The Viva Vine: vol #3, no #4: September / October 1994
Thirteen Reasons to stop using dairy products
by Robert Greene
1. Pesticide residues. Dairy products have high pesticide residues, 6 times higher than the
average non-animal food products. [See graph on page 317 of "Diet for a New America" by John
Robbins.]
2. Antibiotics are routinely added to the feed of cows. This comes through in the milk (and
meat) people eat. This can upset the natural balance of intestinal flora in the body and may be
related to candida albicans problems so widespread today.
3. Cruelty. Purchase of dairy products supports the hideously cruel veal industry. Cows must
continuously be calving for the production of milk. The female offspring generally become more
milk producers. The "superfluous" males, mostly, are individually crated so they can grow to
semi-adulthood with flesh still as tender as a baby calf, just more of it.
4. Congestion. Dairy products are mucous producing and their consumption is often the source
of allergies, sinus congestion, post-nasal drip, bronchial congestion, and lung congestion.
5. Prostate cancer. Milk and cheese are identified (along with meat and eggs) as risk factors
for fatal prostate cancer. [See American Journal of Epidemiology, August, 1984.] Prostate
problems are very widespread in men over 40 years old, increasing in probability with age.
6. Reproductive system disorders. The consumption of dairy products is strongly linked to
various disorders of the female reproductive system, including ovarian tumors/cysts, vaginal
infections/discharges, and uterine fibroids. [See Food as Healing, by Annmarie Colbin.]
7. Multiple Sclerosis. Dairy products are implicated as a causative factor in multiple
sclerosis, the progressively debilitating disease that strikes young adults. [See page 279-282 of
"Diet for a New America,"by John Robbins.]
8. Osteoporosis. Despite the good amounts of calcium that are found in milk, the high
concentration of protein also found causes urinary excretions of calcium. This calcium loss leads
to osteoporosis (a disease of thinning bones commonly found in older people). [See McDougall's
Medicine by Dr. John McDougall.]
9. Lactose intolerance is a condition of lacking the digestive enzyme "lactase" which digests
the carbohydrate portion of dairy products known as lactose or milk sugar. This commonly causes
headaches, gas, abdominal pain or cramps. This affects 5-10% of Caucasian adults, 70% of Black
adults, both American and African, and many Oriental adults. [See "Incidence of Lactase
Deficiency in Ulcerative Colitis," Gastroenterology, 53:890, 1967.]
10. Saturated fat. The fat content of dairy products is saturated fat. This contributes to
heart disease, which kills 40% of Americans, and to strokes, which kill 10% of Americans.
Saturated animal fat consumption is also strongly linked to many forms of cancer.
11. No fiber. Dairy products also contain no fiber, potentially contributing to constipation,
hemorrhoids, and colon cancer.
12. Colic in babies is caused by antibodies in milk. This can happen even if the baby is
breast-fed and the mother consumes dairy products. [Pediatrics, April, 1991.]
13. Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is a genetically engineered hormone that forces
cows to produce up to 25% more milk (on top of the increased production amounts--up to 10 times
more than in nature--that have already been achieved through selective breeding). Synthetic rBGH
puts great stress on cows, making them susceptible to udder infections such as mastitis as well
as other diseases. Since dairy farmers treat mastitis with antibiotics increased residues of
antibiotics will now more likely be found in milk. Mastitis itself increases the likelihood of
pus being secreted into the milk as well. The FDA has already approved usage of rBGH on cows
whose milk is destined for human consumption.
(Robert Greene is the accountant of The VivaVegie Society and an avid vegan. He counsels:
"Wean yourself!" with the many cow's milk substitutes you can find at the health food
store.)
If you still need convincing about dairy, send for the video Dealing in Downers: California's
Dairy Industry. Send $15. plus $3.50 s/h to Farm Sanctuary, P.O. Box 150, Watkins Glen, NY
14891.
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