Some friends of ours are involved in a campaign by Animals Australia against the cruel practice of destroying unwanted dairy calves at just 5 days of age. It reminded me once again of the horrors involved in the dairy industry – all to produce food products that are linked to many health problems, as well as having a very negative impact on the environment.
Whitewash: Cow’s Milk and Your Health
I recently read the excellent book Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Cow’s Milk and Your Health by Joseph Keon. As a nutritionist, I have long been aware of the fact that milk and dairy products are NOT good for you, contrary to the massive lies propagated by the dairy industry. This book is a well-researched and readable exposure of the dairy industry and the impact on our health and the environment, and certainly reinforced my determination to eliminate dairy products from my diet entirely.
Have a look at Cutting Down on Dairy page for ideas on how to reduce your dairy intake.
Whitewash details how the American public is misinformed and uneducated about the health impact of dairy products through a combination of propaganda, untrue advertising and lobbying by the National Dairy Council. It relates how many people are actually allergic or intolerant to dairy products and the absurdity of feeding humans with milk from another species. Although the book focuses on the United States, it certainly applies to all Westernised countries who have a high meat and dairy diet.
Whitewash: Cow’s Milk and Disease
The majority of the book is devoted to explaining the proven links between dairy consumption and many diseases such as acne, arthritis, heart disease, obesity, cancer, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. The chapter on children’s health is particularly illuminating with clear evidence linking dairy intake to conditions such as asthma, eczema, ear infections and digestive problems. One of the most significant areas is the increased risk of developing Type I diabetes through an autoimmune reaction to milk protein. The other very worrying area is that there appears to be strong evidence that autism can be caused by the opiates found in partially digested milk. Every parent needs to be made aware of the proven risks of dairy consumption in childhood.
There is also an interesting (and disgusting) chapter on the horrible things found in milk such as bacteria, solvents, dioxin, antibiotics, hormones and radioactive substances! Keon also concentrates on the great myth that drinking milk is good for your bones and details compelling evidence against that great untruth. He then briefly touches on the aspects of animal welfare and environmental costs whilst the final chapter shows you you can move to a dairy-free and healthy diet.
I highly recommend this book as it is easy to read yet thought-provoking, controversial but well-researched and literally a life-saver!
