Is milk good for you?
Monday, January 4, 2010
by Mariyn Freedman
A journalist asked me to comment for an article she was writing, after reading “Is Milk Good For You?” that was published in the Globe and Mail on December 21st. I thought that I would blog a bit about it as well.
First of all, I love Dr. Spock. His book is still in my library, well worn edges, some pages are marked from baby food, and other baby stuff. His advice worked for me every time. His advice about the best calcium sources being dark leafy vegetables is absolutely right.
Food allergies may have something to do with the results of processing, or genetic modification. For instance, when I was young we never heard of anybody who had a peanut butter allergy. What happened? It’s an epidemic now.
In my practice I recommend almond milk, instead of soy milk, as a substitute for cow’s milk. Almonds are a good source of calcium and unlike soy milk, almond milk does not contain phytoestrogens. The reason for concern about phytoestrogens is that phytoestrogens found in soy milk have been shown to disrupt endocrine function. Phytoestrogens act like hormones interacting with the thyroid’s hormonal function, and can cause or worsen hypothyroidism, and can cause goiters. There are a variety of good sources of calcium without the controversial non-fermented soy food side effects. These good sources of calcium include green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, turnip greens, spinach, green peas, and chick peas, salmon and sardines canned with their soft bones, almonds and walnuts.
There may have never been a comprehensive study of the effects of a soy diet on babies but I can tell you that in my personal experience infants fed soy formula, instead of breast milk, are more prone to sickness. Their immune systems seem to be weaker than the norm.
Lastly, calcium is alkaline and the proteins in milk are acidic. When you consume a lot of milk your body has to leach the calcium already in your bones to neutralize the acids coming in. This is the reason why too much dairy consumption can contribute to osteoporosis, and bone fractures.
Monday, January 4, 2010
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