Did you know, that 50% of children are allergic to milk; whilst 75% of people of African descent and 90% of Asian descent are lactose intolerant.
Cow's milk is the number one food allergy in the UK. It has been well documented as a cause of diarrhoea, cramps, bloating, gas, gastrointestinal bleeding, iron-deficiency anemia, skin rashes and acne. It is also the primary cause of recurrent ear infections in children. It has also been linked to insulin dependent diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, infertility, and leukaemia.
Milk and refined sugar make two of the largest contributions to food induced ill health in our country. Milk is bad for our body; we are the only mammal which drinks milk past the mother-dependant age!
Aside from the fact dairy is bad for our health, many of our milk and dairy products are homogenised and pasteurised. Homogenisation, which breaks up the fat globules, is a heating process; and pasteurisation is a process in which the milk is heated then cooled very quickly. They remove the fat in the milk to then produce 'skimmed' or 'semi-skimmed' versions of the product. These products may be low in fat, but are therefore low in vitamins. 99% of milk in the UK is now pasteurised, meaning that the so called 'health benefits' which come with raw milk are no longer there.
With celebrities and sports personalities campaigning on 'Get Milk' adverts, it is no wonder society is confused as to whether milk is truly beneficial to us. Personally, I believe the health issues related to milk outweigh the benefits of this product and would recommend people to cut back or avoid dairy products completely.
A number of my clients have given up dairy (rather reluctantly) and have seen the changes in their body! Not only has it sped up the rate in which they cut down on body fat, but they have reported back to me that they feel full of energy, ailments such as chesty coughs or asthma have eased, their skin looks great and their eczema has cleared. Adding to this, when some tried to reintroduce dairy products on occasions it left them feeling sick and bloated with stomach cramps.
It goes without saying that with anything in life, you don't know until you try it. Cut out dairy for a month, avoid lactose products and when dining out say you have a 'dairy and lactose intolerance'; see how you feel over time, the results may be unbelievable!
