There's no use crying over spilt carcinogenic milk

By Siegel     3/13/08 7:00pm

If you think milk "does a body good," think again. As consumers, we have fallen prey to a conspiracy of epic proportions. The truth is that milk is no panacea; it is no health food. In fact, it just may kill you.According to the renowned nutritionist Dr. T. Colin Campbell of Cornell University, the dairy industry has infiltrated "virtually all segments of our society - from research and education to public relations and politics - to have us believing that cow's milk and its products are manna from heaven." Milk has found its way into the government-endorsed healthy diet pyramid and is Santa's favorite drink. The truth, however, is a bit less wholesome. Milk causes cancer. Really.

Milk's high protein content can actually induce osteoporosis, its high caloric content contributes to weight gain and its saturated fat and cholesterol components clog arteries. Milk is contaminated with blood, pus, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and carcinogens; milk inhibits digestion and blocks nutrient absorption, including calcium; milk causes heart disease, ear infections, ADHD, autism, diabetes, diarrhea and a multitude of other conditions. Wipe that creamy white mustache off your face - milk causes zits! Such facts and more can be found in medical journals, in the news media and on the affectionately named milksucks.com.

The truth is that humans are the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another animal - or drinks milk at all into adulthood, for that matter. We have been duped by our own good intentions, some faulty logic and - most importantly - the dairy lobby.

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Mysteriously absent on the pro-milk Web site gotmilk.com is any claim of ownership; its contents must be of divine origin. Yet, even the perfect author shows thinly-veiled bias and signs of concern about truth-seekers. "Parents are sometimes quick to point the finger at milk," notes the web site, "when their child comes down with unexplained symptoms like intestinal problems or allergic reactions. Eliminating milk from your child's diet, without talking to your doctor first, is not a smart idea." Not smart for the dairy industry, at least.

The Web site asserts, "Recent studies have shown that good nutrition results in less obesity, better attendance, better concentration and performance, and better grades." But there is no mention that milk is part of this good nutritious diet! The site continues, "Researchers have found that calcium . cuts the physical and emotional symptoms of PMS in half." But milk's net effect is actually a reduction in absorbed calcium, so it clearly is not the solution here.

Perhaps the most shocking claim is that "milk contains a protein that tells the brain to sleep, improving sleep quality and next day alertness. Dating back to 1500 BC, the oldest medical text advises poor sleepers to drink a glass of milk before bed." Truth be told, modern science reveals that humans feel tired after drinking milk because they cannot efficiently break down its contents! Consumers, digest that.

The cat is out of the bag and headed for the bowl of warm.water. It is time to take action and be victims no more. For those of you who want to change the world, take down the dairy lobby. As for the rest of us, let's stop drinking milk. Luckily, we consumers need only to follow the lead of those who have already realized they are lactose intolerant and deprived of God's gift to man.

Cow's milk is in your fridge. Put it in a glass for Santa, because clearly he defies medical science and cannot die, anyway. Cheese is on the top shelf. Wait a few months and then throw it out when it's too moldy. Soy, rice and almond milks grace our grocery stores. Buy them, drink them, maybe even like them. Then, buy some more.

In the words of Captain Planet, "the power is yours!" Eliminate cancer from your diet, as well as calories, fat, cholesterol, blood, pus, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, indigestion, osteoporosis, heart disease, ear infections, ADHD, autism, diabetes, diarrhea and pimples.

Milk does a body bad. Really.

Jason Siegel is a Martel College junior.

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