Tag: backtobasics

Healthy Living; Spoiled Milk

By Andi Hale, Digging Deeper Media

Milk does a body good, right? Humans have been drinking animal milk for thousands of years and never had any problems. And yet these days, the natural milk right from the cow (or goat, etc.) is dangerous.

Spoiled Milk – Healthy Living Podcast

The reason milk has been deemed deadly is because of commercialization. In the big cities in the 1800’s, dairy cows would be fed the chaff of the grain used in alcohol production next door. This feed was lacking in any nutrients, so the cows became sickly and their rumen (stomachs) could not kill all the bad bacteria, which then ended up in their milk. The milking conditions were also horrible. Cleanliness was not a priority which caused diseases like e-coli to contaminate the milk. This was when milk got a bad rap as spreading diseases like tuberculosis and e-coli.

In 1856, Pasteur discovered that fermentation was caused by microbes, and that the results of that process – e.g. whether grape juice became wine or vinegar – depended on the microbe present. Later, he saved France’s wine industry from being taken over by the ‘bad’ vinegar microbe, and realized that heating up the wine to a specific temperature for a specific time would kill the microbe and preserve the wine. He patented the procedure and called it ‘pasteurization’. 

Pasteurization was then used by the dairy industry in the late 1800s and around the turn of the century because tuberculosis was rampant and often spread through contaminated milk. Robert Koch discovered that tuberculosis was caused by a bacterium and infectious, and not – as widely believed – inheritable, in 1882.

The first law requiring the pasteurization of milk was passed in Chicago in 1908, and has since been the common practice in the US. The process protects the public from food-borne illnesses including salmonellosis, yersiniosis, E. coli-associated hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), brucellosis, listeriosis, typhoid fever, Campylobacter enteritis, Q fever, and cryptosporidosis. It also extends the shelf life of the milk.

Sounds like a no brainer, right? So what’s wrong with pasturized milk?

Pasteurization is viewed by some as a blessing and by others as a curse. It is possible to find a great amount of detail on the Internet that supports each point of view. Pasteurization not only kills unwanted bacteria and other microbes in milk but also significantly alters the nutritional value and digestibility of the pasteurized milk itself.

Drink pasteurized milk at your own risk!

Not everyone responds to pasteurized milk in the same way. While it is harmful at some level to anyone who consumes it, its negative effects vary widely.

Here are 10 reasons to think twice before consuming pasteurized milk products.

  1. Pasteurization is a process of heating raw milk to kill harmful bacteria, but only milk from a diseased animal or milk that has been handled in an unsanitary manner, will contain harmful bacteria.
  2. During the pasteurization process milk is heated to a temperature that is harmful to the enzymes and other proteins that naturally occur in unheated raw milk. Pasteurized milk therefore contains denatured proteins.
  3. Denatured proteins cannot be completely broken down in the human body. This many times results in lactose intolerance.
  4. Partial breakdown of these denatured proteins results in undigested protein molecules which contribute to cellular inflammation and mucous formation. This increases waste products.
  5. An increase in waste products in the bodily fluids contributes to overall toxicity and can overtax the lymphatic system affecting overall immune efficiency.
  6. Pasteurized milk in the form of ice cream, cheese, yogurt, etc. will have the same negative effect as drinking the milk in liquid form.
  7. The enzymes needed to break down lactose, the sugar found in milk, stops being produced in humans between the ages of two and five years old. To continue to drink pasturized milk past the age of five spells trouble to a person’s overall health.
  8. Pasteurized milk contains an altered form of calcium that is very poorly absorbed by the human body. People who insist that milk should be consumed for its high calcium content are terribly misinformed.
  9. The calcium found in pasteurized milk is of an extremely poor quality. It is the kind of calcium that readily forms kidney stones, gallstones and phleboliths (calcification in arteries and veins).

So what is the alternative?

Raw milk is fresh from the cow, but how do you ensure that it’s not contaminated? We like to say “Shake the hand that feeds you.” You not only help out the small business owner, but you develop a relationship with them and know first hand how they run their operation.

In many ways, raw milk is similar to breastmilk: both are completely natural, fresh, and unprocessed milks. They both contain a wide variety of essential nutrients, fats, proteins, anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes, bioavailable vitamins, and minerals, all in a natural form which is most easily utilized by the body. In addition, raw milk facilitates production of lactase enzyme in the intestinal tract, allowing many people who are lactose intolerant to digest raw milk with no problems.

Raw Milk Compared to Other Milks

Main Findings

  • Large studies have found that raw milk consumption is associated with lower rates of:
    • asthma
    • allergies
    • eczema
    • ear infections
    • fevers
    • respiratory infections
  • Allergy protection ceases when raw milk is heated to 149 °F, which is the same temperature at which the whey proteins are denatured. It is likely that the raw whey proteins are responsible for raw milk’s beneficial effects on allergies, asthma, and inflammation.
  • Childhood consumption of raw milk correlates with higher pulmonary (lung) function and lower incidence of allergic diseases in adults.
  • Raw milk’s beneficial effects on asthma are partially mediated by regulatory T cells.

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Becoming Barbie and Ken

No, I’m not talking about perfectionism, I’m referring to their genetic makeup, their DNA so to speak. Ken and Barbie are made primarily of plastic and it is becoming clear that we are also being riddled with this same foreign substance.

Becoming Barbie and Ken – Healthy Living Podcast

What are microplastics?

Microplastics refer to plastic debris that is less than five millimeters, or about the size of a sesame seed. Most microplastics are sorted into two categories based on how they form: primary microplastics and secondary microplastics.

Primary microplastics are made for commercial use such as “microbeads” in cosmetics, lotions and toothpaste, or microfibers in textiles or netting. Although the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 prohibits manufacturing microbeads in cosmetic products in America, primary microplastics are still accumulating in the environment.

Secondary microplastics are particles that are broken down from larger plastic products like containers and water bottles, usually through environmental means like erosion. Most secondary microplastics will not decompose completely.

The prevalence of microplastics in the environment is well documented, along with their negative impacts on marine life. However, only a handful of studies have examined their potential health impacts on mammals.

According to studies, microplastics have turned up in Antarctic sea ice, in snowfall in the Arctic and in human stool samples collected across the globe.

We found that a lot of micro- and nanoparticles were released from plastic food containers. We also found the potential toxicity of these released plastic particles on human kidney cells.

Microwaving released the highest amount of both micro- and nanoplastics into food than the other use conditions, with some containers releasing as many as 4.22 million microplastic and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from just one square centimetre of plastic area within three minutes of microwave heating.

So how about hot drinks, would they effect the release of plastics and chemicals?

Watch this video, she makes some valid points.

Microplastics accumulate in the brain and cause behavioral changes associated with dementia

A recent study found that microplastics can latch on to the outer membranes of red blood cells and may limit their ability to transport oxygen. The particles have also been found in the placentas of pregnant women, and in pregnant rats they pass rapidly through the lungs into the hearts, brains and other organs of the fetuses.

This inspired Jaime Ross, a professor from the University of Rhode Island (URI), to conduct a study on the effects of microplastic exposure.

For the study, the researchers exposed young and old mice to different levels of microplastics via their drinking water for three weeks. The results showed that microplastic exposure induces behavioral changes and alterations in immune markers in liver and brain tissues.

After being exposed to microplastics, the research team noticed that the mice began to move and behave peculiarly, exhibiting behaviors similar to those caused by dementia in humans. The results were more profound among older mice.

Microplastics alter the shape of human lung cells, warn scientists

FSU researchers analyzed the health risks of inhaling and ingesting microplastics. They conducted experiments on human lung cells in a Petri dish that were subjected to environmental concentrations of polystyrene particles. Within several days, the scientists observed some unusual changes. The tiny plastic particles caused the cells’ metabolism to slow down and hampered their proliferation and growth.

Microplastics accumulate in all organs

Researchers in Ross’ study found that microplastic particles had started to bioaccumulate in every organ, including the brain, and even in bodily waste. Because the microplastics got inside the animals’ bodies through their drinking water, Ross and her colleagues expected to find microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract as well as in the liver and kidneys.

Ross noted that the presence of microplastics in the heart and lungs indicates that they spread beyond the digestive system and potentially undergo systemic circulation. This is dangerous because the blood-brain barrier is supposed to be “difficult to permeate.”

Microplastics found in human blood for first time

Microplastic pollution has been detected in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding the tiny particles in almost 80% of the people tested.

The discovery shows the particles can travel around the body and may lodge in organs. The full impact on health is as yet unknown. But researchers are concerned as microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory and air pollution particles are already known to enter the body and cause millions of early deaths a year.

The scientists analysed blood samples from 22 anonymous donors, all healthy adults and found plastic particles in 17. Half the samples contained PET plastic, which is commonly used in drinks bottles, while a third contained polystyrene, used for packaging food and other products. A quarter of the blood samples contained polyethylene, from which plastic carrier bags are made.

Tips to reduce exposure to microplastics

  • Do not purchase ready-to-heat products such as boil-in-the-bag rice.
  • Don’t buy fruit sealed in plastic.
  • Avoid heating anything in plastic.
  • Avoid consuming food or beverages that have come into contact with plastic.
  • Avoid food-grade nylon used for food packaging and as liners in slow cookers.
  • If possible, drink filtered tap water over bottled water.
  • When buying clothes or furnishings, choose more natural fabrics.
  • If you’re buying carpet, look for something made of wool, not polyester. While natural fibers are usually more expensive, you can save some money with second-hand carpets.

Here are some of the most common culprits in the American kitchen today.

Salt – best to use is from Utah, the ancient seabed is isolated from the ocean, so it’s less likely to have microplastics and the unrefined version is not bleaches and has all the minerals we need.

Water – Stop using single-use bottled water, not just because you don’t know how it was filtered, but also you don’t know what temperature flux each bottle has gone through. Extreme heat can cause plastic to leak chemicals and extreem cold can leak microplastics. Drink filtered tap water in refillable bottle (that are NOT plastic).

Tea – Most tea bags are now made of plastic mesh. Opt for paper tea bags or better yet, buy loose leaf and use an infuser.

Cutting boards – don’t use plastic cutting boards. Just cutting your food on them ADDs more microplastic to your meal. Instead, opt for a bamboo, wooden or glass cutting board.

Non-stick cookware – We all know the coating on non-stick cookware gets gross after continued use, but it is also a big culprit in adding plastic to your diet. Instead, cast iron and stainless steel are your best options.

Microwave safe containers – This is a misnomer when it comes to plastic exposure. When reheating your food in the microwave, use glass containers. Better yet, avoid the microwave and use the stove or oven.

Plastic utensils – Even on low heat, that plastic spoon you use to stir your soup is melting or discarding microplastic into your meal. Use stainless steel, bamboo or wooden spoons instead.

Single-use plastics – Instead of using the single-use plastics like plastic wrap, baggies and plastic plates and silverware, opt for reusble beeswax wrap, reuseable containers and paper goods.

Even though Ken and Barbie are cute and popular, I really don’t want to turn into them. I know that I can’t eliminate all plastic from my life, but I can make choices every day to help reduce it a little bit more. By the way, recycling is a red herring! Only about 9% of all the plastic thrown away is actually recycled, so don’t let that deter you.

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