Lactose intolerance & Milk facts

The "Cruel" drink?.

 You may have watched programs on the TV where archeologists examined neolithic skeletons you will also have noticed that they were in surprisngly good condition, but these very early ancestors didn't drink milk as part of their diet after being weaned from thier mothers breast, so what did they do to build their strong bones?.  These recent discoveries reveal that milk has only been part of the human diet for the last few thousand years only, this then is clearly a very short portion of human existence.
The following information may help clarify it a little, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, archaeologists and scientists who assessed DNA extracted from human skulls dating from the neolithic period have recently discovered to their utter astonishment that the ancient neoliths didn't possess a vital enzyme  which modern humans have somehow aquired since then which we now know enables our bodies to digest milk and dairy products, still there are others who have never developed this enzyme or for some other reason have become intolerant to milk. The recent research noted has revealed that without this vital enzyme our the neoliths were not genetically equipped for digestion of non-human milk, in other words drinking that of other species is totaly unnatural for us !.  

Image left: Stonehenge, the Neolithic people did not drink milk.

Of course "necessity is the mother of invention" even when it concerns the biology of our bodies, and though the ancients became initially sick by the consumption of milk their bodies tried to adapt to it or they died, it was as simple as that. Recent research has revealed that the  neolthic people were very resourceful and in order to stay alive when death, or starvation looms it could have mean't tasting and trying to consume almost anything in order to survive, e.g. all kinds of animals, insects, reptiles, leaves, bark, plant roots, even each another, and of course milk!.

So its just not natural to drink the milk of other species, whats next "dogs milk"?

WHAT CAUSES HEART DISEASESome  may have a genetic disposition toward heart problems, but many research papers make a very strong connection between animal fats and cardiac disease, (which is brought to birth in large measure from consuming animal fats high in cholesterol) and it is the biggest killer in Britain.     

                Cheese is a block of almost solid cholesterol

Milk and its bi-products are so unnatural for us that the “bad” Cholesterol it contains tend to form plaque in these vital arteries that lead to the heart, this process literally strangles this vital organ of the life blood and oxygen it needs ( now that’s never natural!).
The plaque imperceptibly starts coat the arteries when one is a child, and we are often blissfully unaware of the silent killer creeping through our veins until one day it takes the life of a loved one or even that of ourselves. So many mothers and fathers have been taken from their families by an early death caused primarily by this kind of high fat diet", including some in my own family.

As noted earlier milk must have often made our ancestors violently ill and even though it can now be tolerated by most peoples digestive system it still does not mean that its actually conducive to long-term good health. Stepping aside and looking at the issue from another perspective, even if drinking milk meant that you glowed with health, we must should keep in mind that to obtain it means we have to subject another creature to abuse and rob it of its calf.  Suppose if in our city we robbed human mothers of their babies just after birth, what would occur?, nothing short of a national outcry, this website is  itself an outcry against the abuse of animals so we seek to highlight the adjustments we can easily make to help right some of the wrongs done to cattle.
Many are unaware that these fellow creatures have suffered so terribly and for so very long, yet we may pass them by in the fields without even a thought!       
                                                              Image right: Courtesy Alex Ankler

Learning about Milk.                                  
                                                                                                                    

As a child growing up in the 1950s, I was part of that post war generation that were nurtured on cows milk, we were given a bottle of free cows milk every day at school ( "and a table spoon of that evil tasting cod liver oil "), to build us up they said, and of course this was considered part of best nutritional practice at that time.  At home our family, as all the other families that I knew of, viewed milk and cheese as part of our staple diet, yet little did I realise it, but milk is not at all necessary for a healthy life.

I recall as a young man of 14 first starting work on a dairy farm and learning the privilege of helping to bring a calf into the world.  After a hard and exhausting time for the cow, she finally gave birth, and the first thing she did was to start to cleanse the calf by licking away the afterbirth, as a kid from the back streets of the Stoke-on-Trent I had never seen anything like it.

Image above: Gone-the-idylic-days of handmilking when calves remained with their mothers.

Now came the moment for me to be shown how to guide the calf's mouth to its mothers teat, for the sooner that the calf drinks the better. After about two days of love and care from its mother, it was deemed time by the farmer to take the calf away, so we put some corn into the cows trough to distract her attention, and then we came in and quickly took the calf away.  Well I had never come face to face with such a profound reality, the mother was terribly, yes terribly distraught! and I can even recall the look in her eyes, which spoke volumes to me about the anxiety that she felt as we did this. 
As we carried the calf away she then let out her terrible mournful call for her offspring, ( "Yes that Cow Definitely Grieved", ) but I was told that I should not worry, as it is the way of life, then we took her milk to sell for profit and human consumption, that nature had meant for her offspring.  I made myself never to question such actions again until years later, when one day I came across the philosophies of Plutarch, and Pythagoras, men who I was taught were pagans, and this led me toward the writings of other men who later held similar views, like George Bernard Shaw, Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Ghandi..

The miserable life of dairy cattle.

Image right: Cows bred with "hideously large udders, for maximum profitability".

Selective breeding practice over the last 100 years has produced cattle that are considered little more than milk producing robots, which can produce 20 - 50 litres of milk a day, this is many times more than is natural for a cow to produce, and lot more than a calf’s normal requirements.

 A further abuse is that these, like many other cattle are bred with abnormally large udders for greater milk capacity, this has made it difficult for them to even walk properly, let alone to run around and enjoy life as nature intended.  Throughout their short bitter lives they are certainly not treated with the respect that they deserve.  I remember being told off sternly by a farmer employer that I worked for as a herdsman about 35 years ago, one day as usual I began to let the cows out of the shed after milking, one I was told was to remained chained, as it was to go off to the slaughterhouse later in the day because it was barren (unable to get pregnant ). I started to feel really sorry for the unfortunate beast, so I gave it a couple of scoops of corn to pacify it, when the farmer came back into the cowshed he saw the cow eating, and railed at me for giving it a little extra, he shouted that it is a waste of money to give it some corn when it was going to be slaughtered  (" dont ever do it again" he said )  I think it touched his conscience!.   A little later this and some other things emboldened me to tell him exactly what I thought of him.  Soon after that I was made redundant, oh well!... but I have never forgotten the heartlessness of his attitude toward that creature, which I have found is typical of the blindness of the farming community in general.   

Image Right:  Diary Cows", all are bereaved!

We may think that the image on the right is an idylic picture of our tranquil english rural life, but in reality what we are seeing in this picture is totally unnatural.  Here we have a herd of what we call dairy cows, in this case they are (British Friesians), and which are all bereaved females (their offspring had been slaughtered for veal), under natural wild conditions a herd would compose of a tiered age range, of calves, adolescents, those that are mature, and others that are going on into old age, however these unfortunate cattle have all been denied such a natural social structure, and interaction, we should remember the abuse that has been done toward these then when we see them out in the fields, or when we consider buying a pint of cows milk.

Its Your Choice

Image left: Soya milk, Rice milk, and Oatmilk

All it takes is a little consideration and a willingness on our part to seek alternatives to dairy products and we will have acted for the good of these animals and helped make this a fairer world.  It is a fact that in order for us to enjoy the taste of their milk these animals must be subjected to a life of slavery, meaning these most hard working of all animals are usually made pregnant by unnatural means once a year (mechanically raped), then they are robbed of their calves after only two-three days of nurturing them. This is really is a heartless and inconsiderate practice, but it thats what milk drinkers pay dairy farmers to do when they buy cows milk although most people are stll blissfully unaware, this is where the advertising media comes in they skillfully present the public with a image of contented cows, when they are anything but!.  Nowadays though we "don't have" to buy milk products for the nutritional benefits,  these other options are not only extremely tasty but very healthful too, and are often fortified with vitamins minerals and calcium in abundance, so we don't have no perpetuate the subjecting of gentle creatures to a life of injustice and suffering when we could easily opt  for the healthy ethical alternatives. Good Health !

Milk Fact

 The fact that cows are intelligent can be a shock for some, but this is the case.

 "ONCE they were a byword for mindless docility. But cows have a secret mental life in which they bear grudges, nurture friendships and become excited over intellectual challenges, scientists have found".

The article goes on to reveal evidence that recent research had uncovered, that they also have ability to solve problems when given a task to open a door to get a reward. the  article went on to say "They suggest that such animals may be so emotionally similar to humans that welfare laws need to be rethought".

The Sunday Times 27th February 2005

JUST WHAT IS MILK ?

Milk is a unique substance which is 80-90% water, and is formulated by nature to suit the needs of the offspring of each particular species of mammal.  Following the Neolithic period man is known to have taken milk from Sheep, Lammas, Cattle, Camels, Goats, Reindeer and sometimes even that of horses, ( Mares milk ), to name just a few.  Animal milk has a unique balance of nutrients specifically formulated for the needs of its own species, some milk, like that in the case of  cattle, is meant to initiate very fast bone and tissue growth, this is very good for calves, but may not be so good for the long term health of humans, as animal milk is not designed for cross species ingestion.  As a substitute for feeding to babies, cows milk must be modified, for though high in protein and essential amino acids it is inferior to a nursing mothers breast milk, if a new-born baby is fed cows milk in its raw state it can sometimes produce disastrous results.

THE FIRST MILK FOLLOWING BIRTH

The cows body is stimulated to produce milk by the action of hormones, which are timed to coincide with the birth of the offspring, however following the birth of the calf the first liquid that is produced is not true milk as we know it, but is a strong yellow/orange substance known as (colostrum) which contains not only vitamins, but a amazing array of antibodies, and most likely, a host of other unknown elements specifically designed to build up the animals immune system and help ensure its survival through the early period of its natural life.  It is secreted for about the first two days then it clears and milk production proper begins.

Though containing a range of vitamins such as phosphorous, calcium, potassium, proteins, sugars and sulphur compounds etc, milk is deficient as a dietary source of Iron, and Vitamin C.

DISEASES IN MILK

Milk has been linked by some research papers, to various cancers including the second biggest killer of human males, prostate cancer, and in women cancer of the breast.  Diabetes which is also a major modern-day concern, has also been linked by a number of other researchers, to the consumption of milk products.  I recommend that the reader do further study on the subject of consuming animal derivatives and body fluids, as such diseases as the aforementioned can be potentially very serious, even life threatening.

This highly infectious and costly disease has always been a major danger in a dairy herd and is internationally endemic, it is classified as a serious bacterial disease of the mammary glands, I have personally known some farmers to get into very serious trouble for allowing infected milk to go to the dairy. This is a very painful disease which is initiated by any of over 100 organisms including E.coli, Streptococcus uberis , Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus glaciate.

These can infect the udder tissues and proliferate causing severe inflammation and what appear like globules of infected fatty clots. The pathogens causing this often gain entry via the teat canal and can sometimes be introduced due to over milking (leaving the machine in contact with the teats too long). The infection if not treated can mean great suffering to the cow, and an earlier slaughter date. If contaminated milk is allowed to go to the dairy, nasty harmful pathogens can potentially find there way onto our cornflakes, and into our tea or coffee! An infection control program has to be organised on farms as all dairy herds have some level of infection which can spread from cow to cow and in some cases to humans.

Though not often discernable to the human eye, milk can sometimes be quit a dirty substance, which can also contain high residues of pesticides due to the high volume of contaminated corn consumed by the animal to boost milk production, it can also contain hormones and antibacterial substances and residues from (teat dips) which are used in the fight to control Mastitis, all these can be washed into the milk holding tank and many of these chemicals can initiate cancer in humans.

THE PAIN OF MILKING

When a cow is mechanically milked as often as two or three times a day udder problems may occur from time to time due to inflammation of tender teat or mammary gland tissue. The calf though is far more perfectly designed to suck milk without causing pain and discomfort than any machine yet invented, in the wild when a cow feels she has done enough suckling she can push the calf away, not like when a cow is pushed into a milking parlour where she is forced to endure such an unnatural indignity, and is prevented from kicking the machine off. 
If you notice the whole process of milking cattle is often an unnatural violation of its natural instincts, only by acts of superior power are humans able to extract milk, this takes its toll on the cows udder in very painful ways, as sometimes the teats can become inflammed and the udder swollen, non of which usually appear when a cow is suckled naturaly by its offspring. 

image above credit: Gunnar Richter

An uncalved female of the cattle a ( Heifer ) may reach sexual maturity at about twelve months.  Cows have a similar gestation period to humans of around 9 months, and when about to give birth the cow will prefer to give birth with a little privacy. Suckling takes place over a period of about six months, until the calf is weaned, then the milk gradually ceases being produced. Many cattle these days are reared in mono-crop grass cultures, with a supplement of corn as necessary to boost growth or milk production. Under wild conditions, cattle are far more healthy than domestic livestock, as they have access to the array of wild plants and herbs that they eat along with mixed grasses which all serve to strengthen their immune system, in eight hours one animal can consume between 50-70 kilos of various kinds of vegetation (bark, roots, stems, leaves and tubers, ) dependant on breed.  Dairy cattle have the potential to live sometimes over twenty years, however those kept for the dairy industry never usually get beyond 7 years old, by which time they are considered to be at the optimum age to be slaughtered. If even a young cow has failed to conceive, it will usually be sent for slaughter around the time when the milk profile indicates that the milk yield has dropped below 10 litres day.

Under wild and natural conditions, male cattle (Bulls) do battle, and fight for the right to mate, this has proved to be the best breeding policy approved by nature, and has worked well in in the wild to ensure the survival of the fittest specimens over many thousands of years. Cows nowadays are not given the opportunity to choose a mate, but are forcibly raped and made pregnant by the use of a unnaturall process called "artificial insemination". Though this may be necessary in some circumstances to prevent a species from dying out, as time moves on and man becomes more enlightened it will be seen for what it is, generally an unwarranted  violation of an animals natural rights.  It is suspected by some that the intervention by man to procure specific traits in cattle through an intensive selective breeding process may in fact be found to be detrimental to the long term health of a species, in ways as yet undiscovered.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES!

When kept at high densities per acre, the sheer numbers and hoofs can in some cases cause erosion of the topsoil, which is either washed or blown away. Further substantial damage can occur to the roots of trees, particularly when cattle mass around feed, or water troughs that are sometimes sited close to them. Eutrophication (build up of nutrients) in water courses can occur when grassland has been heavily fertilized and nitrate runoff is allowed to build up in ponds or slow moving streams.

The great increase in the numbers of cattle has brought significant environmental consequences by way of the high volume of methane gas produced and which is expelled from the animals bodies by “belching or farting“. The situation has become so serious that early 2007 the environment secretary David Milliband informed farmers at Oxford that the industry is likely to face being penalised if measures are not implemented to reduce the amount of flatulent gases emitted from their livestock. Mr Milliband went on to state that domestic animals ( cattle, sheep, pigs ) produce large volumes of methane each day which research has shown is one of the most damaging greenhouse gases and is responsible for in excess of one third of all the methane emissions that are released into the environment.

It is estimated that a cow or bull can actually belch out around 500 litres of the environment damaging Methane gas daily, this is produced naturaly in their stomachs as a by-product of the digestion process of all ruminant animals as they break down fibrous materials.

Recently however considerable research has been undertaken to find a substance that will reduce the amount of flatulence emitted . Scientist are very excited about a recent substance that they have discovered which they claim effectively reduces the methane produced from each animal by 70%, and as an added incentive, they believe that for each kilogram of feed consumed by each animal it will also produce an additional of 10% of weight gain, ongoing trials will confirm its usefulness. Ulove believes that the sheer volume of cattle kept for the food chain is unnatural, and is much too great a strain for the environment to bare, for even if methane itself can be reduced, the collectively damaging aspects of animal husbandry make such large-scale farming practice, not only inhumane, but environmentally unsustainable..  It seems like the law of Karma is at work, for animals cannot fight back to get us to discontinue our path of animal exploitation, so then its only right and fair that they have the last laugh and “Belch and Fart” us all into oblivion!

BSE MAD COW DISEASE

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, better known as "Mad Cow Disease " has caused major panic in Britain.  At that time of its height many people wisely made the decision to desist from eating beef, being rightly terrified by the nightly graphic images on the newsreels of cattle staggering around the stockyards out of there mind.  Such a disease is not something that you would come across in the natural life of wild cattle, it was brought to birth through an act of appalling abuse toward these animals.  Under wild or captive conditions, cattle would never knowingly consume meat products.  It has been the promise of greater finacial returns that has led feed merchants in the past to find all ways of making cheap protein, and they assumed that it is perfectly acceptable to grind down the brains of animals, and feed them to other herbivores ( Cattle), how misguided they were!

One could say that the real madness of this tragedy was the governments legislature at that that time, which permitted the shortsighted  marketing and sale of such unnatural feedstuffs to farmers for consumption by the such unfortunate captive Cattle.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

“CJD" is the human equivalent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy ( "MAD COW DISEASE" ), and has been scientifically described as a degenerative brain tissue disorder. The organism responsible for the disease has been identfied as a ultra-powerfull protein called a (Prion), which is virtually indestructible, its effect is to basically bore into the brain and make it full of holes somewhat resembling a sponge.  For those that know that they may have eaten such infected meat, it could seem like they are sitting on a potential time bomb, which is widely considered by health officials as ready to explode, and for which there is sadly ( "no known cure" ).

 FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

The intervention by man in the natural life of animals by moving them about the country in vast numbers has been sighted as the main reason why very painful and serious diseases such as foot and mouth disease have been spread across the country causing untold misery to hundreds of thousands of animals at a time.  In the wild, nature has contained and dealt with such diseases since time immemorial. Not only cattle but other cloven hoofed animals are at risk when there is an outbreak.

Foot and Mouth disease is highly communicable both from animal to animal and person to animals by breath, mucous and contact. The virus is very determined and can even survive on clothing, wool, fodder (straw hay and corn ) and manure for up to 2 weeks.  Vets going from farm to farm assessing cattle during the outbreak must undergo thorough disinfection, and also vehicles that go onto and off farms have to have their wheels disinfected thoroughly too.

First indicative signs of the disease may become discernible as the beast begins to over-salivate, this can be after 1-2 days. Salivation from the mouth and the severe pain from blistering and sensitivity in the soft tissue of the mouth results in unbearable soreness, often so acute that it makes eating a very painful experience for the animal.  Animals often lose a great amount of weight, and milk production drops significantly, it is also known that pregnant females can also abort. The disabling effect on the feet makes walking around very difficult and excruciatingly painful, it can become so severe that in some cases the hooves actually fall off. Rarely this disease can infect humans, however the symptoms though sometimes debilitating do not usually result in death. Though there is no vaccine at present to totally eradicate the disease there are vaccinations available to treat it, but these are of limited effect, there being such a large number of strains of the of the virus that have been identified to date, this means that an unacceptably large and expensive range of anti viral drugs would be necessary.

In Britain the preferred method of eradicating the disease from an area is by wholesale slaughter of the herd if an infection is diagnosed, often the ministry will seek to contain the outbreak by also ordering the slaughter of cattle and sheep within close proximity to the infected herd, even though these may be completely disease free. The bodies are then burnt and buried in a communal pit.   In my experience of being a young herdsman at the epicentre of the terrible outbreak in Shropshire in 1967, total quarantine and disinfection was the only method of keeping the disease outside the farm boundary, no cattle were let out of the sheds and nobody whatsoever was allowed onto or off the farm other that the ministry vets who were personally doused down with disinfectant by ourselves. We were always alert and aware of the danger all around us, as on the air day and night was the perpetual sickening smell of burning animals.

CONCLUSION

Whenever man abuses animals by feeding them on an unnatural diet or keeping them in high densities, or when we have too much unnatural contact with them by buying and selling them around the country, then we expose them to untold unnecessary disease pain and suffering, which often brings them an untimely death, that they did not deserve!.