Cow Milk

by Jacquie Schmall

Created on: December 06, 2009   Last Updated: December 07, 2009

The use of cow's milk, or a substitute such as soy milk, offers nutritional values, and yet, each carry elements that might not be good for growing children.

Soy beans are a plant, and therefore might seem to be held harmless, while animal products are currently held hostage to hormone treated animals, and an inherent problem with lactose intolerance inherited by many children.

Until very recently, soybean crops were treated with carbofuran to deter destructive aphid infestations. The use of this highly toxic carbamate pesticide has been rescinded in this country, but not everywhere soybeans are grown. That crack in the door for soy products to contain traces of this highly toxic chemical is very real. One grain of the stuff can kill a bird. Since the enormous size of the systems that grow, and process soy milk, can overlook such a detail, soy milk as an only source of milk, may not be the best choice for growing children.

Soybean products carry phytoestrogens, which in some cases might be a positive contribution, however, where there are children with cancer, or a family legacy that includes cancer, supplementing any estrogenic material might not be the best selection for their nutritional support.

Soy has a tendency to interfere with the uptake of Trypsin, an extremely important enzyme that contributes to the formation of proteins. This suggests that using only soy as a source of milk might create a deficiency in some individuals.

Cow's milk might be best if it is untreated, or raw. The availability of raw milk has been legislated out of reach in many parts of America, due to fears of serious bacterial infections that it might carry. In a perfect world, that is a truly sanitary one, raw milk is a perfectly fine addition to anyone's breakfast table. However, with the spread of the mysterious Prions that cause Mad Cow Disease, and the potential of ordinary bacterial diseases from unsanitary sources, cow's milk has become highly suspect, and therefore legislated to be highly treated to keep everyone safe. The result is milk that is allergenic, and less than a perfect source of available nutrients found in the raw milk.

There are alternative milk products that are more than satisfactory. They supply all of the needed amino acids, and fatty acids needed to support the health of growing children. Whey is one of them, and of course derived from milk, but it can be obtained from sources certified to be hormone free, and tested for other impurities. There are substitute milk products made from hemp and almonds, and in addition to their white appearance, are extremely satisfying, and nutritive as well.

Perhaps the ideal menu plan would include both cow's milk, and soy milk, and some of the alternative milk made from hemp, rice, and almonds. And although we are urged to buy advertised brands, variety may actually be a better way to go.

Although there is a downside to both, cow's milk and soy milk offer sound nutritional value to growing children. To insure their health, variety may be the best solution for them to get the minerals they need for healthy bones.

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