Author: John McKiernan  -- (more health articles by John McKiernan at The Holistic Truth )
Originally published on Natural News

Yes, at one point in our lives we were all adviced that low-fat dairy products are good for us, or “be sure it’s pasteurized, because raw dairy products are dangerous.” Well, the truth is that pasteurized, low-fat, homogenized, GMO grain-fed, hormone and antibiotic-laced milk is actually the real danger to our overall health.

1. Pasteurized/Ultra-Pasteurized

Heat destroys bacteria, but it also destroys good enzymes, and milk is harder to digest. Many people who are considered as lactose intolerant are actually intolerant to pasteurized milk only, because this milk does not contain the enzymes necessary for its digestion.

The Campaign for Real Milk website noted that the worst effect of pasteurization is that it makes milk insoluble, so the body cannot use it. Pasteurization of industrial milk is required, because otherwise this dirty milk will be quite dangerous.

Ultra-high temperature (UHT), or pasteurization is a process in which milk is heated to extreme temperatures which destroy all the micro life in the milk, and proteins are indigestible. 80% of the organic milk in the US is UHT pasteurized.

2. Homogenized

Homogenization is a process often referred as “the worst thing dairymen have done to milk.” It consists of breaking down fat molecules in milk using high pressure. The fat does not rise to the top and this creates a “consistent” product.

Homogenization makes milk toxic to the body. It releases xanthine oxidase, an enzyme that is harmful to the body once being broken into unnaturally tiny pieces. Arterial walls accumulate xanthine oxidase and this eventually causes heart diseases.

3. Low-Fat/Non-Fat

Low-fat or skim milk is denatured food that contributes to obesity. In 2005, the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine published a study which involved 12,829 children aged between 9-14. This study found that drinking low-fat milk is associated with weight gain, and full-fat milk, on the other hand, does not increase weight.

4. GMO Grain-Fed

Cows eat grass, not grains, and milk from grass-fed cows, or raw milk, is much healthier. It is high in CLA, a fat that maintains healthy weight and reduces the risk of heart diseases. Grain-fed cows that live in CAFO-s give milk with poor quality and it is low in vitamins, minerals (especially calcium), and omega-3 fatty acids. When it comes to GMOs, you already know what they do to pig’s stomach.

5. Antibiotics

Unfortunately, 80% of the antibiotics sold throughout the country are given to animals. 23,000 people die from antibiotic-resistant infections every year. Do you think it is a coincidence? No, it is not. The FDA still allows antibiotic residue in milk, because not using antibiotics at all is the only way to avoid it. They determined a safe level of antibiotic residue, and actually that is the amount we are exposed to.

6. Hormones

Industrial milk has high hormone levels for two reasons: Cows are given artificial growth hormones created by bio-tech companies (banned in many countries), and they are milked 300 days of the year. Cows are pregnant for much of that time.

Milk from these cows contains 33 times more of the estrogen estrone sulfate than the milk from non-pregnant cows. The risk presented by these hormones is still unknown, but scientific community concerns about the possible connection with cancer.

Raw Milk

By drinking raw, whole milk you will probably avoid these issues. Despite what many say about its safety, the chances of being hospitalized from drinking whole milk are one in six million. To be more precise, you are three times more likely to die in a dangerous plane crush than to end in hospital from drinking raw milk.

Resource: www.undergroundhealth.com