Organic Milk & Lactose Intolerance

[Talenyn]

My father is "lactose intolerant" he can't drink regular milk without gastric consequenses, same for ice cream, very cheesy dishes etc.

Recently we switched to organic milk. He realized that he can drink organic milk with no problems.

Has anyone else noticed this or know anything about this?

[Rose of Sharon]

We drink raw organic milk with no trouble, which is quite common. Read The Milk Book by William Campbell Doughlass II, M.D. if your are interested in a really clear understanding of all this. It's a great book! I'm glad your father has discovered he can tolerate the organic milk.

[Sole_Purpose]

We drink organic low-fat milk and my husband seems to tolerate it better than regular, as well. I usually buy it for myself and he ends up using some of it. I buy him Silk.

[pueppi]

I grew up on "milk from the cow" - Literally. - The lady down the street from us had a cow. I walked down there and got the milk. That was the best!

I currently buy 1% or 2% organic. Both are better than regular milk that is not. Normally I like regular whole milk. But both of these are better.

[BJB-LMP]

My sister also can tolerate only organic milk (liquid). So it can't be lactose intolerance, as it all has lactose in it! But I don't have an explanation. Is it possible that the ultra-pasteurization has something to do with it? Because almost all organically-produced milk sold in stores (not raw) is ultra-pasteurized, and I remember that when we were living in Mexico the milk in the stores was also ultrapasteurized and my sister seemed to have no trouble with that either. Hmm. I mean, I *want* the difference to be the organic-ness, I just don't know.

[riversinger]

It's my understanding that the pasturization process heats the milk and kills off the very proteins required to digest it. Which is why the raw milk is more easily tolerated by those who are supposedly lactose intolerate.

One tidbit I always thought was interesting:
We are the only species which tends to drink milk after infancy. (That is with the exception of animals we give it
too.) So perhaps its not so good for us afterall ???

[Sole_Purpose]

One tidbit I always thought was interesting:
We are the only species which tends to drink milk after infancy. (That is with the exception of animals we give it
too.) So perhaps its not so good for us afterall ???

Hmmm...interesting tidbit.

I don't "drink" milk, as in a glass of. And, I never crave milk. But I do have it in cereal and iced-coffee regularly (and ice cream). I've got family members who drink a full glass of milk alone or with a meal though...just like any other drink.

[Vanessa6]

I am lactose intolerant as well. I have never tried organic milk but I drink Silk soy milk and Im fine with it.

[moogie]

Just a guess here, but perhaps those who have been told that they are "lactose intolerant" don't really have a problem with the lactose per say but with the other stuff that's been done to the milk. I think it's pretty standard that if someone has problems with milk, it's just assumed that it's the lactose that's the problem.



Angie

[Angela Correa]

I have had friends with children who have had chronic ear infections. Once they switched to organic milk....no more ear infections....I wish I knew this when my son was younger. He had to have tubes placed in his ears.

I have heard that all the antibiotics and hormones that are given to cows to produce large quantities of milk (which of course all of this ends up in the milk) has a huge amount of influence on our bodies. Personally, the photos I have seen of dairy farms where cows are literally pumped constantly and if they aren't, they are so engorged (sp) that they can't move due to all of the hormones to produce such quantities makes me very upset. We only will drink organic milk in my home.....same with eggs. Only organic, grain fed, free range eggs.

[fudja / aka Greatlakes]

deleted

[Angela Correa]

I have had friends with children who have had chronic ear infections. Once they switched to organic milk....no more ear infections....I wish I knew this when my son was younger. He had to have tubes placed in his ears.

I have heard that all the antibiotics and hormones that are given to cows to produce large quantities of milk (which of course all of this ends up in the milk) has a huge amount of influence on our bodies. Personally, the photos I have seen of dairy farms where cows are literally pumped constantly and if they aren't, they are so engorged (sp) that they can't move due to all of the hormones to produce such quantities makes me very upset. We only will drink organic milk in my home.....same with eggs. Only organic, grain fed, free range eggs.

Having milked cows, I know a thing or two about them. The more they are milked, the more milk they produce. Hormones may make them produce more, but so does more milking. Ideally, farmers dont want their cows to have large engorged utters for a long time. The cows get kick more when they are over engorged and cows have a better chance of getting mastitis (infected udders.) If a cow gets mastitis and needs to be treated medically that cows milk cannot be sold. It is either fed to calves or dumped. So, if you have seen pictures of engorged cows, I would question who and why the pictures are up. I am sure it is a Peta or anti farmer group.

As for those hormones, primarily Bgh (bovine growth hormone,) it is naturally occuring in milk anyway. Even organic milk has Bgh, because Bgh is natually ocurring in milk. There are a lot of other hormones in milk besides Bgh. Cow's milk is a perfect food, perfect for baby cows who need Bgh and all the other cow hormones in cows milk.

From someone who knows nothing about milking cows, thank you for the info. Pictures I have seen are usually sent to me via email and the stories may not have been actually related to the pic.?.?. Who knows....I just know they didn't look pretty. You may be correct about the origin???

So, why do they give them the Bgh anyway if it is already naturally found in the milk? What is different from organic milk vs. regular milk that makes such a huge impact on our health? Is it the food the cows are fed?

So, I would gather it would be correct to say that if a cow is given hormones to produce more milk and constantly milked, they would produce a whole lot of milk and must be constantly milked so that they don't get engorged and thus get the infection that causes the milk to have to be thrown out and introducing more hormones (which may or may not be synthetic) is ok because the cow already naturally produces it and it is already found in the milk (author of long run-on sentence...lol). My body produces a whole lot of hormones.....Hgh for example (Human growth hormone) Taking them artificially causes side affects that are usually not positive (unless my body was not working correctly to produce the appropriate amount).

I agree that cow's milk is a good food. Organic cow's milk is even better;) Although organic, it probably doesn't gaurantee a better treatment of the cow since more milking also increases production.

I hope this didn't come off as being a bit ummm "sassy".....Just some thoughts.....

[Angela Correa]

Here is something interesting.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYpafipJyDE

[stonegirl]

this movie has some very interesting information about milk and the effect of the hormones on it:
http://www.thecorporation.com/

(as well as disturbing information about how Fox News prohibited the story from being told).
the following excerpt is from the movie's website:

THE PRICE OF WHISTLEBLOWING
It turns out that standing for the public good is an expensive proposition. Ask Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, two investigative reporters fired by Fox News after they refused to water down a story on rBGH, a controversial synthetic hormone widely used in the United States (but banned in Europe and Canada) to rev up cows' metabolism and boost their milk production. Because of the increased production, the cows suffer from mastitis, a painful infection of the udders. Antibiotics must then be injected, which find their way into the milk, and ultimately reduce people's resistance to disease.

Fox demanded that they rewrite the story, and ultimately fired Akre and Wilson. Akre and Wilson subsequently sued Fox under Florida's whistle-blower statute. They proved to a jury that the version of the story Fox would have had them put on the air was false, distorted or slanted. Akre was awarded $425,000. Then Fox appealed, the verdict was overturned on a technicality, and Akre lost her award. [For an update on the case see Disc 2 where we learn that at one point, Jane and Steve became liable for Fox's $1.8 million court costs, later to be reduced to $200,000.]

interesting that if there is no harm to the milk from the hormone, why is it banned in Europe and Canada?

[EgoMagickian]

I agree that cow's milk is a good food.

I'm guessing you're responding to a previous comment that stated that cow's milk was good food for baby cows.

It's not actually all that good for humans, even in its best quality state, which is nearly impossible for most people to obtain: grass fed, organic, free range, certified humane, raw.

It's that last bit that makes it so difficult... but even if you have that available (sometimes they have it at the co-op here, in glass containers no less) goat's milk would be healthier. And even then, most folks don't need it, certainly not daily.

What is different from organic milk vs. regular milk that makes such a huge impact on our health? Is it the food the cows are fed?

Exactly. Milk has something like 400% more pesticide residue than an equivalent amount of vegetables. Folks who focus only on buying organic vegetables and then serve them with non-organic meat and dairy are not reducing their pesticide intake nearly as much as they could.

This is one reason why human milk from mothers who eat commercial meat is so high in dangerous chemicals and heavy metals. I know, as if pregnancy didn't involve enough to worry about already. Our modern systems are simply not designed to support human health so much as population expansion (up until the point of overcrowding and collapse, of course).

Anyway, I haven't found a milk that I can really feel comfortable with... short of making my own whole unsweetened almond milk. I've given up cold cereal in favor of steel cut oats. Put in the crock pot the night before, it's easier than grinding those almonds every week... cheaper, too!

[stonegirl]

I also wanted to point out - has anyone else noticed that young girls are hitting puberty earlier and earlier these days?? like, age 10?!??

I agree with EgoMagickian - cow's milk is meant for baby cows!

[peacefulharbor]

I agree...milk is for baby cows! I used to get sinus infections every year, sometimes more than one...and when I gave up dairy, no more sinus infections...in fact, hardly any full-blown colds! I have been a bit lax lately, though...a few ice cream cones now and again, but, boy, do I notice it when I do!

I use Rice Dream for almost every recipe calling for milk, and, although it's thinner in consistency, it works. I also use it in cereal. But I admit my morning vice is Coffeemate Hazelnut creamer in my coffee...I know, I know, it's horrible for me, but I do love it. Silk creamer just doesn't do it for me.

[moogie]

I also wanted to point out - has anyone else noticed that young girls are hitting puberty earlier and earlier these days?? like, age 10?!??!

We had a discussion about this recently. I firmly believe that between the hormones in milk and also in chicken they are causing girls to hit puberty much, much earlier. I recommended to a friend who was having problems with her 11yr old daughter and mood swings that she switch to hormone free milk and chicken.

Angie

[BJB-LMP]

I am having trouble tracking this down entirely, but I could have sworn that hormones are not fed to chickens in the US. (I know it is illegal in Canada and Australia.) See Snopes article below:

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/wingcyst.asp

Not sure if this covers all hormones of concern.

[moogie]

the FDA has ruled that "No steroid hormones are approved for use in poultry," so chickens intended for human consumption in the U.S. cannot legally be fed or injected with steroids. The rules governing cattle are different, though. Says the FDA: "Certain steroid hormones have been approved for use at very low concentrations to increase the rate of weight gain and/or improve feed efficiency in beef cattle."

This is from the snopes article. It specifies steroid hormones but what about other hormones? I read somewhere (don't know where and not sure of the validity?) that both chicken and cows are pumped up with estrogen. I know that on the cartoon that my Cage Free Eggs come in, it specifies "no hormones" which would lead me to believe that hormones are given to the other chickens??????

Angie

[EgoMagickian]

I know that on the cartoon that my Cage Free Eggs come in, it specifies "no hormones" which would lead me to believe that hormones are given to the other chickens??????

Not necessarily. This could be akin to bottled water labeled "no carbs" ;-)

[Rose of Sharon]

I know that on the cartoon that my Cage Free Eggs come in, it specifies "no hormones" which would lead me to believe that hormones are given to the other chickens??????

Not necessarily. This could be akin to bottled water labeled "no carbs" ;-)

Exactly. Our grocery store carries a brand of refined sugar that is labeled, "naturally sweet".

[Blisss]

How about the candy that advertises itself as "Fat Free"! The fact that it's pure sugar that will turn to fat in your body is beside the point apparently. I've seen the "Fat-Free" label on Skittles, Laffy Taffy, Licorice, and Marshmallow Peeps, to name a few. Do people actually fall for that? I guess they do, or they wouldn't keep advertising it that way. It reminds me of my friend who joined weight watchers, and we went out to a movie. She said, "On Weight Watchers, you can eat as much popcorn as you want. I just won't add the butter topping!" I said, "Movie popcorn is cooked in high-fat oil. That's not the air-popped variety they meant." She was soooooo disappointed!

[moose_goose]

I drink organic, mostly grass fed raw milk from www.grasswayorganics.com
It's in New Holstein, WI

It's super yummy!!!!

[massagengel]

Every time I have any milk my face ends up looking like a pepperoni pizza!
I stick with rice milk. and sometimes soy.