[Matt Thornton]

I usually drink lots of skim milk. I'm a huge fan of the "healthy" PB&J (natural peanut butter, whole grain bread, all-fruit spread), and so milk always goes with that.

But here are some interesting "facts" (quotations because I don't know if it's true or not) I pulled up about cow's milk:

SOURCE: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/south109.htm

1. Bovine milk causes sickness in the majority of the world's population.

2. Epidemiological data show that calcium deficiency and osteoporosis rates are lower in non-milk consuming countries than in Westernized and industrialized milk-consuming nations.

3. Human consumption of cow's milk is a recent development in evolution. Pre-humans and human ancestors did not drink cow's milk. Early fossil evidence shows no signs of osteoporosis.

4. Milk is a source of calcium, but not the best source of absorbable calcium - other foods are better.

5. As a source of protein, liquid milk is less than ideal - other foods are better.

rBGH is injected into cows in order to elevate IGF-1 levels and increase milk production. Human and bovine IGF-1 is chemically identical,2 and this is important to note because when IGF-1 levels are elevated in injected cows, IGF-1 is secreted into the milk you drink. This IGF-1 also survives the pasteurization process.3 This means: your IGF-1 levels become elevated when you drink milk from a cow that's been injected with rBGH.

But, hold on. Before you buy thirty gallons of infected and contaminated milk in the hopes of building more muscle mass, you must know that elevated IGF-1 levels in adults is linked to many cancers and tumors.4,5,6,7,8,9

Even children are not immune from the health effects of elevated IGF-1 levels, which can include childhood bone cancer.10 Sadly, diseases in youth associated with elevated IGF-1 levels don't end with bone cancer. Other side effects can include juvenile onset (Type I) diabetes (by destroying insulin-producing pancreatic cells), allergic reactions, allergy, ear and tonsillar infections, bedwetting, asthma, and intestinal bleeding.

The side-effects of drinking contaminated milk vary because, aside from IGF-1 contamination, your milk may be contaminated with one (or all) of the following hormones: estradiol, estriol, progesterone, testosterone, 17-ketosteroids or corticosterone.11 The packaging of milk in plastic containers has increased contaminant levels.

So, while the injection of cows with hormones and antibiotics is good news for major pharmaceutical companies and dairy farmers, the presence of these contaminants in your food supply is detrimental to your health.

Also, a friend of mine who is strongly against drinking milk dropped me this link:

www.milksucks.com

I don't know about that site, though. They use that freaky PETA method of trying to gross you out of eating a certain food. I hate PETA, so if I see something resembling it, I tend to be kind of biased against it.

Is anyone able to shed some light on this? Kabuki, I know you put the stamp on that Aspartame thing. I had read those articles about Aspartame and didn't touch the stuff for almost a year. I even tried getting my family off the stuff. My girlfriend stopped drinking it for the most part. I would only drink Splenda. After reading that thread you had about Aspartame, I went out and got a Coke Zero (I had wanted to try it so bad but it had aspartame).

For the time being, I'm still going to bite the bullet and drink milk. It's an easy source of protein. But soon enough I think I'm going to just buy more protein powder, maybe some muscle milk. If this stuff about milk is true I think it's worth the extra price. I'll miss putting milk in my protein shakes though

[yomon]

milk isn't a favorite of mine anymore. I mostly get my protien from supplements now and have seen much better results. cheaper then meat too.

[Noskill]

Can you feel the agenda behind the argument? I can feel it.

Milk has never given me any problem. I like the taste. It contains good protein, calcium, D and A vitamins. If you are lactose intolerant, don't drink milk but don't try to tell people who aren't that milk is bad for them.

[Noskill]

Originally Posted by Iceman5592

Bovine milk causes sickness in the majority of the world's population.

Granted, but why should the other part, the one that is not caused to be sick by milk, refrain from drinking it?

Originally Posted by Iceman5592

rBGH is injected into cows in order to elevate IGF-1 levels and increase milk production. Human and bovine IGF-1 is chemically identical,2 and this is important to note because when IGF-1 levels are elevated in injected cows, IGF-1 is secreted into the milk you drink. This IGF-1 also survives the pasteurization process.3 This means: your IGF-1 levels become elevated when you drink milk from a cow that's been injected with rBGH.

Illegal in Canada, where I live.

Originally Posted by Iceman5592

Human consumption of cow's milk is a recent development in evolution. Pre-humans and human ancestors did not drink cow's milk. Early fossil evidence shows no signs of osteoporosis.

Not too many of them lived past 70+. Osteoporosis is an old woman's disease.

Originally Posted by Iceman5592

Milk is a source of calcium, but not the best source of absorbable calcium - other foods are better.

Originally Posted by Iceman5592

As a source of protein, liquid milk is less than ideal - other foods are better.

Ok, so maybe milk is not the ideal calcium/protein supplement, why should that keep me from drinking it, given that it remains a good source of both??

[EclipseAgent]

Milk in Moderation is good.. Overduing it isn't due to the fat content.. (regular D milk).

[Noskill]

The fat content in my whole wheat bread is higher than in my milk. 3 grams of fat for 80 grams of whol wheat bread= 3,75% fat.

2% is not much.

But look who seems like having an agenda now .

[bacon]

Here are the references for the article you posted Iceman....

T. B. Mepham and others, "Safety of milk from cows treated with bovine somatotropin," LANCET Vol. 344 (November 19, 1994), pgs. 1445-1446.
Judith C. Juskevich and C. Greg Guyer, "Bovine Growth Hormone: Human Food Safety Evaluation." SCIENCE Vol. 249 (1990), pgs. 875-884.
C. Xian, "Degradation of IGF-1 in the Adult Rat Gastrointestinal Tract is Limited by a Specific Antiserum or the Dietary Protein Casein," JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY Vol. 146, No. 2 (August 1, 1995), pg. 215.
Mariana Resnicoff,... and Renato Baserga, "The Insulin-like Growth Factor I Receptor Protects Tumor Cells From Apoptosis IN VIVO," CANCER RESEARCH Vol. 55 (June 1, 1995), pgs. 2463-2469.
J. Gillespie, et al. Inhibition of pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro by the tyrphostin group of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Br.-J-Cancer, Dec 1993, 68(6), pp. 1122-1126.
Atiq, et al. Alterations in serum levels of insulin-like growth factors and insulin-like growth-factor-binding proteins in patients with colorectal cancer. Intl-J-Cancer, May 1994, 57(4), pp. 491-497.
T. Yashiro, et al. Increased activity of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein in human thyroid papillary cancer tissue. Jpn-J-Cancer-Res., Jan 1994, 85(1), pp. 46-52.
E.A. Musgrove, et al. Acute effects of growth factors on T-47D breast cancer cell cycle progression. Eur-J-Cancer, 29A (16), 1993, pp. 2273-2279.
J.A. Figueroa, et al. Recombinant insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 inhibits IGF-I serum, and estrogen-dependent growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. J-Cell-Physiol., Nov 1993, 157(2), pp. 229- 236.
C.C. Kappel, et al. Human osteosarcoma cell lines are dependent on insulin-like growth factor I for in vitro growth. National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer-Res., May 1994, 54(10), pp. 2803-2807.
Clark Grosvenor, Hormones and Growth Factors in Milk, Endocrine Review, 14:6, 1992.
Nutrition Action Healthletter, April 1990
Valachovicova T, Slivova V, Sliva D. Cellular and physiological effects of soy flavonoids. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2004 Oct;4(8):881-7.


The last one is the only recent reference and it's for a soy study. I'd like to see some recent data on this from a different source. Where's Madmick when you need him?

Until I see hard evidence that Milk kills, I'm drinkin it.

[HP_Nut]

War Milk!

Bump because I'd like some of the experts to weigh in.

[Bizz]

I love Skim milk

[Big Eck]

Sounds like vegan bullshat to me.

Milk is the rule.