Keeping abreast

The current brouhaha over public breastfeeding is amazing; I thought we settled this controversy decades ago. Breast milk is the healthiest choice—designed by nature for an infant to get the necessary nutrients—and something we should be encouraging anytime, anywhere.

While breastfeeding, mothers should carefully consider what they will feed their children in the future. It’s a good time to study the science of nutrition and become aware of the health hazards associated with drinking the milk of another species, especially in the quantities that have become normal. It’s common sense: Cows’ milk is designed for baby cows, which have four stomachs and weigh hundreds of pounds within a year of birth. We hear a lot about the obesity crisis, yet it is seldom noted that the consumption of dairy products is a major reason that Americans are becoming as big as cows.

Dairy products also contribute to a myriad other diseases, including osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Dr. Frank Oski, former director of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, said: “There’s no reason to drink cows’ milk at any time in your life. It was designed for calves, it was not designed for humans, and we should all stop drinking it today, this afternoon.”

For strong bones, kids need exercise, sunshine and a diet free of dairy products. It’s a myth that dairy products ensure healthy bones.  The countries that consume the most dairy have the highest rates of osteoporosis. It’s time that Americans get a second opinion, and one is available from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Please visit www.strongbones.org.

— Stewart David
Asheville