Apr 13 2009
The Dangers of Drinking Cow’s Milk
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Before we discuss some of the dangers of drinking cow’s milk, first, it is important to mention that I am not completely anti-milk. I personally do not drink unless it is seed or nut milk but in its pure form, it is not necessarily dangerous.
Yet, due to the extreme processes that milk undergoes, as well as the high amounts of antibiotics, hormones, and genetically-modified substances that cows are continually exposed to, I can, with much certainty, say that there are real and eminent dangers associated with drinking milk from cows. All cows release toxins through their milk, as milk is a natural exit-portal for substances that the body cannot use.
List of “Ingredients” Added to Cow’s Milk
Here are just a few of the artificially-engineered components found in the average glass of non organic pasteurized and homogenized milk on the American dinner table:
- A Veritable Hormone Cocktail: including pituitary, steroid, hypothalamic, and thyroid hormones (remember most cows are extremely stressed)
- Gastrointestinal Peptides:
Nerve and epidermal growth factors, and the growth inhibitors MDGI and MAF - rBGH (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone): a genetically engineered hormone directly linked to breast, colon and prostrate cancer. This is injected into cows to increase milk production.[1]
- Pus: National averages show at least 322 million cell-counts of pus per glass![2] This is well-above the human limit for pus-intake, and has been directly linked to paratuberculosis bacteria, as well as Crohn’s disease. The pus comes from infected udders on the cows known as mastitis.
- Blood Cells: The USDA allows up to 1.5 million white blood cells per milliliter of commonly-sold milk.[3] Yes, you are drinking cows blood in the milk and the USDA allows this!
- Antibiotics: Currently, cows are in such a state of disease and mistreatment that they are continually being injected with antibiotic medicines, and rubbed down with chemical-laden ointments to deal with their chronic infections. Currently, regulating committees only test for 4 of the 85 drugs in dairy cows. This means that the other 81 drugs in cow’s milk are coming directly into your glasses and bodies. Estimates show that 38% of milk in the U.S. is “contaminated with sulfa drugs or other antibiotics,” according to a study by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest and published in the Wall Street Journal on December 29, 1989. A study from the FDA data showed that over half of all milk was laden with traces of pharmaceuticals yet nothing has been done to control this.
How Does This Affect the Cows?
Furthermore, not only are people drinking in these toxins, we are also taking in the energetic effects of the life of the cow.
Studies show that many cows are infected with incredibly painful inflammatory infections such as mastitis. Due to over-milking, artificial hormones, bacteria and medications, cow’s udders can become chronically inflamed, thus altering the color and taste of the milk.
Over time, this bacterial invasion causes harm to the cow’s mammary gland, reeking havoc on the milk being produced. From parasitic worms to cancerous tumors, these diseases are often passed along to the next generation of cows, and more often, into the milk we drink.
Even more, the conditions in which cows live, as well as the rigorous milking regimes, cause dairy cattle to live in a permanent state of sympathetic (stress) response, as well as adrenal over-load. When our adrenal glands are overworked for long periods of time, there is a overload of cortisol in the blood. When we drink this milk, we are then exposed to the millions of stress-response cells in the milk of cows. It is no wonder that we are a chronically-stressed society!
How To Avoid Dangers Related to Cow’s Milk
In conclusion, it might be a good idea to take a cleansing break from dairy. Here are some ways to avoid the dangers associated with cow’s milk:
- Replace cow’s milk with healthy natural substitutes: rice milk, almond milk, raw goat’s milk or my favorite – hemp milk.
- If you do insist on drinking cow’s milk, make sure to buy only the non-genetically modified, range fed, organic raw versions. Even better, talk to your local organic farmer to make sure the cow’s are treated kindly.
- Eat less cheese and always buy organic versions. Goat’s cheese is the best for you!
For indepth information on the dangers of cow’s milk I recommend visiting www.NotMilk.com.
August 17th, 2009 at 9:39 am
I’m not a dairy producer myself but i know enough to know that milk cows simply won’t produce if they’re stressed. Dairy cows especially those of larger farms, are absolutely pampered, ie milking rooms at desireable temperature for cows, water beds for cows. yes, just like humans sleep on….. as for the drugs, I don’t know… with our over diagnosed society, how do you feel about letting your baby have breast milk? any medicine is good for a little while but no one, people, cows or otherwise should be on prescribed drugs for any extended period of time.
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June 26th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
This sounds like a bunch of fear mongering to me, for the most part cow’s milk is safe and a healthy immune system should have no problem digesting it.
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June 23rd, 2009 at 2:15 am
This is an interesting post, but I don’t think there’s something wrong with cow’s milk; unless you are lactose intolerant or you’ve drink a spoiled one. I still believe that cow’s milk is a great source of protein and calcium, where it helps build our bones, muscles and teeth strong.
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May 7th, 2009 at 4:16 am
Read Dr. Weston Price’s Articles on milk.
Our grandparents did not have problems in their days as we do now with milk.
PURE Milk is good for human consumption.
Check out realmilk.com
It’s the homogenized crap that’s been messed with that’s producing so many problems.
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April 30th, 2009 at 6:24 am
Dairy is a great comfort food but since cutting it out completely from my diet I have experienced great benefits such as weight loss, clear lungs, increased amount of energy, etc. This is just a personal account of how cutting out dairy improved my health but after reading about the pus, now that is reason alone not to drink milk!
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Allen replied on April 30th, 2009:
THERE IS NO PUS IN MILK! Read the responses below. These are exaggerated claims by someone make up data to support his claims.
Has anyone ever seen “pus” in their milk? Anyone?
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Vickie Queen replied on July 19th, 2009:
I’m sure no one has seen hormones in milk either, but they’re there… Why do you think we’re seeing earlier puberty in our children today, not to mention infertility. http://www.menoqueenllc.com/blog
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Vickie Queen replied on July 19th, 2009:
If you think this is fear mongering, you might want to check out http://tinyurl.com/kr9psc. Just like humans, a cow’s immune system is not what it used to be. Things are different in the world we live in today.
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Courtney replied on May 6th, 2009:
If I were to spit in your milk, you may not see my saliva, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there! There is in fact pus in milk from cows given the rBGH growth hormone. The Center for Food Safety, http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/rbgh2.cfm, and the FDA has both supported this fact.
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April 29th, 2009 at 10:44 am
I support your statement milk can bring a host of problems for health.In India specially in cities many cows have T.B. such cows yield normal quantity of milk .Such milk spread T.B easily. In my case I get asthma when ever I take milk because it is mucus forming and allergic to many asthmatics.
Naturopaths advise to avoid milk , it is a non-veg food in few societies.It is better to avoid milk and without milk one can live healthy
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April 29th, 2009 at 6:09 am
Dear Dr. Group,
Great article! As a fellow Naturopath, I concur with your findings and definitely believe and support your opinions on this topic. The only other thing I would like to mention is that in nature, humans are the only species that consume milk from another species. It just simply isn’t done in nature at all. You don’t ever see a lion going over and “nursing” from a cow or a goat. Species within nature keep to their own kind when consuming milk AND they only do it during “nursing” time. My personal opinion is that humans should be doing that as well. Many, MANY of my patients have breast-fed their babies and then stopped at age 2-3 when the child naturally wanted to eat normal food. Those children that I have watched grow up, are far healthier than other children that have grown up consuming dairy products. Of course then when you add in all the hormones and antibiotics, it makes for a mighty dangerous cocktail (especially for children) and certainly doesn’t contribute much nutritionally to the human body.
Thanks for another great article!
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Trent replied on April 29th, 2009:
If you use that logic, we should eat wheat directly out of the field and not process or cook it since no other animals do that.
I have to disagree with your claim that milk doesn’t provide any thing nutritionally. Milk contains Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, riboflavin, niacin, and proteins. I call that pretty nutritious!
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Boser replied on April 29th, 2009:
I only drink RAW cow’s milk, and even then, I don’t necessarily feel that it’s the best thing to drink.
Cows Milk may provide the nutrients listed above, but you can also get those same nutrients from other sources, without ingesting all these added hormones, chemicals, steroids, and pus.
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Clay replied on April 29th, 2009:
I agree..
humans have the ability to normally adapt to whatever diet is present. I believe that to be a strength of our species. To say we can not drink milk because no other animal does, is like saying we should poop in the woods and eat our own refuse because animals do.
We have the teeth, gut length, and enzymes necessary to break down our varied food in normal conditions. The problem arises when our environment becomes artificial,toxic, and altered, and we become diseased. I drink RAW, milk, I eat plenty of RED(organic)meat, I eat cheese, and I am healthy. I would say I thrive on a diet of at least 70% meat,milk, cheese, etc. It annoys me when the twig chewers assume that we should all eat like that to be healthy. It also misleads other body types into believing the only way to health is eating like everyone else.
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April 28th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Nothing is 100% safe. It’s a matter of taking the facts you’re presented, and making an informed decision. I’ve always been weary of cow’s milk, but I still drink it on occasion. And that probably won’t change soon.
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April 28th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
oh, look at the pretty cows.
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April 28th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I knew that there were steroids and hormones added to my milk, but I didn’t know that there could be pus and blood cells in there! Why would the USDA allow any of that in there? People drink this stuff!
Thanks for the info.
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April 28th, 2009 at 11:17 am
First of all, I think that this kind of debate is great–exactly what we need in a culture where quality of food and health is mostly ignored. My family are cattle ranchers in South Dakota, breeding meat cattle, not dairy, but the conditions are mostly the same. Not bad, but not ideal. As a nutritionist, I also know that milk and most dairy is not digestible by most people in the world, the exception being those with northern european ancestors. Millk does have naturally occuring hormones as well as naturally occurring opiates. Like anything else, there are more nutrients in raw, unpasteurized milk. If you are going to feed it to your children or drink it yourself, lets support farmers who are working for a better and cleaner world. Support local. Then organic and lets get farming back to the way it used to be–sustainable both for family farmers and for the earth.
jen
http://www.bodaweightloss.com/blog
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April 28th, 2009 at 9:12 am
ya know, I never realized until now, what is actually in milk. But it does make sense. If it’s possible for the milking machine to leave sores on the cows, then it’s reasonable to think that the pus from those infections would drain into the milking machine and/or into the milk that is ultimately shipped out. And that’s just disgusting, even if the FDA allows it.
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April 28th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Thank you Dr. Group, I’ve always believed that if we were meant to drink cow’s milk, we would’ve come out of the womb saying “MOOOO!!!”
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April 28th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Dr. Group -
Thank you for giving us this information, even in the face of adversity. I don’t know the difference between a beef cow and dairy cow, and despite the people below saying that the article is wrong because of the image. I think it’s silly, because it just appears pathetic, because that’s all they got to pick on you about. Keep up the good fight!
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April 28th, 2009 at 7:22 am
Great article Dr. Group!
I completely agree that you if you are going to drink Cow’s Milk, then you should drink it organic, and really know where you are getting it from. Thank you for presenting the other side of the coin. Obviously, some people disagree, but I for one would like to thank you.
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April 28th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Thank you Dr. Group for providing information that (apparently) dairy farmers don’t want us to know about.
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Tom replied on April 28th, 2009:
I as a dairy farmer am proud of my product and is more than happy to discuss it with you! We are hiding nothing and if you would like to visit a farm yourself, reply on here and hopefully we can get you lined up to visit a farm. As far as requirements go on making sure milk is safe, I urge you to visit the FDA’s website and attempt to read the requirements and hoops a farmer must go through before they can sell any milk.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/pmo03-2.html
Just an fyi, but if farmers didn’t love what they were doing and caring for their animals, they wouldn’t be getting up at 4 AM and putting in 14 hour days to loose money out of their pockets due to current milk prices.
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Trent replied on April 28th, 2009:
great link Tom! In table one on the US FOOD AND DRUG ADMISTRATION website, it shows the legal limit, and for some reason it is drastically different than Dr. Group’s “research”. Now who should we believe?
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trent replied on April 28th, 2009:
Can you clarify what contaminants supposedly in milk? I have never seen pus in any milk at the grocery store. The hormones in milk are natural and produced by every living thing we consume. Did you know that the celery that you eat has hormones?
I find it frustrating that people throw the conspiracy flag at anything that they don’t understand and assume the world is trying to hurt them. I am a dairy farmer and I take pride in my product, if you want conspiracy theories, go after big oil, not farmers that take better care of their cows than their families. I have a nutritionist come each week and take samples and balance a ration of feed so my cows get every nutrient criteria met. I have a veterinarian come 2 times per month for regular check-ups. Do your children get that type of care? I doubt it.
Yuck! replied on April 28th, 2009:
Sorry, but that doesn’t necessarialy mean that I’m going to belive you either, especially when the FDA has been shown in the past to be biased with certain pharmaceutical companies.
While you don’t agree with this article, and I don’t agree 100% either, the facts do remain that there is added chemicals and hormones in milk. And the FDA does allow a certain percentage of pus and various other contaminants to remain in millk.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:19 am
I appreciate everyone who has commented to correct the many inaccurate “facts” and assumptions published in this article, both about milk safety/quality and cow care.
I am a dairy farmer, and I would be out of business within a month if I managed my farm using methods which the author suggests are commonplace within the dairy industry. The truth is that dairy farmers (and all livestock producers) are committed to providing safe, high-quality food products for the American public, and raising healthy animals in a low-stress environment is the cornerstone management priority that allows us to do just that.
Milk is among the most rigorously tested food products for both safety and quality in the marketplace, and it is recommended that everyone consume three servings of dairy products daily as a part of a balanced, calorie controlled diet. That being said, consumers have every right to buy alternative products instead of dairy. I just hope that those who do will make their choice based upon their own preferences and the merits of those other products and not because they’ve been scared away from dairy products by inaccurate articles such as this.
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Jan replied on April 28th, 2009:
There are many misrepresentations in the article. Mastitis milk is NOT shipped for human consumption any more than the medicated milk – that’s why there is withdrawal times on drugs. The comments below – yes it matters what is represented because the information given is inaccurate. Goat cheese is better – and with all due respect to the cattle dairymen here – that can be true *but* goats cannot compete with cattle for volume. Pound for pound a good goat will outmilk a cow but in total amount produced there’s a reason dairy cattle are used. Also it is just as easy to have a poorly run goat dairy as a poorly run cow dairy – either will not produce the quality product consumers want. A well run dairy is more productive.
Frankly IMO the best is raw milk but due to misinformation and – yes – processing/regulation it is difficult if not impossible to buy raw milk anymore. Bad for you? Well – my step-mom’s parents were still milking Brown Swiss into their 80s and not with automated machines either – milking into cans which were taken and dumped into a bulk tank through a filter. They drank milk from their cows and both lived beyond 90.
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Ray Prock replied on April 28th, 2009:
As a fellow dairyman I can attest to all that Will said. The US Milk supply is the only food supply regulated from the very start to when it reaches the consumer.
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April 27th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Unfortunately, simply saying the author is not “anti-milk” isn’t a qualifier for credibility. Beverages that are derived from nuts or seeds are not milk, they are simply another beverage and have been mislabeled for years.
In regards to the discussion over the types of photos used in the blog, even though not a significant portion of the argument, the lack of knowledge between a beef cow and dairy cow leads the educated reader to believe that perhaps the author is not thoroughly versed in the subject he wishes the reader to assume he is an expert on. Yes, beef cattle do produce milk, but they produce milk for their calves, not to be put into a jug and sold on your grocery store shelf.
Many of the points about the safety of US dairy products I would make have previously been stated by other commenters on this site and therefore I will not beat a dead horse and offer up redundancy. However, as a dairy producer myself, I can reiterate that the dairy industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the nation. All milk that goes for human consumption (conventional or organic) is antibiotic free, safe, and extremely healthy and nutritious. After all, milk is nature’s most nearly perfect food.
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April 27th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
This article is a testiment to the authers lack of knowledge of the dairy industry. He clealy has no knowledge what is legally allowed in milk. Milk is one of the most regulated foods in the world. There are strick standards which milk must meet before it can be sold. In addition he has very little knowledge of current milk production methods in the US. I would also challenge him to provide his sources for this article. On a side note in the academic world a .com website does not count as a reference. After reading this I wonder if he has every actually spent a day on a dairy farm. Because if he had he would of seen the men and women who work with the cattle to produce milk. It is not uncommon for a dairymen to put in over 12 hours a day and they are passionate about what they do. During those long days their number one goal is to make sure that their cows are as comfortable as possible. This is because, unlike the auther, all dairymen know that a comfortable cows are happy cows and happy cows are profitable cows. In addition I would like to let the auther know that it is illegal to sell milk with antibiotic residues. Cows treated with antibiotics must have their milk dumped down the drain. So as you can see it is not in a dairymen’s best interest to be treating his cows with anitbiotics all the time. However as a dairymen I can tell you if my cow is sick I am going to do all I can to make sure that she can return to being a profitable member of my herd. After I looked at all the credentials that Dr. Group has listed I felt sad. That such an educated man would allow himself to write such a bias article about a subject that he has little knowledge of. Finally to the author if dairymen, which I am, really don’t care about their animals could you explain to me how from memory I could give you the name, disposition, and a basic background of each of my animals. Oh and by the way in case you are wondering that would be roughly 1000 animals.
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April 27th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
As I read this article, I did my best to keep an open, unbiased mind on this individual’s presented information. Is this a Dr. speaking from a food or animal perspective? I am from a farm in the heart of the midwest, The Ice cream capital of the world is not very far away from me. My family used to milk but decided to pursue a different enterprise, so we got out of milking. I have an adequate amount of knowledge for all aspects of farm production, having been involved in raising large quantities of animals, and I don’t mean 100 either, I mean by the 1,000s. So believe ME, I have personally experienced animal production. I am going to shine some light on the subject of animal production for all producers, every species, whether organic or not. Livestock is a way of life for some farmers/ranchers. They take pride in what they do day in and day out, how many people can honestly say they do? Producers take better care and more responsibility for all the animals, then some families can take care of a pet! So when people start talking about farmers make sure to have and present the whole truth! This article’s author just lost all creditability for the information that they came up with for this paper, it is written of phalicies, hasty generalizations and false advertisements. So for that lady that asked who even cares earlier, It makes a difference, it shows to knowledge and the qualifications of the author. If this was a thesis paper for a degree.IT would say plainly in red ink FAIL! and it might actually be stamped twice just to be sure the author could see,this is a FALSE article and they might want to look in to a different profession if this is the quality of work they are going to submit to publish. I am beginning to wonder if this Dr. bought the degree online for $10.99 plus shipping?
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April 27th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Dr. Group,
For someone with a number of advanced degrees, I am disappointed that you have failed to research and properly present all information in your post.
1. All milk from animals has hormones in it (organic or not)
2. Milk sold in stores is antibiotic free. It must test so before it can be sold to the public (organic or not)
3. The pus and blood you mention do occur, but those cows are found by properly trained farm workers and removed from the general milking herd for proper treatment. These farms have quality standards to adhere to spelled out in a contractual agreement with their milk processor. To sell milk from these cows is a violation. (organic or not)
4. Farms cannot simply afford to “keep their cows pumped up on antibiotics.” When was the last time you or your readers purchased a prescription? Think farmers could afford to do that with their cows that weigh 1000 pounds or more on a daily basis?
5. Bovine growth hormone is present in all milk (organic or not).
6. The limits you mention for blood and “pus” are double what the true legal limits are. Milk processors generally require limits of one-sixth your numbers listed.
While I appreciate giving consumres the choice and opportunity to purchase cow’s milk in whatever form (organic or conventional) fills their needs, I believe it is only fair that you present the ENTIRE truth.
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April 27th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Wow, more than anything. I think it’s hilarious that a picture of a beef cow, not a dairy cow, would cause such a stir.
I mean, I didn’t necessarily think it was a spot-on article, and I will continue to give my two boys milk, and talk to his doctor about hemp milk and other alternatives… But, as an educated man who grew up in the hillcountry of Texas, I didn’t even know there was a difference between a beef cow and a dairy cow. I thought all cows produce milk.
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Jan replied on April 28th, 2009:
They do – but not all cows produce milk *for human consumption* – those beef cows never see a milking parlor. It’s misleading as are the “facts” presented. The statistics given are not true.
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April 27th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
T. Hubert,
I can absolutely guarantee that no farmers are adding anything to milk. Before any dairy product is on store shelves, it is tested several times to make sure the product is safe. If a farmer ever has a tank of milk show up with any extra substance, the whole semi of milk is dumped and the farmer can loose his license to sell milk and is shut down. All farmers take the safety of their products seriously.
And whoever wrote this article should be ashamed of the lack of research and valid data. Your claim of 1.5 million white blood (SCC) cells is flat out wrong. The legal limit is half of that; regardless, farmers are paid in part of this number so it is in the farmers best interest financially as well as care of the animals that this number is low. Most milk sold is less than 1/10th of what you claim!
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April 27th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Daniel- I agree with Daniel. THere is a huge disconnect between the general public and where their food comes from. As a dairy producer I can say that not all cows are mis-treated and stressed out. We milk 65 registered holsteins that have ample pasture and room in a free stall barn to lay down so the comfort is a #1 priority. We do not use any enhancement hormones and if there has been antibotics of any sort used the milk is withheld from bulk tank. I realize the disclaimer was made at the beginning about not being “anti-milk” but i felt the majority of the article is based on negative generalizations.
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April 27th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Seriouslly people, who cares what’s in the picture! It’s the facts of the article that are important. Thank goodness he didn’t put a picture of a human in the article. The ignorants out there might have mistaken the cows milk for human milk! Yikes!
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AnnMarie replied on April 27th, 2009:
What’s in the picture matters because it is an indicator of the author’s general disregard for accuracy. Not only did this person provide a picture of beef cattle, which do not produce near the amount of milk that dairy cattle do and therefore are not used for that purpose, but also the article itself is riddled with errors. Not one of the figures or claims presented in this article is in any way valid. The comments about antibiotics and pus in milk were especially ludicrous. Dairy farmers that have poor milk quality lose their license to distribute milk, not to mention that many are paid premiums for exceptional milk quality (low white blood cell counts). Every batch of Grade A milk is tested for antibiotic residue before it even leaves the farm. A tank of milk testing positive gets dumped down the drain, the farmer loses all that money, earns a bad reputation, and quite possibly loses his license to distribute Grade A milk. That’s right, antibiotic residue could mean the loss of his livelihood. Also, a sick cow is a cow that is not making the amount of milk she could, and dairy farmers get paid for each hundred pounds of milk, so it is in their best interest to keep their animals healthy and reduce their stress where ever possible.
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Johnathan F. replied on April 28th, 2009:
OMG! They used a picture of a beef cow, not a dairy cow… Therefore the information presented MUST be false!!!
/sarcasm
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April 27th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
If you would like to know the truth about how dairy cows are treated, you can visit http://www.dairyfarmingtoday.org
Not only is milk one of the most highly regulated and safest foods in the country, it is also one of the most nutritious. Each glass of milk you drink has been tested 17 times before it reaches you. Any milk that is found to not be perfect is disposed of, and never, never reaches the grocery store. I can ensure your readers, that no dairy products contain antibiotics – strict government standards ensure that both regular and organic milk are wholesome, safe and nutritious.
Organic or non-organic dairy products, all are equally healthy and safe to consume. I want to reiterate, NO dairy products contain antibiotics – strict government standards ensure that both regular and organic milk are wholesome, safe and nutritious.
Sometimes it’s necessary for farmers to treat cows with antibiotics when they are ill, just as humans sometimes need medication when they are sick. It’s important to note that any cow being treated for illness is separated from the milking herd to ensure her milk does not go into the milk supply. Just as it is important for a parent to ensure the safety and health of their child, it is the highest-priority of dairy farmers to make sure cows receive regular medical care, including periodic check-ups, vaccinations and prompt treatment of illness.
As a former dairy farmer, I know that all dairymen and women ensure that dairy cows are given high-quality care. Did you know that dairy cows have their own personal nutritionists, doctors and caretakers?
The fact is, dairy farming is hard work, and it takes a lot of love and respect for a cow and the land to be a farmer. I urge any one who would like to know the truth behind dairy farming to visit http://www.dairyfarmingtoday.org – get the facts! And remember, no matter which variety you choose, you should feel good about supporting family dairy farms by getting your 3-A-Day of dairy, low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt!
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April 27th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
you realise the first photo is NOT dairy cows……those are BEEF COWS……….If you don’t know the difference I suggest you “google” it.
At least get your photos correct!
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T. Hubert replied on April 27th, 2009:
At the end of the day, does it really matter if it’s a picture of a dairy cow or beef cow. The pic doesn’t change the information presented or the fact that cow milk is altered beyond belief.
As a casual reader that found this post via twitter, I wouldn’t know the difference between the two. But I bet that both beef cows and dairy cows produce milk, and if that’s the case… then does the photo truly matter?
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Daniel replied on April 27th, 2009:
I believe Scott’s comment stems from the disconnect most of the public has from agriculture. It may be true what is presented here, however to assume every glass of milk is unsafe and consequently every dairy farmer is unethical, is naive. If in fact they are beef cows, it suggests a lack of research and insight into the topic and simply takes away from Dr. Group’s credibility.
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T. Hubert replied on April 27th, 2009:
Sorry, but I’m not buying that.
Simply put its a photograph of a cow. And attaching a photograph, that it appears he found via flickr, doesn’t take away from the credibility of the research presented here.
Especially when he starts off by saying he is not “anti-milk” and goes on to say “make sure to buy only the non-genetically modified, range fed, organic raw versions.” From my perspective, it doesn’t appear that he’s saying ALL farmers are unethical, but just wants to discuss some of the dangers surrounding the stuff SOME farmers add to milk.