In the News - The Dangers of Dairy

Did you know that there is pus in our milk? Yep... do a bit of digging into the dairy industry and how milk makes its way from udder to glass and you might never drink milk or eat cheese again.

Goodbye hot chocolate (already done)... goodbye Four Cheese Pizza (sigh)...

If that weren't enough... there is growing evidence that drinking milk contributes to a host of health issues, including increased risk of Alzheimers, heart disease, cancers (breast and prostate) as well as Type 1 Diabetes.

I'm not a doctor, even though I have a doctorate. So, while I can't argue the evidence, I can understand it... and it is eye-opening!

Dairy & Breast Cancer
The first link is a CTV news article which indicates that just one cup of milk per day is associated with a 50% increased risk of breast cancer. That doesn't mean if you drink one glass of milk, you have a 50% chance of getting breast cancer... it means if a non-dairy drinker has an 8% chance of getting breast cancer, a dairy drinker would have a 50% greater risk - so a 12% risk. Which isn't high but... if there is already a high risk of breast cancer due to family genetics, something worth paying attention to.

This study landed in February 2020 and there were a lot of cautionary follow-up articles from dieticians trying to stave off the freak-out fits. Still... if you dig deeper... you find that there are more issues with dairy than just a 50% increased risk of breast cancer.

If you're interested in more... I suggest watching Forks over Knives on Netflix. It does a very good job of explaining the dangers of dairy. Or, take a look at the website of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and what they have to say about dairy.

The latest issues I've come across, which is quite mind-blowing is this...


Bovine Paratuberculosis as trigger for Auto-Immune Diseases
Recent studies suggest that paratuberculosis cells in dairy milk may trigger Type 1 Diabetes. The link above is another video from Dr. Michael Greger which was scary enough. But... here's another one from NCBI (National Centre for Biotechnology Information) which has a Microorganisms journal article.  The title of the article is quite evocative: Cows get Crohn's Disease and They're Giving us Diabetes. But that's not the end of it... in their conclusion, the authors note (I added bold emphasis):

Sufficient evidence points to the fact that until MAP [Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis] is eliminated from the food chain, it may continue to be said that cows get Crohn’s disease and they are giving us diabetes, multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, Blau syndrome, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, Parkinson’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Scary, no? By the way... Crohn's Disease in humans can also be linked back to MAP in dairy. It's interesting to note that all of those diseases are auto-immune diseases, where the body starts attacking itself. I have an aunt with Parkinson's disease and two of her adult daughters both have Hashimoto's disease. Did they drink more dairy than my uncle and the two sons? Interesting connection though.

Just in case we're wondering how prevalent MAP is... in 1996, the herd-level prevalence of MAP infection in US dairy herds was 21.6%. By 2007 (11 years later), that number had risen to 91.1%. So 91% of herds in the US were infected with MAP.

But what about Canada? A 2018 journal article tested 362 farms across Canada and found the prevalence of MAP was: 66% in Western Canada, 54% in Ontario, 24% in Québec, and 47% in Atlantic Canada. If you're going to drink dairy or eat cheese... it would appear Québec might be your best bet.

But it's not just in North America, global dairy herds are seeing a huge increase in MAP and this is showing up in dairy products (MAP survives pasteurization) around the world. If that weren't enough... MAP can show up in the meat of diary cattle as well since MAP is shed in feces. And, if you've ever watched what goes on in an abattoir... feces can get everywhere during slaughter. They are also finding MAP in beef cattle as well... not just dairy cattle.

Why don't we hear more of this? Do a google search and there are literally hundreds of articles about MAP in dairy herds and outlining the possible risks to humans. But... remember... the dairy industry is subsidized by the government... and the whole mechanics of going from scientific studies and theories to firm results can take a while.

Maybe less so during this time of pandemic when hundreds of litres of milk are being dumped due to the closure of high-milk consuming industries like restaurants and coffee shops.

Canada's 2019 Food Guide - make water your drink of choice
(not milk...)

Oh... and just in case you're wondering... MAP can live in soil and water for a loonnggg time... so manure lagoons which leach into groundwater and streams and rivers are a problem. As is excess milk that is poured down the drain... or onto the soil.

Long story short... dairy (be it milk or cheese) ain't nature's best food for humans. Plus, it isn't even necessary... we can get enough calcium from plant sources (kale, spinach, water cress, other dark leafy greens, almonds, tofu, beans).

But I get it... milk is a habit. Plus, it's been sold to us by national Food Guidelines for decades... until recently. Note Canada's latest Food Guide at right... water is now the drink of choice. Not milk. Much to the dismay of dairy farmers...

2019 Food Guide of the United States

Compare with the United State' My Plate Food Guide... See... still recommending dairy as the drink of choice... The Harvard School of Public Health as something to say about the US plan... and it ain't pretty...

Milk is a habit... and it's going to take a while for us to get over the hump of changing that habit... Until something happens that makes it untenable to continue in that habit. That point will come.

Oh... and FYI... MAP can spread to sheep, goats and pigs as well as deer and wild rabbits...

MAP... coming soon to an animal protein source near you... dairy, beef, veal, pork, mutton, venison, rabbit... off the table.

Want to ditch the dairy habit? Start with switching to a plant-based milk - soy, oat, almond... so many options. Experiment a bit and find a flavour that you like... start small... but start.

Disease, Distance & Disposability

How times have changed. In just a few short weeks!

Gone are the days when I could:

• bring my own mug to Starbucks or order my tea in one of their ceramic mugs. Covid19 has made that too risky. Disposable cups are back in.
• get my water bottle filled by a friendly Starbucks barista. Instead they gave me water in a disposable plastic cup.
• bring my own reusable containers to Bulk Barn - too risky now. Disposable plastic bags are back in.
• bring reusable bags to the grocery store
• recycle bottles and cans at the grocery store

It's clear that the risk of disease transmission is first and foremost. Which is as it should be. This virus is highly contagious and we need to adapt. Quickly.

In the meantime, disposable wipes, masks and gloves are in hot demand. It's a good reminder that sometimes there is a reason why we have disposable items. Like kleenexes. The idea of a reusable handkerchief right now is icky!

And keeping our distance. Covid19 is now circulating in the community, by individuals who have no idea they are infected. Heck... with an incubation period of 3 to 14 days... any one of us could be infected and not know it. There's a wave coming... As one news commentator said "Act as if you have the virus."

We're practicing social distancing. Staying home as much as possible. Working from home. With only very brief forays to the grocery store for additional supplies. Who knew we would need a turnip when I did the big shop last week? Argh...

Stay safe.

The Price of Animal Protein

Environmental Impact of the Livestock Industry

Livestock farming produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector (planes, train, ships, cars).

When I read that in a scientific report, I was stunned. The biggest difference I could make in helping the planet was not by trading in our fossil fuel vehicle for an electrical vehicle. No, the biggest difference would be cutting out animal protein - not just meat, but dairy and eggs as well.

I struggled with that. As a carnivore, I've been in a constant state of negotiation the last few months. Maybe we could cut out meat and keep dairy and eggs? Maybe?

The thing is... it's not just the greenhouse gas emissions... it's the amount of water used, it's the pollution generated and... it's the health impacts on humans as well.

• 30% of the planet's ice-free surface is used for livestock production - that includes all the land used to raise feed crops for livestock.
• 75% of the world's agricultural land is devoted to livestock production
• 40% of the planet's fresh water is used in livestock production. One kilogram of beef requires 15,000 litres of water. That one hamburger from A&W used 2000 litres of water.
• The average American eats 240 lbs of meat/year. The average Bangladeshi eats 4 lbs of meat/year. The global average is 80 lbs/year.
• All of those resources produce only 18% of the calories that we eat

This is huge... but I could try and argue that we need protein soooo... it's a necessary evil? Nope... that one is shot out of the water as well. Most of us exceed the daily recommended allowance of protein. In fact, only 3% of Americans have a protein-deficiency. Most of us get more than enough... in fact... most of us get more than enough JUST from eating the plant-based foods in our diet. Yup, plants contain protein... and if we eat a moderately balanced diet... even without animal protein... a protein deficiency is not the problem.

Meat is the new Tobacco

The real kicker for me was to learn this little tidbit which often gets buried under a bunch of misinformation from American lobby groups (cattlemen's association, dairy farmers, egg producers...). Ready?

Eating animal protein has been linked to higher incidence of:

• heart disease (clogged arteries)
• diabetes (surprise... sugar is not the primary culprit)
• cancer (including breast, colorectal and prostate)
• osteoporosis (go figure)
• infertility (erectile dysfunction is one of the biggest indicators of heart disease)
• obesity (wow)

And it's not just because some meat is high in saturated fat. Oh no... it's the actual animal protein and the heme iron contained in animal protein. So "lean" meat like chicken doesn't sidestep this argument... nor do dairy or egg products. Basically, eating animal protein (from whatever source) increases inflammation and cholesterol in the body. And processed meat is exceedingly bad (bacon, hotdogs, salami, ham, etc. - sigh, good-bye salami).

That woke me up because I'm dealing with high cholesterol. I was cutting out red meat because it was high in saturated fat. And watching what oil we used for cooking. But... if I really want to get a grip on it... I'm going to have to step up my game. Cause there is no way I want to go on a statin... they've got serious issues.

And so... I say goodbye to animal proteins. I had planned to "eat the freezer" and clear out the chicken, ribs and sausages that we had purchased before our light bulb moment. But at this point... I really don't think that's in my best interests. So we are going to canvas our friends and see if they want to have any of our disease-generating animal protein.

My LDL over the last 5 years - vertical axis is:
Low - Mean - High - scary zone

At the end of September, my cholesterol numbers were as follows:

• Total Cholesterol - 7.1 (normal is 2.00 to 5.19)
• LDL Cholesterol - 4.98 (normal is 1.50-3.40 - this is the bad cholesterol)
• HDL Cholesterol - 1.48 (normal is > 1.19 - this is the good cholesterol)
• Trigylcerides - 1.40 (normal is < 2.21)

I'm going to get tested again at the end of February because... you see... their is some good news and hope in all of this. The human body is an amazing thing and... people have reduced their cholesterol significantly after just one week on a whole-food plant-based diet. I'm going to give it a bit longer than that... just to add some buffer.

Canada's latest food guide - looks different, eh?

I told my doctor that we are moving towards a plant-based diet and reducing/eliminating meat consumption and he rolled his eyes at that. He argues that the only diet shown to have a benefit is the Mediterranean diet. That's fine... but I also spoke with my nutritionist at the hospital and she heartily supports the plant-based diet. Given that most doctors get less than 8 hours of nutrition education... I think I'll go with the nutritionist on this one.


I'm kind of amazed at the realisation that eliminating animal protein from our diet can benefit:

• our health - heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, etc
• the planet's health - land degradation, water, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions
• animals - at least 480 lbs (240 lbs x 2) worth out of the 50 billion animals killed every year
• our pocketbook - meat is darn expensive... especially the healthier cuts

That seems like a triple WIN to me... I realize that we are just two people but... that is two Small Steps in a different direction. Our capitalist society runs on supply and demand... Usually, the marketing boffins convince us that we need to increase our demand of whatever thing they are supplying/selling... But what if we actually made a different choice and reduced our demand. Theoretically this is a two-way street and we can make a difference... Remember...

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. (Margaret Mead)

And... stay tuned for my updated blood work at the end of the month.


P.S. While our whole-foods (NOT processed), plant-based diet may look vegan, I'm not calling it vegan. There is a lot of stuff that is attached to that word... do we have leather shoes, belts, notebooks, couches? And there are a lot of people out there happy to act as the Vegan Police and point out all sorts of offenses and slip-ups...

P.P.S. What about iron, vitamin B12, Omega-3 and other possible nutritional deficiencies? Stay-tuned for another blog post. I will leave you with this tidbit... Remember that only 3% of Americans have a protein deficiency? Well 97% of Americans have a fiber deficiency... and fiber is only found in plants... and is essential for our little gut biome... but that too is another blog post!