December Newsletter from Bestlife International
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Dear Glenda,Contact First Name),

 In this months issue we focus on the possible health problems associated with homogenized milk.
We know that humans have been drinking raw milk for thousands of years, but recently in our history we have begun pasteurizing and most notably homogenizing our milk.  Here are two articles, one on Homogenization's links with Heart Diesease and a pro-con debate on whether cow's milk may help prevent osteoporosis.
 

Milk Homogenization and Heart Disease

By Mary G. Enig, PhD

One widely held popular theory singles out homogenization as a cause of the current epidemic of heart disease. The hypothesis was developed by Kurt A. Oster, MD and studied from the early 1960s until the mid 1980s. In studying and comparing the structure and biochemistry of healthy and diseased arterial tissue, Oster investigated plasmalogen, an essential fatty component of many cell membranes in widely scattered tissues throughout the human body. Plasmalogen makes up a substantial part of the membranes surrounding heart muscle cells and the cells that make up the walls of arteries. It is also present in the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers and in a few other tissues. But it is not found in other parts of the human anatomy.

Oster discovered that heart and artery tissue that should contain plasmalogen often contained none. It is well known that atherosclerosis begins with a small wound or lesion in the wall of the artery. Oster reasoned that the initial lesion was caused by the loss of plasmalogen from the cells lining the artery, leading to the development of plaque.

The big question was what caused the lack of plasmalogen in the heart muscle and the tissue lining the arteries. Oster believed that the enzyme xanthine oxidase (XO) has the capacity to oxidize, or change, plasmalogen into a different substance, making it appear that the plasmalogen had disappeared. The body makes XO, but XO and plasmalogen are not normally found in the same tissue; the heart, therefore, normally contains plasmalogen but not XO. In a paper published in 1974, Oster argued that the presence of XO in the liver and in the mucous membrane of the small intestine was directly responsible for the natural absence of plasmalogen from the cell membranes at these sites.1 If XO somehow made its way to the heart and its arteries, that might explain the absence of plasmalogen in the surgical specimens and autopsy tissues from pathological hearts.

More of this article found at:

http://www.realmilk.com/homogenization.html

Q: Does drinking milk help to prevent osteoporosis?

          PRO (YES)

    The National Dairy Council wrote in a Nov.- Dec. 2004 article titled "Building Better Bones With  Dairy Foods Throughout the Lifecycle," published in the Dairy Council Digest, that:

"Prevention of osteoporosis begins in childhood and adolescence because much of genetically determined peak bone mass is accrued during the first two decades of life. Studies in children and adolescents demonstrate that increasing consumption of dairy foods benefits bone health - or that low intake of dairy foods compromises bone health and may increase the risk of bone fractures during growth. Moreover, consuming an adequate intake of milk and other dairy foods during childhood and adolescence may protect against fractures in later years.

Investigations in adults demonstrate that consuming calcium-rich dairy foods such as milk, cheese, or yogurt reduces age related bone loss and risk of osteoporotic fractures.

Milk and other dairy foods are the preferred source of calcium because of their high calcium content and the presence of other nutrients important for bone and overall health."
Nov.-Dec. 2004 National Dairy Council

 

CON (NO)

 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine wrote in their article "Health Concerns About Dairy Products," posted on their website (accessed Nov. 19, 2007): "Milk's main selling point is calcium, and milk-drinking is touted for building strong bones in children and preventing osteoporosis in older persons. However, clinical research shows that dairy products have little or no benefit for bones. A 2005 review published in Pediatrics showed that milk consumption does not improve bone integrity in children. Similarly, the Harvard Nurses' Health Study, (1.49 MB) which followed more than 72,000 women for 18 years, showed no protective effect of increased milk consumption on fracture risk. While calcium is important for bone health, studies show that increasing consumption beyond approximately 600 mg per day-amounts that are easily achieved without dairy products or calcium supplements-does not improve bone integrity.

In studies of children and adults, exercise has been found to have a major effect on bone density. You can decrease your risk of osteoporosis by reducing sodium and animal protein intake in the diet, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, exercising, and ensuring adequate calcium intake from plant foods such as kale, broccoli, and other leafy green vegetables and beans. You can also use calcium-fortified products such as breakfast cereals and juices, although these products provide more concentrated calcium than is necessary."

 

Nov. 19, 2007 Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine

 

 Another article, "Top 10 Pros and Cons of the Milk Debate."
You can visit our website for more information on Sammi's Best products at www.bestlifeint.com or by phone 1-800-407-7238.
$5 off Just enter promo code 10034.4 when you place an order online, or mention the special when you call in to receive $5 off each Sammi's Best Soy Nog 4.4lb. container.
Offer Expires: 1/03/08