Dairy Truth

courtesy of Robert Cohen

After fat and casein are removed from milk, dairy processors are left with whey protein. Whey is composed of bovine blood proteins. Serum albumen. Lactalbumen. Dead white blood cells. Hormonal residues including estrogen and progesterone.

The body’s reaction to a foreign protein is to destroy that antigen-like invader with an antibody. For those individuals unfortunate enough to possess a genetic pre-disposition to such an event, the antibody then turns upon one’s own cells. That is what is known as an auto-immune response.

In the case of diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the body’s response to whey proteins is to attack the outer membrane protecting nerve cells, or the myelin sheath.

It has long been established that early exposure to bovine proteins is a trigger for insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Researchers have made that same milk consumption connection to MS. The July 30, 1992 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine first reported the diabetes autoimmune response milk connection:

“Patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus produce antibodies to cow milk proteins that participate in the development of islet dysfunction… Taken as a whole, our findings suggest that an active response in patients with IDDM (to the bovine protein) is a feature of the auto-immune response.”

On December 14, 1996, The Lancet revealed:

“Cow’s milk proteins are unique in one respect: in industrialized countries they are the first foreign proteins entering the infant gut, since most formulations for babies are cow milk-based. The first pilot stage of our IDD prevention study found that oral exposure to dairy milk proteins in infancy resulted in both cellular and immune response…this suggests the possible importance of the gut immune system to the pathogenesis of IDD.”

THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS/MILK CONNECTION

The April 1, 2001 issue of the Journal of Immunology contained a study linking MS to milk consumption.

Michael Dosch, M.D., and his team of researchers determined that multiple sclerosis and type I (juvenile) diabetes mellitus are far more closely linked than previously thought. Dosch attributes exposure to cow milk protein as a risk factor in the development of both diseases for people who are genetically susceptible. According to Dosch:

“We found that immunologically, type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis are almost the same - in a test tube you can barely tell the two diseases apart. We found that the autoimmunity was not specific to the organ system affected by the disease. Previously it was thought that in MS autoimmunity would develop in the central nervous system, and in diabetes it would only be found in the pancreas. We found that both tissues are targeted in each disease.”

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Multiple sclerosis affects approximately 300,000 Americans. Two-thirds of those diagnosed with MS are women. Most researchers believe that MS is an autoimmune disease. Auto means “self.”

WHO DOES NOT GET MS?

It is interesting to note that Eskimos and Bantus (50 million individuals living in East Africa) rarely get MS. Neither do those native North and South American Indian or Asian populations who consume no cow’s milk or dairy products.

WHO GETS MS?

The British medical journal Lancet reported that dairy-rich diets filled have been closely linked to the development of MS. (The Lancet 1974;2:1061)

A study published in the journal Neuroepidemiology revealed an association between eating dairy foods and an increased prevalence of MS. (Neuroepidemiology 1992;11:304­12.)

MS researcher, Luther Lindner, M.D., a pathologist at Texas A & M University College of Medicine, wrote:

“It might be prudent to limit the intake of milk and milk products.”

Women are targeted by dairy industry scare tactics that offer misinformation regarding osteoporosis. Two-thirds of MS victims are women. As milk and cheese consumption increase along population lines, so too does an epidemic number of MS cases. The numbers add up. The clues add up. The science supports epidemiological studies.

Got diabetes? Got MS? The milk connection has been established.

Whey protein? Say no way!

courtesy of Robert Cohen

LET THEM EAT CAKE?

Undernourished kids are starving to death in nations plagued by war, poverty, and famine. Would you expect the United States to send these unfortunate souls high calorie goodies? That’s not what the dairy industry does. Instead, they take the fat out of milk and add it to American cheese, ice cream, and butter. There’s no American market for what’s left; surplus de-fatted milk which is dried and stored as powder.

PUT STARVING KIDS ON A DIET

Is there justice in sending the starving children the same low fat milk powder that Americans reject?

LAND OF FAKES

Land O’Lakes President John Gherty was all smiles. Gherty joined President Clinton in Washington a few days before the new year for the official announcement of this new program. They take credit for their joint act of altruism. In reality, it’s just another insider subsidy handed to the dairy industry.

Outgoing President Clinton called this an “effort to improve nutrition for school children in developing nations.” Under new agreements, Land O’Lakes will handle the export of over 12 million pounds of surplus non-fat dry milk. Eleven pounds of milk are required to manufacture one pound of non-fat dry milk, so 132 million pounds of milk were required to manufacture the surplus non-fat milk powder for this new giveaway.

IMAGES OF STARVATION

We’ve seen ghastly pictures of children so skinny and impoverished, ribs sticking out of their bodies, so badly needing to gain weight. What these children do not need is a non-fat diet product. That is more than irresponsible. That is insulting. That is a crime against humanity.

DRIED POWDER IN STORAGE

This milk comes from cows treated with Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. European markets have rejected America’s genetically engineered milk and dairy products. The new deal finds an outlet for a surplus product nobody else in the world will pay for. Got subsidies?

How many more cows will be injected with growth hormones to produce more milk than America’s market can utilize? We’ll take all the fat we can to feed to American children. The American Medical Association must be all smiles.

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

Can it get worse? Sure can. The de-fatted milk is loaded with a milk sugar called lactose. Three quarters of the world’s population cannot tolerate this milk sugar. Those who are most affected are children of color including Africans and Latin Americans. Who will get this freebie?

GOT DISEASE?

The high temperature used in processing the milk to powder destroys enzymes and most of the microorganisms, but some bacteria form spores, and are protected against destruction. Dry milk infected with staphylococcus toxins have infected thousands of people. The most famous incident was an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Puerto Rico in 1956. In 1966, an enormous increase in salmonella cases was observed by the Centers for Disease Control. The increase was blamed on instant non-fat dried milk.

by Catherine Franz

Speakers rely heavily on their voice for business. If they do consulting or create audio products, voice maintenance needs to be one of their top self-care priorities. This information also applies to singers, coaches, or sales professionals.

During flu and cold season, vocal cords become highly sensitized and need as much care as a valuable instrument. Think of your voice, and we should, as an expensive, rare violin. If you were going to play the violin the next day — same relation as having a speaking engagement — you wouldn’t expose that violin to a night in a smoke filled room, lay cigars or pour alcohol all over it and expect it not to suffer from the abuse the next day.

Antibiotics don’t help viral infections or laryngitis — a common result from a viral infection caused from a cold or flu. Recently, I suffered got the flu and suffered from a severe case of laryngitis. I had to cancel a teleclass, lose a week of work, and almost a paid speaking engagement. The more I self-treated through media knowledge or recommendations, the worse the laryngitis got.

It took over 20 days before I improved and then two weeks later, it returned. After great frustration, I finally visited my ear, nose, and throat specialist, only to learn that everything I was trying was actually contributing the extended suffering. Let me pass along some of my learning so you don’t need to go through this. Like me, some of it will surprise you.

Food and Beverages

Warm or hot beverages work best. Cold beverages with ice produces the voice center to spasm generating coughing that results in laryngitis. Stick to drinking room temperature water.

Black Currant Pastilles, which are glycerin-containing lozenges for adults, keeps the throat moist. Pastilles are perfect to take before, during, and after flying or traveling from one temperature extreme to another, say New York to Florida in winter. It is good to have these on hand since they are difficult to find. Many professional singers use Black Currant Pastilles 24 hours before their performance.

Avoid anything with mint or menthol.

Throat Coat® Tea, designed specifically for voice professionals, is rated higher than Pastilles. The tea contains licorice root, which is widely used to enhance throat and upper respiratory tract health. Any beverage that affects your stomachs acid level, like caffeine, will also affect your vocal cords. Caffeine is a mild diuretic and dries the throat and vocal cords. Coffee, including decaf, due to its natural oils causes acidic results that cause vocal damage. This includes chocolate. If you suffer from acid reflux disease, you need to take extra care of your voice since it cause permanent damage. Sodas also cause acid reflux and damages vocal cords.

With a cold or flu, we usually drink orange juice. This acidic beverage actually lengthens laryngitis. So does the amount of lemon you use in water. A tiny bit of lemon in warm water with a small amount of honey is a great elixir that actually smoothes the vocal cords.

Dairy increases throat mucus for some people. If after you drink milk, you feel even a little mucus in your throat, you probably have a very mild milk allergy. This will affect your vocal health and can length laryngitis. Nuts have the same allergy affect.

Common Causes of Voice Strain

It’s common knowledge that shouting, screaming, and excessive talking strains voice cords. But, did you know that whispering, coughing, loud sneezing, crying, laughing, and throat clearing could do the same damage?

Emotional or environmental stress also causes voice strain. Especially major changes like separation/ divorce, new job, kids going off to college, grieving, not enough sleep, moving, and even hormonal changes in adolescents or maturing adults. If you add any of these with the need for a quality voice, you will need to take extra care in order not to bruise or damage your throat center or vocal cords.

Voice Maintenance

When experiencing laryngitis, limit unnecessary talking, and pause frequently to swallow and remoisten your throat, even during speaking engagements. Relaxation techniques, like yoga always help, yet conscious aware of your posture and breathing during speaking can save or further bruise voice projection especially if your voice is weak from a cold.

One of my favorite exercises that I do every morning or while driving to a speaking engagement is a vowel review. Stretch your neck comfortable upwards and recite the vowels — a, e, i, o, u. Let your vowel trail off after each one especially the “u.” If experiencing laryngitis avoid whispering. Whispering actually stresses vocal cords reducing recovery significantly. If you smoke or visit smoke-filled rooms, triple your maintenance plan, smoke is very damaging.

If you lose your voice, you will require additional rest time over a 4-7 day period. This means limiting your voice to 15 minutes a day. Looking on the bright side, listening skills will definitely improve. Keep phone calls brief; avoid all non-speech voice use, including throat clearing, coughing, and sneezing or any odd sound effects. Snoring also doubles strain.

Over-the-Counter

Even though they give brief relief, throat sprays and medicated lozenges dry the throat and extend recovery. If used for an emergency, you must follow with extreme care.

Herbs can also cause side effects. You will want to discuss their use with your doctor or herb practitioner. Herbs like barberry reduce inflammation and infection caused from respiratory infections, but can also cause an allergic reaction especially if already using another remedy. Herbs like eucalyptus, German chamomile, goldenrod, goldenseal, licorice, marshmallow, peppermint, saw palmetto, or slippery elm are remedies for vocal cord inflections. Adding garlic and ginger to your foods also reduce cold symptoms including sore throat and don’t need professional advice.

Support Team

If your voice is vital to your income, you will want to have an ear, nose, and throat physician familiar with your medical history and working with singers. With an ongoing relationship, it’s easier for them to provide advice when out of the area.

Last year, while experiencing a mild case of laryngitis, I saw my doctor before I left for a speaking engagement but I didn’t know to mentioned I was traveling to a high elevation. By the time I checked in at the hotel, I was in bad shape. An emergency call and I was armed with new instructions. The next morning I was fine. Did you know that most taxi companies will pick up and deliver called-in prescriptions usually at the same rate as a cab ride?

(c) Copyright 2005, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Catherine Franz, a veteran professional speaker and Business Coach, Graduate of Coach University, Mastery University, editor of three ezines, columnist, author of thousands of articles website: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com