(Debating the Safety) And if one thinks about it, it is disturbing to think we drink the milk that comes from those cows. Prostate and breast cancers have been linked to consumption of pasteurized milk, mainly related to increases in a compound called insulin-like growth factors. Milk consumption can also contribute to significant amounts of fat and cholesterol in our bodies. (Markoff) Statistics have also shown that low milk intake during childhood was associated with a higher chance of low bone density leading to osteoporosis. But statistics have also shown that overly high milk intake during childhood increased the chance of low bone density! (Kalkworf 257-265) Along with bone density, women in the U.S. are the biggest consumers of milk in the world, yet have the highest levels of osteoporosis. (Karpf).
Children grow up drinking cow's milk as part of their everyday life not knowing that it is harmful to them and their future health. Cow's milk can impair a child's ability to absorb iron. Combined with the fact that milk has virtually no iron of its own, the result is an increased risk of iron deficiency. Children can also have reactions to milk proteins that show up as respiratory problems and skin conditions. (Markoff) Cow's milk proteins are a common cause of colic, and now the American Academy of Pediatrics has concluded that there is evidence that cow's milk may well contribute to childhood-onset diabetes. As well as diabetes, obesity has become a problem in the United States. Consumption of pasteurized cow's milk has contributed to this due to the high level of saturated fat in it. (Kalkworf) Osteoporosis can be caused by not enough calcium, but also by too much calcium. That is because once bones become saturated with too much calcium the ability to absorb more is inhibited. As many children grow they start showing signs of osteoporosis and it is from unstable calcium levels.
