[Jacob'smomma]

Hi There,

What is the difference between organic milk and regular cow's milk? If you happen to limit your dairy in your diet than what do you eat to compensate for the lack of calcium? Is yogurt better than drinking milk? Reason I ask is my 22 month old is still nursing and doesn't really care for cow's milk. I get asked a lot when he is going to start drinking milk almost as though it is a requirement for his nutrition? I don't care for it much myself butsept ocasionally and in a smoothie. My little niece who is 5 years old drinks 5 large sippy cups a day of milk, is this too much? Just wondered what anyone's thoughts on milk were and why you do or don't consume it in your diet? I am a bit confused!

Thanks!

 

[heldt123]

My son and I are both lactose intolorant. We drink soy milk and can tolorate yogurt, keifer, and some cheese. Some other better sources of calcium are: dolomite, sesame seeds, kelp, cheese, brewer's yeast, sardines, carob, caviar, soybeans, almonds, parsley, brazil nuts, watercress, salmon, chickpeas, egg yolk, beans, pistachios, lentils, kale, (all of the previous are on the list as having more calcium per four ounces than milk) (the following have the same or less than 4 oz of milk) sunflower seeds, buckwheat, maple syrup, cream, chard, walnuts, spinach, endive, pecans, wheat germ, and peas. Note: list from "Foods That Heal" by Maureen Salaman. I have also heard somewhere that broccoli is a good source of calcium.

For the calcim to be effective, it should be in a 2:1 ratio with magnesium. Sources of Magnesium from same book: kelp, blackstrap molasses, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, almonds, soybeans, brazil nuts, bone meal, pistachios, soy lecithin, hazelnuts, pecans, oats, walnuts, brown rice, chard, spinach, barley, coconut, salmon, corn, avocados, bananas, cheese, tuna, potatoes, and cashews.

As far as organic milk, is should be produced without giving hormones to the cows for sure. I think they are also fed an organic, vegetarian diet, but would have to research that one.

Personally, I think cow's milk is for baby cows, not humans. Humans were designed to drink human milk. The idea of drinking cow mucus is gross to me and the calcium in it is very course and hard for the human body to digest. I don't feel that it is a necessary drink for human children and I am actually glad that I have the lactose intolorant "excuse" to not give him milk. As long as your diet has a wide variety of quality foods, I wouldn't worry about not getting enough calcium. A children's supplement from a health food store wouldn't hurt, though, as toddlers dont' always want to eat the right foods. If you do drink milk, I would go with the whole organic variety. It is sad to think about the hormones and antibiotics that are pumped into cows to get them to produce more, and the processing removes so much of the value of the milk.

 

[KJP_starmama]

It's a myth that you need cow's milk to get calcium. It's also a myth that you need to "work really hard to get calcium" if you don't drink cow's milk.

Just look around your kitchen. Green beans, broccoli, flax meal, sesame seeds, all have calcium. Many many things have calcium. 4% here, 6% there ... it all adds up if you eat a balanced diet.

I personally think our society is a little obsessed with "getting enough calcium." We're one of the biggest dairy consuming nations, but we also have high rates of osteoporosis and bone fracture. Something is amiss!

If your child is nursing, he's getting milk.

As for myself, I don't worry about it. I eat oranges, apples, salads, broccoli, soy yogurt, etc. on a daily basis. I eat kale on occasion and lots of beans and legumes. I just feel confident that I get plenty of vitamins the old fashioned way!

 

[mz_libbie22]

"What is the difference between organic milk and regular cow's milk?"

I think the biggest difference is the feed the cows are given. Most of the grains given dairy cows have been sprayed with pesticides numerous times. In humans, those type of toxins accumulate in the fatty tissue and in women, can contamintate breast milk. I would think the same is true for any animal. They test regular milk for the presence of antibiotics and certain bacterias but, nothing else. Also, since cows weren't designed to eat grains the ones that are fed that are innevitably unhealthy. Try to find organic AND grassfed products because not all organic farmers pasture feed their cows.

If you happen to limit your dairy in your diet than what do you eat to compensate for the lack of calcium? Is yogurt better than drinking milk?

Yogurt's good if it's not sweetened. It has just as much calcium, plus you get those beneficial bacteria too. Kefir has more of these than yogurt, and it's drinkable like milk is, so maybe you would like to try that. Cheese is also a good source of calcium and you only need small amounts to meet the RDA (a few 1 in cubes, or slices).

"My little niece who is 5 years old drinks 5 large sippy cups a day of milk, is this too much?"

Yeah, that is an excessive amount.

"Just wondered what anyone's thoughts on milk were and why you do or don't consume it in your diet? I am a bit confused!"

I eat dairy because life without it was very hard.

I think dairy from naturally raised animals that hasn't been processed is healthy, but most of the dairy products in a regular grocery store are not healthy.

 

[cjr]

I like milk, my kids like milk. We don't drink tons, but we do drink it. There are two differences between organic milk and non-organic milk. The cows should be pasture grazed. A good source of organic milk will pasture raise their cows. Which means that they are in the pasture for a min of 16 hours a day and feed mostly on grasses. Suplimented with peas, carrots and only a little corn. This makes the fat in organic milk full of omegas, which is a big difference compared to regular milk where the cows of given a "feed" making their milk rich in bad saturated fats. I can drink a fattier milk and yogurt and not gain any wieght. The second is that organic cows are not injected with hormones, growth stimulant, or antibiotics.

 

[amnesiac]

We are not milk drinkers. I never drank it growing up & neither have my kids. For goofy reasons I happen to have had a bone density test done last year & my bone density is above average for my age so I can't say that the absence of milk in my diet adversely affected my calcium levels. We do eat yogurt & yes it it more beneficial than drinking milk.

Large sippy cups are like 10 oz, right? 50 oz/day is an awful lot even for a milk drinker.

http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/3...-cows-milk.htm