Got Milk? If not, should I get some?

[His Divine Shadow]

I've been seeing this alot lately, especially from vegans and vegetarians. That milk products are of the devil, that they are unhealthy and should be avoided, like all animal produce.

Is there any truth to this? It does seem to influence alot of people into thinking milk products are bad for you. Now for me who lives in scandinavia, a place where we probably consume more milk products than anywhere else in the world, this is very hard to swallow.

Googling the internet has given me some token answers, plenty of sites like milksucks and various veganism and soy advocacy sites out there seem to say it's devilspawn.

Clearly to get to the bottom of this, and get some real medical information I need to ask SDN. Milk, good or bad?

[Cairber]

I have never found any credible research showing that milk causes early onset puberty or osteoporosis, the two big ones that women often talk about on this subject. I got into a debate on the subject once and all the sites the "anti milk" people were putting up were about as credible as the sites linking vaccines to autism (no surprise the people on the anti milk side were also anti vaccine).

Too much milk can cause problems, but that seems logical to me. For example, it is said that too much dairy can cause prostate problems

[Boyish-Tigerlilly]

It also depends on what type of milk you buy and if you have any disabilities that make milk a poor option for you. For instance, don't buy mike if you are lactose intolerant.

I also wouldn't buy milk with a high fat content, but they have a selection of milks that do not.

[General Zod]

Soy milk tends to have less calcium and protein content than regular milk, so for some things it's just not that good of a substitute.

[Darth Servo]

Were they really saying milk was from the devil? If so, thats your first really big hint that you're dealing with a complete loon.

I did hear a statistic from one of these people years ago that ~70% of the world population is lactose intollerant but have never been able to find it in the literature. Of course they ignore the fact that like all enzymes of the digestive system, lactase is "use it or lose it". You don't ingest any lactose for a sufficient period of time, your body realizes it doesn't need to make the enzyme and so stops doing so, shunting energy and resources to other needs.

Of course the person's other arguments were a bunch of fallacies like, "its a secretion from another species" in a disgusted tone of voice. The idiot didn't seem to realize that everything we eat is from another species and not liking the word "secretion" didn't mean anything; afterall, she loved mushrooms, a "fungus" eeeewwwwwww.

[His Divine Shadow]

Well no "they" weren't, it was just hyperbole. And well most people in the world are lactose intolerant (almost 70% of asians I think), northern europeans are the opposite though, only 15% are lactose intolerant here.

Still I don't know what that alone proves except that if you are lactose intolerant then don't eat it.

[Darth Servo]

Still I don't know what that alone proves except that if you are lactose intolerant then don't eat it.

Well, if the LI is due to not having the functioning enzyme, alll you can do if you want milk is take the replacement pills. If its due to not drinking milk, you can build your ability back up again slowly.

[Coyote]

Bear in mind that some of these "anti-milk" zealots believe it is somehow "immoral" to give their own infants their mother's boob milk. So before you go too far down the path of listening to what they have to say, bear in mind that rational discourse is pretty much a no-go from the get-go.

[Erik von Nein]

And well most people in the world are lactose intolerant (almost 70% of asians I think)

That's Africa, actually.

[Justforfun000]

Actually here is a very long, but well balanced look at milk in context relating to osteoporosis and calcium with other supporting nutrients.

It's from the Harvard School of Public Health, so it seems to be quite reputable:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionso ... lcium.html

Calcium & Milk
What's Best For Your Bones?

Those advertisements pushing milk as the answer to strong bones are almost inescapable. But does "got milk" really translate into "got strong bones?"

The pro-milk faction believes that increased calcium intake - particularly in the form of the currently recommended three glasses of milk per day - will help prevent osteoporosis, the weakening of bones. Each year, osteoporosis leads to more than 1.5 million fractures, including 300,000 broken hips.

On the other side are those who believe that consuming a lot of milk and other dairy products will have little effect on the rate of fractures but may contribute to problems such as heart disease or prostate cancer.

Which view is right? The final answers aren't in. But here is a summary of what's currently known about calcium and its effects on the body.

What is calcium?

Calcium is a mineral that the body needs for numerous functions, including building and maintaining bones and teeth, blood clotting, the transmission of nerve impulses, and the regulation of the heart's rhythm. Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in the human body is stored in the bones and teeth. The remaining 1 percent is found in the blood and other tissues.

Where do we get calcium?

The body gets the calcium it needs in two ways. One is by eating foods that contain calcium. good sources include dairy products, which have the highest concentration per serving of highly absorbable calcium, and dark leafy greens or dried beans, which have varying amounts of absorbable calcium.

The other way the body gets calcium is by pulling it from bones. This happens when blood levels of calcium drop too low, usually when it's been a while since having eaten a meal containing calcium. Ideally, the calcium that is "borrowed" from the bones will be replaced at a later point. But, this doesn't always happen. Most important, this payback can't be accomplished simply by eating more calcium.

Growing healthy bones

Bone is living tissue that is always in flux. Throughout the lifespan, bones are constantly being broken down and built up in a process known as remodeling. Bone cells called osteoblasts build bone, while other bone cells called osteoclasts break down bone.

In healthy individuals who get enough calcium and physical activity, bone production exceeds bone destruction up to about age 30. After that, destruction typically exceeds production.


What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis, or "porous bones," is the weakening of bones caused by an imbalance between bone building and bone destruction. People typically lose bone as they age, despite consuming the recommended intake of calcium necessary to maintain optimal bone health. An estimated 10 million Americans - 8 million women and 2 million men - have osteoporosis. Another 34 million have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.(1)

Achieving adequate calcium intake and maximizing bone stores during the time when bone is rapidly deposited (up to age 30) provides an important foundation for the future. But it will not prevent bone loss later in life. The loss of bone with aging is due to several reasons, including genetic factors, physical inactivity, and lower levels of circulating hormones (estrogen in women and testosterone in men).

Postmenopausal women account for 80 percent of all cases of osteoporosis because estrogen production declines rapidly at menopause. Of course, men are also at risk of developing osteoporosis, but they tend to do so 5-10 years later than women, since testosterone levels do not fall abruptly the way estrogen does in women. It is estimated that osteoporosis will cause half of all women over age 50 to suffer a fracture of the hip, wrist, or vertebra.


How can osteoporosis be slowed down?

Preventing osteoporosis depends on two things: making the strongest, densest bones possible during the first 30 years of life and limiting the amount of bone loss in adulthood.

There are a number of lifestyle factors that can help with the latter:

Getting regular exercise, especially weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercise.
Getting adequate vitamin D, whether through diet, exposure to sunshine, or supplements.
Consuming enough calcium to reduce the amount the body has to borrow from bone.
Consuming adequate vitamin K, found in green-leafy vegetables.
Not getting too much preformed vitamin A.
Preventing bone loss in adulthood

Several complementary strategies can help prevent or minimize bone loss during adulthood and old age. These include:

Getting regular exercise

Physical activity that puts some strain or stress on bones causes the bones to retain and possibly even gain density throughout life. Cells within the bone sense this stress and respond by making the bone stronger and denser. Such "weight-bearing" exercises include walking, dancing, jogging, weightlifting, stair-climbing, racquet sports, and hiking.

Swimming is a useful form of exercise for the heart and cardiovascular system. But because water supports the bones, rather than putting stress on them, it's not considered a good "weight-bearing" exercise for bone strength. In addition, physical activity doesn't strengthen all bones, just those that are stressed, so you need a variety of exercises or activities to keep all your bones healthy.

Another function of physical activity, probably at least as important as its direct effect on bone mass, is its role in increasing muscle strength and coordination. With greater muscle strength, one can often avoid falls and situations that cause fractures. Making physical activity a habit can help maintain balance and avoid falls.

Getting enough calcium

Despite the debates surrounding milk and calcium, one thing is clear: adequate calcium - both for bone development and for non-bone functions - is key to reducing the risk of osteoporosis. However, the healthiest or safest amount of dietary calcium hasn't yet been established. Different scientific approaches have yielded different estimates, so it's important to consider all the evidence.

Balance studies - which examine the point at which the amount of calcium consumed equals the amount of calcium excreted - suggest that an adequate intake is 550 mg/day. To ensure that 95 percent of the population gets this much calcium, the National Academy of Sciences established the following recommended intake levels:

1,000 mg/day for those age 19-50
1,200 mg/day for those age 50 or over
1,000 mg/day for pregnant or lactating adult women
But most balance studies are short-term and therefore have important limitations. To detect how the body adapts to different calcium intakes over a long period of time - and to get the big picture of overall bone strength - requires studies of longer duration.

The results from such long-term studies may be surprising to some. While they do not question the importance of calcium in maximizing bone strength, they cast doubt on the value of consuming the large amounts currently recommended for adults.

In particular, these studies suggest that high calcium intake doesn't actually appear to lower a person's risk for osteoporosis. For example, in the large Harvard studies of male health professionals and female nurses, individuals who drank one glass of milk (or less) per week were at no greater risk of breaking a hip or forearm than were those who drank two or more glasses per week.(2, 3) Other studies have found similar results.

Additional evidence also supports the idea that American adults may not need as much calcium as is currently recommended. For example, in countries such as India, Japan, and Peru where average daily calcium intake is as low as 300 mg/day (less than a third of the US recommendation for adults, ages 19-50), the incidence of bone fractures is quite low. Of course, these countries differ in other important bone-health factors as well - such as level of physical activity and amount of sunlight - which could account for their low fracture rates.

Ideally, these issues might be resolved by randomizing a large group of adults to get different amounts of calcium and following them to see how many would eventually break a bone. In fact, a few such studies have been conducted, but they have not provided clear results because they were small or of short duration, or they provided calcium in combination with vitamins, which could obscure the true effects of calcium.

To illustrate the different conclusions drawn from examining the same body of data, a British committee that is comparable to the U.S. group that established calcium requirements here concluded that 700 mg/day was enough for individuals aged 19 and older.

Getting enough vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a critical role in maintaining bone health. When blood levels of calcium begin to drop, the body responds in several ways. It promotes the conversion of vitamin D into its active form, which then travels to the intestines (to encourage greater calcium absorption into the blood) and to the kidneys (to minimize calcium loss in the urine).

For bone health, an adequate intake of vitamin D is no less important than calcium. Vitamin D is found in milk and vitamin supplements, and it can be made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight in the summertime. But not all sunlight is created equal. Above 40 degrees latitude (north of San Francisco, Denver, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia), the winter sunlight isn't strong enough to promote vitamin D formation. Sunscreens also prevent the formation of vitamin D, although they are still recommended to reduce risk of sun-induced skin cancer and skin damage.

An examination of clinical trials of vitamin D for the prevention of osteoporosis found that the vitamin decreases vertebral fractures and may decrease nonvertebral fractures.(4) A similar analysis of the effect of vitamin D on falls indicated that supplementation with vitamin D reduces the risk of falls among ambulatory or institutionalized older individuals with stable health by more than 20%.(5) (For more information on Vitamin D and chronic disease prevention, see Ask the Expert - Vitamin D.)

Getting enough vitamin K

Vitamin K, which is found mainly in green, leafy vegetables, likely plays one or more important roles in calcium regulation and bone formation.(6) Low intake of the vitamin has been associated with low bone mineral density in women, but not men.(7) Getting one or more servings per day of broccoli, Brussels spouts, dark green lettuce, collard greens, or kale should be enough to meet the daily recommended target of 120 micrograms/day for men and 90 micrograms/day for women.

Some other factors may also help lower the risk of osteoporosis:

Take care with caffeine. Although the votes aren't all in, there is some evidence that drinking a lot of coffee - about four or more cups per day - can increase the risk of fracture. Caffeine tends to promote calcium excretion in urine.
Avoid too much protein. Getting too much protein can leach calcium from your bones. As your body digests protein, it releases acids into the bloodstream, which the body neutralizes by drawing calcium from the bones. Animal protein seems to cause more of this calcium leaching than vegetable protein does.(3) Just how important protein is as a risk factor for osteoporosis is still up in the air.
Get enough vitamin A, but not too much. Long-associated with good vision, vitamin A has also been found to direct the process of borrowing and redepositing calcium in bone. However, too much preformed vitamin A can promote fractures. Avoid vitamin supplements that have a full RDA (5,000 IU) of vitamin A as preformed vitamin A, unless prescribed by your doctor. Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene does not increase one's fracture risk.
Postmenopausal women may also want to talk to a health care provider about taking a medication that can strengthen bones. The estrogen in postmenopausal hormones can compensate for the drop in estrogen levels after menopause, helping to prevent - and perhaps even partially reverse - bone loss. However, hormone replacement therapy has fallen from grace as the mainstay for preventing osteoporosis after results from several studies showed that it increased the risk of heart disease, stroke, and blood clots.(8) Other medications such as alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), calcitonin (Miacalcin), raloxifene (Evista), and parathyroid hormone (Fortéo) have been approved for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis.


Should you get calcium from milk?

When most people in the United States think of calcium, they immediately think of milk. But should this be so? Milk is actually only one of many sources of calcium, and there are some important reasons why milk may not be the best source for everyone. These include:


Lactose intolerance
Many people have some degree of lactose intolerance. For them, eating or drinking dairy products causes problems like cramping, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. These symptoms can range from mild to severe. Certain groups are much more likely to have lactose intolerance. For example, 90 percent of Asians, 70 percent of blacks and Native Americans, and 50 percent of Hispanics are lactose-intolerant, compared to only about 15 percent of people of Northern European descent.
One alternative for those who are lactose intolerant but who still enjoy consuming dairy products is to take a pill containing enzymes that digest milk sugar along with the dairy product, or to consume milk that has the lactase enzyme added to it.


High saturated fat content
Many dairy products are high in saturated fats, and a high saturated fat intake is a risk factor for heart disease. And while it's true that most dairy products are now available in fat-reduced or nonfat options, the saturated fat that's removed from dairy products is inevitably consumed by someone, often in the form of premium ice cream, butter, or baked goods.
Strangely, it's often the same people who purchase these higher-fat products who also purchase the low-fat dairy products, so it's not clear that they're making great strides in cutting back on their saturated fat consumption. For more information on dietary fats, click here.


Possible increased risk of ovarian cancer
High levels of galactose, a sugar released by the digestion of lactose in milk, have been studied as possibly damaging to the ovaries and leading to ovarian cancer. Although such associations have not been reported in all studies, there may be potential harm in consuming high amounts of dairy products.(9, 10)


Possible increased risk of prostate cancer
A diet high in calcium has been implicated as a potential risk factor for prostate cancer. In a Harvard study of male health professionals, men who drank two or more glasses of milk a day were almost twice as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer as those who didn't drink milk at all.(11) Moreover, the association appears to be with calcium itself, rather than with dairy products in general.
Clearly, although more research is needed, we cannot be confident that high milk intake is safe.


The bottom line-recommendations for calcium intake and bone health

Adequate, lifelong dietary calcium intake is necessary to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Consuming adequate calcium and vitamin D and performing regular, weight-bearing exercise are also important to build maximum bone density and strength. After age 30, these factors help slow bone loss, although they cannot completely prevent bone loss due to aging.

Milk and dairy products are a convenient source of calcium for many people. They are also a good source of protein and are fortified with vitamins D and A. At this time, however, the optimal intake of calcium as well as the optimal sources of calcium, are not clear. As noted earlier, the National Academy of Sciences currently recommends that people ages 19-50 consume 1,000 mg of calcium per day, and that those age 50 or over get 1,200 mg per day. Reaching 1200 mg per day would usually require drinking two to three glasses of milk per day over and above an overall healthy diet.

However, these recommendations are based on very short-term studies, and are likely to be higher than what people really need. Currently, there's no good evidence that consuming more than one serving of milk per day in addition to a reasonable diet (which typically provides about 300 milligrams of calcium per day from nondairy sources) will reduce fracture risk. Because of unresolved concerns about the risk of ovarian and prostate cancer, it may be prudent to avoid higher intakes of dairy products.

At moderate levels, though, consumption of calcium and dairy products has benefits beyond bone health, including possibly lowering the risk of high blood pressure and colon cancer.(12-14) While the blood pressure benefits appear fairly small, the protection against colon cancer seems somewhat larger, and most of the latter benefit comes from having just one glass of milk per day. Getting more than this doesn't seem to lower risk any further.

For individuals who are unable to digest - or who dislike - dairy products and for those who simply prefer not to consume large amounts of such foods, other options are available. Calcium can also be found in dark green leafy vegetables, such as kale and collard greens, and in dried beans and legumes.

Calcium is also found in spinach and chard, but these vegetables contain oxalic acid, which combines with the calcium to form calcium oxalate, a chemical salt that makes the calcium less available to the body. A variety of calcium-fortified foods, such as orange juice, are now on the market.

Calcium (and vitamin D) can also be ingested as a supplement. Antacids contain calcium as well. However, men may want to avoid calcium supplements for men because of questions about possible risks of prostate cancer.

An extensive list of the calcium content of foods is available online from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These foods are good sources of calcium:

Food Amount Calcium
Yogurt, plain, low fat 8 oz 415
Collards, frozen, boiled 1 cup 357
Skim milk 1 cup 306
Spinach, frozen, boiled 1 cup 291
Yogurt, plain, whole milk 8 oz 275
Cheese food, pasteurized American 1 oz 162
Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat 1 cup 138
Baked beans, canned 1 cup 154
Iceberg lettuce 1 head 97
Canned salmon 3 oz 181
Oranges 1 cup 72
Trail mix (nuts, seeds, chocolate chips) 1 cup 159
Almonds 1 oz (24 nuts) 70
Blackeye peas, boiled 1 cup 211
Green peas, boiled 1 cup 94





References

1. Osteoporosis facts. National Osteoporosis Foundation.
2. Owusu W, Willett WC, Feskanich D, Ascherio A, Spiegelman D, Colditz GA. Calcium intake and the incidence of forearm and hip fractures among men. J Nutr 1997; 127:1782-7.
3. Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. Am J Public Health 1997; 87:992-7.
4. Papadimitropoulos E, Wells G, Shea B, et al. Meta-analyses of therapies for postmenopausal osteoporosis. VIII: Meta-analysis of the efficacy of vitamin D treatment in preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Endocr Rev 2002; 23:560-9.
5. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Dawson-Hughes B, Willett WC, et al. Effect of Vitamin D on falls: a meta-analysis. JAMA 2004; 291:1999-2006.
6. Weber P. Vitamin K and bone health. Nutrition 2001; 17:880-7.
7. Booth SL, Broe KE, Gagnon DR, et al. Vitamin K intake and bone mineral density in women and men. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 77:512-6.
8. Manson JE, Hsia J, Johnson KC, et al. Estrogen plus progestin and the risk of coronary heart disease. N Engl J Med 2003; 349:523-34.
9. Cramer DW. Lactase persistence and milk consumption as determinants of ovarian cancer risk. Am J Epidemiol 1989; 130:904-10.
10. Cramer DW, Harlow BL, Willett WC, et al. Galactose consumption and metabolism in relation to the risk of ovarian cancer. Lancet 1989; 2:66-71.
11. Giovannucci E, Rimm EB, Wolk A, et al. Calcium and fructose intake in relation to risk of prostate cancer. Cancer Res 1998; 58:442-447.
12. Martinez ME, Willett WC. Calcium, vitamin D, and colorectal cancer: a review of the epidemiologic evidence. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1998; 7:163-8.
13. Hyman J, Baron JA, Dain BJ, et al. Dietary and supplemental calcium and the recurrence of colorectal adenomas. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1998; 7:291-5.
14. Cappuccio FP, Elliott P, Allender PS, Pryer J, Follman DA, Cutler JA. Epidemiologic association between dietary calcium intake and blood pressure: a meta-analysis of published data. Am J Epidemiol 1995; 142:935-45.





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The aim of the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source is to provide timely information on diet and nutrition for clinicians, allied health professionals, and the public. The contents of this Web site are not intended to offer personal medical advice, which should be obtained from a health-care provider. The information does not mention brand names, nor does it endorse any particular products.
©2007 President and Fellows of Harvard College.

HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

[LadyTevar]

It seems to boil down to the vegan idea that taking *anything* from an animal is Wrong, Horrible, and Immoral.

Of course, we've been breeding and milking cows and stealing hen's eggs for *HOW* many thousand years now? You'd think if it was bad for us, we'd have died off by now.

I'll also note that Vegans seem to be a modern-day phenomenon ... even the Buddist monks are not total vegan, iirc..

[Justforfun000]

Of course, we've been breeding and milking cows and stealing hen's eggs for *HOW* many thousand years now? Rolling Eyes You'd think if it was bad for us, we'd have died off by now.

Exactly. It's just another take on this "naturalistic fallacy" that has people believing that if it's not 'natural' from us to suckle from a cow then the milk can't be good for us as it isn't designed that way. Stupid way of thinking, but unfortunately it's a common thread of thought.

[Justforfun000]

Oh and on a personal note LT, I just read about your husband on your website. God that sounds like a horrible procedure he had to go through. I hope he'll be ok. I know we've sparred a bit in the past, but please give him my best. I'll send good thoughts his way for a speedy recovery.

[Spyder]

I go with a high calcium, low fat milk.

Soymilk looks scary.

It's worldnetdaily, I don't normally pull information from here but it most of it seems to be properly cited.

Edit:

...and the fact that the guy writing this is a blatant homophobe. ...Gah, I hate it when these guys have to put a conservatard bent on what would otherwise be a valid point.

For many people, the most shocking new revelations about soy are not the increased risks of breast and other cancers [1-2], the link to childhood leukemia [3-6], the failure to prevent heart disease [7-8], infertility [9-10], or thyroid damage, with its symptoms of weight gain, fatigue and depression [11-13]. What really startles many of us is soy's impact on male sex organs, estrogen overload, testosterone suppression, and premature female puberty [14].

For many people, the most shocking new revelations about soy are not the increased risks of breast and other cancers [1-2], the link to childhood leukemia [3-6], the failure to prevent heart disease [7-8], infertility [9-10], or thyroid damage, with its symptoms of weight gain, fatigue and depression [11-13]. What really startles many of us is soy's impact on male sex organs, estrogen overload, testosterone suppression, and premature female puberty [14].

The root sex problem is that soy is loaded with isoflavones, plant estrogens that operate like human female estrogen, which occurs naturally in our bodies, male and female. These "phytoestrogens" cause serious developmental problems. They're only 1/1,000th to 1/1,200th the potency of human estrogen, ounce for ounce, but it's common for babies to consume them in such large quantities that they overwhelm their bodies' delicate testosterone-estrogen balance, leaving their victim – male or female – with a wild variety of lifelong symptoms, sometimes even disfigurement [15-19].

Toxicologists estimate that an infant fed exclusively on soy formula is getting the equivalent of three to five birth control pills — per day [20]. One study found that soy-fed babies had 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen in their blood than milk-fed babies [21].

Soy is making kids 'gay'

You probably want to gloss over the parts with the conservative scaremongering, they didn't have any references for that article.

The trouble with soy – part 2
The trouble with soy – part 3
The trouble with soy – part 4
The trouble with soy – part 5

For many people, the most shocking new revelations about soy are not the increased risks of breast and other cancers [1-2], the link to childhood leukemia [3-6], the failure to prevent heart disease [7-8], infertility [9-10], or thyroid damage, with its symptoms of weight gain, fatigue and depression [11-13]. What really startles many of us is soy's impact on male sex organs, estrogen overload, testosterone suppression, and premature female puberty [14].

The root sex problem is that soy is loaded with isoflavones, plant estrogens that operate like human female estrogen, which occurs naturally in our bodies, male and female. These "phytoestrogens" cause serious developmental problems. They're only 1/1,000th to 1/1,200th the potency of human estrogen, ounce for ounce, but it's common for babies to consume them in such large quantities that they overwhelm their bodies' delicate testosterone-estrogen balance, leaving their victim – male or female – with a wild variety of lifelong symptoms, sometimes even disfigurement [15-19].

Toxicologists estimate that an infant fed exclusively on soy formula is getting the equivalent of three to five birth control pills — per day [20]. One study found that soy-fed babies had 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen in their blood than milk-fed babies [21].

(Column continues below)

These are not just curious, isolated data. One percent of U.S. girls are now growing breasts or pubic hair before age three. By age eight, either of these two abnormalities is appearing among 14.7 percent of white girls and a staggering 48.3 percent of black girls [22]. Why so many black girls? Probably because they are more likely to be given soy infant formula. They are being robbed of their girlhood. Soy formula-fed girls are also more likely to have lifelong menstrual problems (primarily longer and more painful periods), hormonal changes associated with infertility, and other health problems. If this isn't a national medical emergency, I don't know what is.

The situation is just as bad for boys. Boy babies fed soy formula may go into puberty late — or not at all. Some of these boys are so feminized that their breasts grow but their penises don't. Some mature into adults with penises not much bigger than the ones they were born with! Others might look normal and go through puberty on time, but can't father children because their sperm are too few in number (or poor swimmers and/or unable to fertilize eggs) [23]. Sperm counts dropped 50 percent between 1939 and 1990 and are continuing to go down at the rate of 2 percent per year [24]. (Another national emergency.) Men make sperm throughout their lives, of course, but production ability can be seriously hurt by soy during the first trimester of pregnancy, during infancy, and early childhood [24-25].

It's not just the sex organs that are affected during the key developmental phases of pregnancy and infancy. The brain, too, can be irrevocably changed by excess estrogens, which suppress testosterone. That may contribute to altered sexual behavior and sexual preference. Estrogenized males of many species are more likely to suffer from ADD/ADHD and even to perform more like females on tests [26-28].

Soy won't hurt a grown man the same way. It's apt to flatten his libido, but won't affect the size or shape of his sex organs. (Against my better judgment, I took a national TV interview last week. They handed a bowl of soy stuff to a guy in the studio audience. After he had munched for thirty seconds, the host asked him, "Well, you startin' to feel kinda swishy yet?" Good comedy, but highly misleading.)

However, soy can cause gynecomastia (female-looking breasts) within months. A recent study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill showed that men eating whopping amounts of soy experienced breast enlargement and even some nipple discharge [29]. They ate a lot more soy than most of us would, but it serves as fair warning.

Moms eating soy during pregnancy are putting their babies at risk because isoflavones swim right through the placenta [30-31]. This can mess up hormonal balance, especially during the first three months, when male fetuses are in a crucial developmental stage and absolutely must have adequate testosterone. Those that get plant estrogens instead of mom's testosterone are at risk for birth defects like cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and/or hypospadias, in which the opening of the penis is underneath instead of at the tip [32]. Although undescended testicles can be corrected fairly easily through surgery, hypospadias is far more serious. In worst case scenarios, it can require as many as 10 separate operations. Even then, the boy may not grow up to be an adult male with full sexual function. His penis typically never gets longer than one and a half inches [33].

Hypospadias is on the rise in the U.S. and Europe, and now occurs in one out of 125 births [34]. This coincides with the greater numbers of industrial chemicals in the environment, but also with the growing popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets. A British study in 2000 showed that vegetarian mothers are five times more likely to give birth to a boy with hypospadias than mothers who eat a varied diet [35]. Sadly, vegan moms-to-be think they are eating healthfully when they swig soy milk, nosh on soy nuts, and eat veggie burgers. The tragic result can be undescended testicles, hypospadias or even homosexuality. No study says that soy dooms a child to homosexuality, but it's not hard to believe that at some point during pregnancy babies are hardwired for sexual preference. (See the Psychological Medicine article in endnote 27 below.)

Pediatricians are seeing so many over-estrogenized boys today with breasts, delayed puberty and /or behavioral problems that they've come up with the terms "Developmental Estrogenization Syndrome" and "Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome" [36].

Right now, no evidence indicates that soy during childhood or adulthood is likely to change sexual preference. The danger zone is the first three months of both pregnancy and infancy, when male physiology and brain circuitry are still developing. In other words, a girl-chasing, football-playing college boy won't go gay even if he becomes a vegetarian or snacks all day on soy energy bars. (He might develop thyroid or other health problems or lose most of his libido, though.)

My larger concern is that the increasing number of less robust 15-year-olds who are already "struggling with their sexual identity" will be shoved over that thin line into homosexuality. No, they won’t wake up some morning with floppy wrists and a nasal lisp, but they may begin to gravitate toward social circles where they feel more comfortable — and less expected to be rowdy or brag about a string of sexual conquests. And once a teen is ensconced in a homosexual milieu, breaking free from it could mean abandoning his best friends.

Does the idea that soy can cause so much trouble sound like Rutz sensationalism? Don't just take my word for it. Here's what government health experts in Israel and France have decided: The Israeli Health Ministry has looked long and hard at the evidence and concluded that its citizens won't "be fruitful and multiply" if they eat too much soy. It has warned that babies should not receive any soy formula, that children to age 18 should not eat soy more than once a day (to a maximum of 3 times a week), and that adults should beware because of breast cancer and adverse effects on fertility [37].

The French, meanwhile, intend to maintain their reputation as ardent lovers. Food manufacturers in France will soon have to remove those dangerous plant estrogens from soy formula and to put warning labels on soyfoods and soy milk. French Food Agency experts see the biggest risks as being to children under three and women who have been diagnosed with or have breast cancer in their families [38]. The British Dietetic Association also warns parents to avoid soy formula [39].

Lots of Americans accept everything our FDA and NIH say as gospel. Those poor souls are now in danger because their trusted government watchdogs have yet to bark any warnings about soy. However, Daniel Sheehan, PhD, one of the FDA's top toxicologists, has warned that that infants fed soy-based formulas have been placed at risk in a "large, uncontrolled and basically unmonitored human infant experiment."

Do you really want to put your child into that experiment?

1. Fallon, S, Daniel KT, Sanda W. Responses to Docket 2004Q-0151 Solae Company Health Claim on Cancer. Documents submitted to the FDA, June 14, 2004, January 20, 2005 and April 11, 2005. Posted at www.westonaprice.org under "Soy Alert."

2. Daniel, Kaayla T. The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food (New Trends, 2004).379-394. Overview of how soy can cause, contribute to or accelerate the growth of cancers, including 131 references. Includes about 200 real-life horror stories that will make you run screaming into the kitchen and toss out anything with soy on the label!

3. Strick R, Strissel PL et al. Dietary bioflavonids induce cleavage in the MLL gene and may contribute to infant leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2000, 25,97, 9, 4790-95.

4. Editorial. Infantile leukemia and soybeans – a hypothesis. Leukemia, 1999, 13, 317-20.

5. Ross JA, Potter JD et al. Maternal exposure to potential inhibitors of DNA topoisomerase II and infant leukemia (United States) a report from the Children's Cancer Group, Cancer Causes Control, 1996,7, 581-590.

6. Hengstler JG, Helmerdingert CK et al. Dietary topoisomerase II- poisons: contribution of soy products to leukemia? EXCL J, 2002, 1, 8-14.

7. Sacks FM, Lichtenstien A et al. Soy protein, isoflavones and cardiovascular health: an American Heart Association Science Advisory for professionals from the nutrition committee. Circulation, 2006, Feb 21, 113, 7, 1034-44. Epub Jan 17, 2006.

8. Stauffer BL, Konhilas JP et al. Soy diet worsens heart disease in mice. J Clin Invest, 2006, Jan, 116, 1, 209-16.

9. Daniel op cit. 357-78. Overview of soy and infertility with 103 references.

10. Jefferson WN, Padilla-Banks E, Newbold RR. Adverse effects on female development and reproduction in CD-1 mice following neonatal exposure to the phytoestrogen genistein at environmentally relevant doses. Biol Reprod, 2005, Oct; 73, 4, 798-806. Epub June 1, 2005. A recent, well-designed National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study.

11. Daniel, Kaayla T. op cit, 311-330. Comprehensive overview of the scientific literature on soy and thyroid disease with 80 references.

12. Ishizuki Y, Hirooka et al. The effects on the thyroid gland of soybeans administered experimentally in healthy subjects. Nippon Naibundi Gakkai Zasshi, 1991, 67, 622-629. Translation by Japan Communication Service, Wellington, NZ.

13. Divi RL, Chang HC, Doerge DR. Antithyroid isoflavones from soybean. Biochem Pharmacol, 1997, 54, 1087-1096.

14. Daniel, Kaayla T. op cit, 331--378. Overview of the scientific literature on the effects of soy formula and soy foods on male and female reproductive system development with 201 references.

15. Ibid. 295-309 and 331-378.

16. Franke, AA, Custer LG et al. Quantification of phytoestrogens in legumes by HPLC. J Agric Food Chem, 1994, 42, 1905-13.

17. Markiewicz J, Garey J et al. In vitro bioassays of non-steroidal phytoestrogens. J Steroids Biochem Mol Biol, 1993, 45, 5, 399-405.

18. Irvine CHG, Fitzpatrick MG, Alexander SL. Phytoestrogens in soy-based infant foods: concentrations, daily intake and possible biological effects. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med, 1998, 217, 247-253.

19. Setchell KDR, Zimmer-Nechemias L et al. Exposure of infants to phyto-oestrogens from soy-based infant formula. Lancet, 1997, 350, 9070.

20. Office of the Swiss Federal Health Service Bulletin #28, July 20, 1992.

21. Setchell KDR, Zimmer-Nechemias L et al. Isoflavone content of infant formulas and the metabolic fate of these phytoestrogens in early life. Am J Clin Nutr, 1998, 69 (suppl) 1453S-61S.

22. Giddens, Herman et al. Secondary sexual characteristics and menses in young girls seen in office practice. Study from the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network, 1997, 99, 4, 505-512.

23. Daniel, Kaayla. op cit. 332-339, 365-374.

24. Sharpe R, Shakkeback N. Are oestrogens involved in falling sperm counts and disorders of the male reproductive tract? Lancet, 1993, 341, 1292-1345.

25. Auger J, Kunstmann J et al. Decline in semen quality among fertile men in Paris during the past 20 years. NEJM, 1995, 332, 5, 281-85.

26. Hines M. Hormonal and neural correlates of sex-typed behavioral development in human beings. In Marc Haug, ed. The Development of Sex Differences and Similarities in Behavior (Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic, 1993). 131-147.

27. Harrison PJ, Everall IP et al. Is homosexuality hardwired? Sexual orientation and brain structure. Psych Med, 1994, 24, 811-16.

28. Lund TD, West TW et al. Visual spatial memory is enhanced in female rats BMC Neurosci, 2001, 1, 1-13.

29. Squires, Sally. Nutrition not for women only. Boys and men can benefit from soy too. Washington Post, June 8, 2004. Hard to believe, but the Washington Post diet columnist gave this a positive spin despite the report of breast enlargement, nipple discharge, and lowered testosterone!

30. Foster WG, Chan S et al. Detection of phytoestrogens in samples of second trimester amniotic fluid. Toxicol Letter, 2004, 129, 3, 199-205.

31. Doerge DR, Churchwell MI et al. Placental transfer of the soy isoflavone genistein following dietary and gavage administration to Sprague Dawley rats. Reprod Toxicol 2001, 15, 2, 105-10.

32. Daniel, Kaayla. op cit, 370-374. Overview of male fetal development, hormonal needs, endocrine disruption caused by soy backed by numerous scientific references, including textbooks.

33. Baskin, Laurence, ed. Hypospadias and Genital Development, Advances in Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol 545. (N.Y. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2004. The definitive textbook.

34. Ibid.

35. North K, Golding J. A maternal diet in pregnancy is associated with hypospadias. BJU Int, 2000, 35, 107-13.

36. Baskin, op cit.

37. Siegel-Itzkovich J. Health committee warns of potential dangers of soya. BMJ, 2005, July 30, 331, 7511, 254.

38. Press Release, AFSSA (Agence Francaise de Securite Sanitaire des Aliments (French Food Safety Agency), March 9, 2005,Translation available online at www.soyonlineservice.co.nz.

39. British Dietetic Association. Paediatric group position statement on the use of soya protein for infants. J Fam Health Care, 2003, 13, 4, 93.

[Jericho Kross]

Soy milk is better in my opinion
[drinks the last of the So Good milk] "Ah! The good stuff"

[General Zod]

Soy milk is better in my opinion
[drinks the last of the So Good milk] "Ah! The good stuff"

Better at tasting like shit, perhaps.

[Lusankya]

Soy milk is fantastic, just so long as you don't actually expect it to taste like milk. Once you get away from that brain bug, it tastes quite nice.

[General Zod]

Soy milk is fantastic, just so long as you don't actually expect it to taste like milk. Once you get away from that brain bug, it tastes quite nice.

I've tried it and didn't expect it to taste like milk. It's easily some of the most vile stuff I've ever had the displeasure of drinking. Nowadays I make it a point to avoid anything with the label 'soy' on it if it's meant to be drunk.

[Superman]

Were they really saying milk was from the devil? If so, thats your first really big hint that you're dealing with a complete loon.

Any time a bunch of people get together for some type of 'anti-establishment' crusade, but really amounts to nothing, be wary. This anti-milk bunch is a great example.

[Lisa]

I don't like the taste of regular or soy milk and being lactose intolerant (thankfully I can eat cheese, it's low in lactose and has the opposite effect of milk on my stomach), i'm not inclined to drink milk either. I miss icecream and cream in my coffee.

to hell with vegans and veggies, the way I see it as long as food is consumed, not wasted, raised and killed in a humane manner, it's all good. Going by vegan's logic we should be eating dirt because if we're avoiding eating animals because they're living creatures we shouldn't eat plants because they are alive too. In my opinion most vegans are hypocrits.