worldwide incidence of breast cancer, it is MUCH lower in the Asian countries, where soy is a large part of the daily diet - although this may be partly due to genetic differences too. susan g komen website's statistics

The problem might be the soy processing - I find a lot of the packaged soy drinks last forever, and usually contains tons of sugar. I grew up on fresh soy milk, which, IMO, tastes much better and is probably a lot healthier!!



ETA: And, to answer your original question, No, I don't drink milk regularly, but if I do it is low fat... although I use it in baking!