Drinking milk

[RobinP]

I have never been a big milk drinker but after bc, I ingest even less milk products, fearing the hormones in milk. See link below. RobinP

Drinking milk

There have been a number of claims that the consumption of cows' milk can increase the risk for breast cancer. There are several issues to consider.
[list]<LI class=content>There is some evidence that drinking milk with a high fat content may increase the risk of breast cancer, but this is thought to be due to the link between obesity and breast cancer as drinking skim milk seems to protect against cancer. <LI class=content>Certain chemicals and pesticides, some of which have been shown to cause cancer, do show up as contaminants in both cows' milk and human milk. At this time there is no strong evidence to link these chemicals with increased risk for breast cancer, although this cannot be excluded. In Australia the levels of these contaminants in milk products is subject to testing and regulation. <LI class=content>An argument is made that cows treated with bovine growth hormone (BST) have increased levels of a chemical called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in their milk, and high blood levels of IGF-1 in humans have been linked with breast and prostate cancers. However it is not known if IGF-1 found in cows' milk can affect humans. More importantly, the use of BST is currently banned in Australia.
Additional claims that oestrogen in cows' milk can affect women's breast tissue and cause cancer or that other, unspecified, milk compounds can cause oestrogen release in women have not been substantiated.

[Susan2]

I still drink milk especially since I have a young daughter. However, we only drink organic skim milk without hormones. Hopefully, that will give the benefits without the associated risks.

[Barbara H.]

I also use only organic milk products.
Barbara H.

[TriciaK]

I used to drink a lot of milk and use dairy products, but the hormones and fat idea was a concern. Now my husband and I use only rice milk. Our favorite drink is horchata, which you can order in some of the Mexican restaurants here. It is rice milk with crushed ice, a little sweetening, and cinnamon.Very refreshing! Hugs, Tricia

[Johanna Johannsdottir]

I've stopped drinking milk, eat no dairy food and avoid minced meat because it can be made of cows meat. I made this dissision after dealing with mets in bones, having Navelbine and after one month dx. with liver mets. Professor Jane Plant came to lecture here in Iceland last autumn and I was very careful hearing her theoris about milk and BC. Two onc. said to me that it has been known for a long that certain proteins in cowmilk can trigger some BC but no researches had actually proven this. If you are interested look for Jane Plant on google and you will find many articles.
Though I was sceptical about her theories I have nothing to loose but lots too gain and stopped all intake of milk and milk products. There are lots of other calcium sources and if you think about it milk consuming is part of diet in our part of the world and we also have highest rate of BC.

Best to all

Jóhanna

[Unregistered]

Heres a link to A Jane Plant book.

Worth a read. Thought provoking.

Some europeans are reported as having developed a genetic adaptation to dairy products.

The Icelanders I beleive are often used as a genetic database because of a degree of historic isolation. Do they have the european gene for dairy metabolism?

One might expect them to be high fish eaters.

More research required.

http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lnotmilk6.htm

Interesting.

Additional thought if milk is poorly tolerated could it add to low level body inflamation, which in the presence of high six could fuel low level body inflamation, gut inflamation ( plus pyroli. plus artery furring etc etc) leading to a self fuelling cycle weakening the bodies defenses etc.

RB

[Unregistered]

Heres a trial on Icelandic BC rates.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2045199&dopt=Abstract

1: Int J Cancer. 1991 Jun 19;48(4):523-8. Related Articles, Links

Trends in cervical and breast cancer in Iceland. A statistical evaluation of trends in incidence and mortality for the period 1955-1989, their relation to screening and prediction to the year 2000.

Sigurdsson K, Adalsteinsson S, Ragnarsson J.

Cancer Detection Clinic, Icelandic Cancer Society, Reykjavik.

The time trends in incidence and mortality from cervical cancer and breast cancer in Iceland, from 1955 to 1989, were analyzed by fitting curvilinear regressions to the age-standardized rates. The effect of the screening was evaluated by comparing the curvature of the fitted regression lines and changes in screening activity. The incidence and mortality rates for both cancer types were predicted up to the year 2000. At the commencement of cervical cancer screening in 1964, both the incidence and mortality rates were on the increase. After 1970, both rates decreased significantly. Assuming that regular attendance at screening will be 85%, it is predicted that the incidence and mortality rates will level out at about 7.5 and 2 cases per 100,000 women per year, respectively, by the year 1995 and remain at that level. The incidence of breast cancer has increased steadily since 1955. A sharp rise has been observed since 1987, due to screening with mammography. The mortality rate has shown small but significant fluctuations with time. The incidence rate is predicted to increase at the same rate as before 1987 (i.e. at 1.1 cases per 100,000 women per year), but at a slightly higher level and is predicted to reach 84 cases per 100,000 women per year by the year 2000. Breast cancer mortality is predicted to decrease to about 17 cases per 100,000 women per year by 1995 and to remain at that level.

PMID: 2045199 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[RobinP]

I haven't found a milk substitute that I really enjoy as much as milk. I have tried powdered and soy with disappointment in flavor and texture. I will give rice milk a try, thank TricaK. I also will look for the organic versions.

Here's a link I thought you would appreciate RB:

...........Milk (http:///wiki/Milk) and cheese (http:///wiki/Cheese) from grass-fed cows may be good sources of omega-3. [16] (http://www.karlloren.com/diet/p100.htm) Milk from non-organic, grain-fed cows may contain about two-thirds less omega-3. One UK study showed that half a pint of milk provides 10% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of ALA, while a "matchbox sized piece of organic cheese will give you up to 88%". [17] (http://www.vetscite.org/publish/items/001719/)

The microalgae (http:///wiki/Microalgae) Crypthecodinium cohnii and Schizochytrium are rich sources of DHA (http:///wiki/Docosahexaenoic_acid) (22:6 ω-3), produced commercially in bioreactors (http:///wiki/Bioreactor). Oil from brown algae (http:///wiki/Brown_algae) (kelp) is a source of EPA.

[edit (http:///w/index.php?title=Omega-3_fatty_acid&action=edit&section=13)]


The Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio

Clinical studies[2] (http://#endnote_Lands1992b)[4] (http://#endnote_simopoulos2003a)[8] (http://#endnote_Okuyamaa) indicate that the ingested ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 (especially Linoleic vs Alpha Linolenic) fatty acids may be important to maintaining cardiovascular health.

Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential, i.e. humans must consume them in the diet. Omega-3 and omega-6 compete for the same metabolic enzymes, thus the omega-6:omega-3 ratio will significantly influence the ratio of the ensuing metabolites, (e.g. prostaglandins (http:///wiki/Prostaglandins), leukotrienes (http:///wiki/Leukotrienes), eicosanoids (http:///wiki/Eicosanoids) etc.), and will alter the body's metabolic function. Metabolites of omega-6 are significantly more inflammatory (esp. arachidonic acid (http:///wiki/Arachidonic_acid)) than those of omega-3. This necessitates that omega-3 and omega-6 be consumed in a balanced proportion; the ideal ratio of omega-6:omega-3 being from 1:1 to 5:1. Studies suggest that the evolutionary human diet, rich in seafood, nuts and other sources of omega-3, may have provided a ratio of close to 1:1. [4] (http://#endnote_simopoulos2003b)

Simopoulos, et al[9] (http://#endnote_simopoulos2000a) recommend daily intakes of three omega-3 forms: 650 mg of EPA (http:///wiki/Eicosapentaenoic_acid) and DHA (http:///wiki/Docosahexaenoic_acid), and 2.22 g of ALA (http:///wiki/Alpha-linolenic_acid), and one omega-6 form: 4.44 g of LA (http:///wiki/Linoleic_acid). This translates to a 3:2 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. (i.e. 1.5:1)

Typical Western diets provide ratios of between 10:1 and 30:1 - i.e., dramatically skewed toward omega-6. Examples of oils rich in omega-6 compared to omega-3 are soy (http:///wiki/Soy), sunflower (http:///wiki/Sunflower), cottonseed (http:///wiki/Cottonseed), canola (http:///wiki/Canola), peanut (http:///wiki/Peanut), grapeseed oil (http:///wiki/Grapeseed_oil) and corn oil (http:///wiki/Corn_oil). There is likely no compelling reason that a healthy person consuming a typical western diet should ever need to supplement their diet with omega-6.

Sources: [18] (http://www.altcancer.com/flax.htm), [19] (http://www.krispin.com/omega3.html#N3)

[Unregistered]

Succinctly put, and helpfully presented with the hyperlinks.

Kelp oil is a new one I have not seen before. V interesting.

Algae bioreactors - I have to check that out. I have look at pyto plankton fat etc.. content as part of the food chain aspect. I was aware it was being done but do not know much more - how effective quantities costs benifits restrains etc.

Many thanks for the post always interested.

I don't know where goats sheep milk fits in / human tolerance / why it is different from cows milk. Generally there are lots of suggestions it is better tolerated and does not produce as much inflamatory reaction in some.

The ALA issue is commonly cited.

Grass fed have a natural fat balance. Grain fed take up fat profile of grain to a degree. In small quanitity the fats issue would not on the top of the concern list. I have to check but amounts of threes and sixes whilst balanced (good) are I beleive low about 2% each.

Hormones - if they are a problem I suppose one has to look at organic stock and intensive reared separately. The question I have assuming no man made addition is how do animal milk hormones ( what ever they are) impact on children in fromula milk. Is it something that has been studied. Is there a difference between impact on males and females etc. IF they are not a problem for babies why should they be a problem for grown women?

My area of research would be additional burden on the inflamary systems for those who are intolerant / cannot metabolise - and to what extent is that quantity and type dependent viz cultured milk whey etc.

Yet another whole speciallity on its own I suspect !..

Back to the things I should be doing - interesting interlude

Thanks again

RB

[RhondaH]

"1 or 2 Servings a Day of Low-Fat Dairy Products
I use 1 percent rather than fat-free milk because dairy fat has the highest concentration of a molecule called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has promising anticancer activity. I use only organic dairy products from non-BST-treated cows. (BST is a growth hormone.) Milk from non-BST cows contains lesser amounts of a compound called IGF-1. Higher blood levels of IGF-1 have been linked with several types of cancer. Much more research needs to be completed to clarify the relationship between IGF-1 and cancer, but I prefer to eliminate this possible risk factor from my diet."

Rhonda

[RobinP]

Good for you Rhonda. I agree that the hormones they feed cows may very well end up in cow's milk. So are the organically feed cows also not feed hormones?

[AlaskaAngel]

The carton of organic milk I have, if you can believe what you read on it, says the cows they use provide the milk "according to their natural cycles, without the stress of added growth hormones" -- as well as eating in pasture that is "not treated with dangerous pesticides" and that they are not treated with any antibiotic drugs. It is ultra-pasteurized, with vitamins A & D added. If I can get it here you can get it just about anywhere.

(Actually my husband drinks it for the most part as I use almost entirely unsweetened soy milk.)

[RhondaH]

they are grass fed, not fed antibiotics (which I feel we are building an immunity to) OR hormones (think of how the kids are "developing" at a younger age and what may be the reason behind this). Ever since dx I have switched and my mother (who grew up on a farm and used to milk the family cow) says (and I have noticed too) that the organic milk is REAL milk and we have both noticed how my son drinks it more. Also, being that I buy organic EVERYTHING (for me, I want to put EVERYTHING in my arsenal) and I want to know what is going IN as well as ON me and my family, the oranic butter is yellower and richer, the eggs are thicker and not watery, the bread is softer...etc. I am not of the school that ONE thing is the "magic bullet", but I DO feel that while genes are to blame for 10-20% of disease, SOMETHING has to be the blame for the other and my belief is that it is diet (mine WAS beyond horrible), lack of exercise (before cars, everyone had to walk and we were more labor intensive...hmmmm, seems that things that have made our live "easier" are becoming the death of us), hectic life (the world is moving at TOO fast a pace, my mom tells stories of my great grandfather knitting socks etc by the fire in the winter time ) and the environment (I use NO processed foods, synthetics...whats in all the "fat free", "sugar free" etc, yes my cooking takes longer, but I only cook 3-4 times a week and make enough for left overs). I know what I'm doing is no guarantee, BUT I want to do EVERYTHING I can.

Rhonda

[Unregistered]

Does the cow's natural hormones end up in their milk and what affect does that have on women?

[Becky]

We buy organic too. Especially dairy and meats. I buy a vegetable wash for all fruits and veggies.


Rhonda mentions her son drinks more milk now. Well, about 2 weeks ago I was coming home quite late and my husband called and asked I pick up some milk. From where I was, I stopped at a 7-11 type store and, of course, there is no way they would have organic so I bought a 1/2 gallon of skim and one of 2%. I figured this would hurt any of us this one time. Well, my girls that are still living at home (17 & 14) took a sip and said it tastes horrible (it wasn't spoiled or anything). We used a bit of it but bought the "real" stuff later the next day. Besides what the cows eat, I think since organic is ultra pasterized makes a huge difference. I don't drink that much milk (on my cereal etc) but the rest of the family really noticed the difference. One of my daughters said she couldn't believe that we really used to drink "that stuff".

Becky

[Bev]

For what it's worth. BB


Preschool Diet Linked to Later Breast Cancer Risk





By Michelle Rizzo

NEW YORK MAR 27, 2006 (Reuters Health) - The diet of preschoolers may influence the risk of breast cancer (javascript:OpenPopupWin('/glossary/popup.asp?term=Cancer','Glossary','dependent=yes,a lwaysRaised=yes,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width =400,height=250,titlebar=yes,screenX=300,screenY=2 00,left=300,top=200')) during adulthood, according to a Boston-based group of investigators.

Dr. Karin B. Michels, of Harvard Medical School, and her associates conducted a study that included 582 breast cancer (javascript:OpenPopupWin('/glossary/popup.asp?term=Cancer','Glossary','dependent=yes,a lwaysRaised=yes,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width =400,height=250,titlebar=yes,screenX=300,screenY=2 00,left=300,top=200')) patients plus a comparison group of 1,569 healthy "controls," who were enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and the Nurses' Health Study II.

The researchers used a 30-item food frequency questionnaire to obtain early diet information from the mothers of the nurses when they were 3 to 5 years old. The findings are published in the February issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

Women who frequently consumed French fries at preschool age had an increased risk of breast cancer. The increased risk of breast cancer for one additional serving of French fries per week was 27 percent. Consumption of whole milk was linked to a slightly decreased breast cancer risk -- for each additional glass of whole milk per day, the risk decreased by 10 percent. No association was found between nutrient levels and the risk of breast cancer.

"For us breast cancer researchers this indicates that we are on the right track to research earlier periods of a woman's life than we previously have done in the search for breast cancer risk factors," Michels told Reuters Health. "It seems that childhood diet may be important and maybe even more important than an adult woman's diet with respect to later life risk of breast cancer."

However, Michels cautioned against over-interpreting the results. "First of all, we would like to see these findings confirmed in other studies," she said. "Secondly, this was a case-control study and the mothers of the nurses knew whether their daughters had developed breast cancer or not, which may or may not have influenced their reporting, but we must not lose sight of this fact."

SOURCE:



International Journal of Cancer, February 2006.

[lu ann]

Humans are the only mammal who drink milk from another mammal. We even drink it beyond weening from either our mothers milk or baby formula.

I googled the above statement and found alot of interesting ideas about drinking cows milk.

I, myself love milk. Nothing goes better with P.B.and Jelly then a tall glass of cold milk. And who doesn't love to dunk their cookies in milk?

It is a hard habit to break, but given all the facts we should at least be drinking certified organic milk.

Love and Blessings,
Lu Ann.