Why Dairy is Scary and Green is Queen

When I started writing this piece, I saw a commercial on TV for a children's yogurt which implied that if you're a good mother, you will include this "convenience" dairy product in your kid's lunch pack. Alas, the brainwashing about milk-based foods begins at an early age, and we've all been heavily indoctrinated. In fact, for many years I rejected veganism because I'd been convinced by the media, government and even science, which is often financed by special interest groups, that if I didn't consume dairy products I'd quickly melt into a squishy heap of jelly. But when I got into animal advocacy and started to meet ethical vegans, a few of whom had eaten a plant-based diet since their teens, I couldn't help but notice that they seemed quite sturdy and mobile despite a lack of dairy. So I took the plunge myself. And after ten years of plant-based living and as a post-menopausal woman who doesn't take any of the prescription calcium supplements for osteoporosis heavily advertised on TV, I can testify that my bones are just fine, thank you.

I just read the tragic news about a New York dairy farmer who killed his 51 cows and then turned the gun on himself. The implication from his colleagues is that he did it because it's not easy to be a farmer these days. Well, maybe, but why are farmers being heavily subsidized by the government (with taxpayer dollars) to produce milk in the first place? That's the real question.

One of the biggest nutrition myths out there, aided and abetted by the Milk Mafia, is that the best calcium is found in dairy products. But researchers have discovered that the healthiest sources of calcium actually come from plant-based foods. Consider this for starters: Multiple population studies conducted throughout the world have found that the highest rate of osteoporosis occurs in countries where the consumption of dairy is highest, including the United States and the Scandinavian countries. American blacks have been found to have nine times the fracture rate of blacks in South Africa, who have a much lower dairy calcium intake. And Asian women, whose traditional diets contain little to no dairy, have very low rates of osteoporosis. Why? Because the protein in dairy breaks down into amino acids in the body that actually cause the leaching of calcium from bones. And that's not the end of it. These acids can also contribute to inflammation and cancers. In fact, animal protein in general is contraindicated for calcium absorption in particular and good health in general. The reality is that the more dairy and animal flesh you consume, the greater your chances of developing osteoporosis.

A small sampling of recent dairy/calcium research:

• Dairy Council study: Post-menopausal women drank three 8-oz. glasses of skim milk daily for two years, after which their bones were compared to a non-milk drinking control group. Shockingly, they were found to have lost bone twice as fast as the control group. Needless to say, the results of this study have not been heavily advertised by the Dairy Mafia.

• Harvard University Nurses' Health study: Some 78,000 women were studied over 12 years, with the result that the women who consumed the most calcium broke more bones than those who drank little to no milk.

• National Institutes of Health study (at UC): Noted an increased rate (3.7 times) of hip fractures and bone loss (three times) in women who got most of their protein from animal sources, including dairy.

• University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital study: Heavy dairy foods consumption in youth and later leads to more risk of hip fractures in old age.

• Another dairy industry study: Found that as more animal protein, including dairy, is consumed, more calcium is lost in the urine.

• Pennsylvania State University study: Calcium intake of up to 1,500 mg a day did not improve the bone health of female teenagers.

• Nutrition scientist Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of "The China Study", has studied the carcinogenic properties of casein, a protein in milk and cheese and a binder in many foods, for decades. The results of his research were so indisputable that this former farm boy became a vegan.

Did you know that while the calcium absorption milk from milk is about 30%, calcium absorption from plant-based foods is from 40% to 64%, according to yet another study? And that you can get perfectly adequate calcium intake from consuming foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, Swiss chard, okra, bok choy, collards, and other green leafy vegetables. You can also obtain calcium from tempeh, figs, tofu made with calcium sulfate, fortified rice and soy milk and orange juice, beans, chickpeas, and numerous nuts and seeds.

As the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine has noted, even if the calcium from dairy were good for you, why would you want to get your calcium from that source anyway, considering its abundance of lactose sugar, animal growth factors, drugs and contaminants, plus a considerable amount of fat and cholesterol?

Just how much calcium do you need? Well, that depends on your age. According to the Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride (whew!), both males and females 19 through 50 years old need 1000 mg of calcium daily, and 1200 mg if older.

What about the relationship between bone density and calcium absorption, particularly in vegans? There have been studies of vegans that found lower bone density than in omnivores, but the main reason for that result was suboptimal calcium intake, not an absorption problem with the plant-based calcium sources. In fact, another study of young adults found that when plant-based calcium intake is increased to the recommended level, the bone density of vegans improves dramatically.

Another issue to consider is the tremendous environmental damage caused by the dairy industry. The pollution engendered by dairy CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) is, to say the least, significant. I used to have to drive through the dismal little town of Arvin in the San Joaquin Valley of California on my way to my mother's house on the coast and observe the hundreds of cows stuck in their own muck right next to the enormous McMansions of the dairy farmers. Arvin has the dubious distinction of being named the most polluted town in America. Main industry: dairy farming. Main population: poor Mexican immigrants who don't have much of a choice as to what they do and where they live. In my own state of New Mexico, CAFOs have invaded the southern and eastern parts of the state in the last decade because of lax environmental laws. But that's changing as residents of these communities awaken to the damage that dairy farming has already wreaked in their small communities, including water and air pollution as well as the environmental threat posed by dead cows being dumped illegally on public land.

What does it all mean? First of all, that it's human nature to embrace the absurd (especially if it tastes good) and ignore the truth (if it seems like less fun). And the powerful triple threat of media/government/corporate interests perpetuating the Milk Myth is hard to hide from. Everybody likes to imagine that Happy Cows cavorting in green meadows really exist, and that you will be a Happy Calcium Camper if you just drink their milk every day. This myth persists despite the fact that humans are the only species that consume dairy their entire lives, and it's mostly from cows, a hyper-rich brew meant specifically for growing calves, who, sadly, rarely get to drink their own mother's milk anymore. Dairy farming is a miserable business, and milk is not needed to maintain human health. Get your calcium from plants. You'll be much better off. And last but not least, I just wanted to add a few words about calcium supplements. The debate has raged for decades among nutritionists and doctors as to whether taking vitamins and minerals separately from your food leads to very expensive urine or a healthier body. I'm agnostic on this issue, but just in case they help, I've taken vitamin and mineral supplements for most of my adult life. As extra calcium insurance I take calcium citrate capsules two or three times a week. Calcium citrate is supposed to be more easily absorbed by the body. Magnesium and vitamin D are often found along with the calcium in standard supplements. If you live in less-than-sunny clime, especially in the winter, extra vitamin D might come in handy, and according to experts, magnesium should always be included with the calcium because they work together.