MILK – FRIEND OR FOE

MILK -- FRIEND OR FOE

This Blog is a partial excerpt from a PowerPoint Presentation I present in lectures. In this Blog I will discuss Milk Allergy, Sensitivity, and Intolerance and how these manifestations show up in the body depending upon what I term: The Shock Organ.

A number of years ago in 1979 I did a very foolish thing. I wrote a Letter-to-the-Editor of our local newspaper entitled: Drinking Milk May Be Hazardous to Your Health. Why was this such a stupid thing to do? Frederick, MD, was a dairy county – at that time probably the third largest milk-producing county in the entire United States, exceeded only by perhaps several counties in the state of Wisconsin.

The three members of the local Board of Appeals were either dairy farmers or directly involved in the dairy industry. This local Board of Appeals eventually voted down our request to establish a camp for children.

In these camps with the combination of diet and relaxation techniques we successfully treated children suffering from hyperactivity, attention deficit syndrome (ADD, ADHD), and other quasi-behavioral problems. We were able to take these children completely and immediately off their Ritalin and Dexedrine.

Important to our program was applying the principals of nutrition and diet, one of these being completely eliminating milk and milk products from their diets.

To say the least, we were not very popular in our county. At a meeting of the Board of Directors of our not-for-profit center, I was castigated by one of our Directors, a lawyer, for having done what I did. He said that this would eventually result in the downfall of our center. How true were his words. Eventually, what I had done resulted in such untoward dire and negative consequences which led to our losing one of our best programs – the children’s camps designed to treat naturally children suffering from ADHD, Autism, and other related disorders.

This brings up the question: Why are so many people allergic to milk and what makes milk so bad to those allergic to it? The answer, I believe, is quite simple.

It all begins at infancy. The newborn’s stomach is very immature. It lacks sufficient acid and proteolytic enzymes (protein-digesting enzymes) to digest cow’s milk completely. Some of the undigested milk protein gets into the circulation only partially digested. These partially digested proteins eventually are recognized by the infant as foreign. The baby develops antibodies to neutralize these foreign proteins. In due time these antigens (cow’s milk protein/antibody (the substances the baby produces to destroy these foreign proteins) reactions manifest clinically as allergic reactions.

If we were to postpone giving milk to an infant until he is older, perhaps after 9 months of age, things would be considerably different. With a more mature digestive system, there would be a more complete digestion of the milk protein. The baby would not be sensitized and, therefore, would not be milk-allergic.

WHAT HAPPENS LATER IN LIFE?

Once sensitized, the biological set up is in place for individuals to experience allergic reactions to milk and milk products. This does not happen in ALL individuals because nothing in biology is 100%. But for those who are allergic or sensitive, the clinical manifestations can be mild, moderate, or severe. Additionally, the allergic reaction can manifest itself in any organ and in many ways.

MANIFESTATIONS OF AN ALLERGIC REACTION

Allergic reaction can be similar regardless of the source of the inciting antigen or the target organ, for the purposes we will be concerned as these relate to foods.

ALLERGY VS SENSITIVITYAllergy is when we can demonstrate that someone reacts to an antigen by skin testing or a sample of their serum reacts in a test tube because the serum contains certain antibodies which are known to mediate the allergic response.

Sensitivities may relate to other factors, not necessarily related to the well defined allergic-type antigen/antibody reaction, which cause someone to react to their environment.

Allergies and Sensitivities can result from exposure to foods (milk, eggs, wheat, etc.) inhalant allergens (animal dander and pollens), toxins (smoke, odors, fumes), and contact-type irritants (poison ivy and oak).


Stated in another way, Sensitivity is a more general term encompassing reactions which are classified as true immediate-type allergy (IgE antibody-mediated sensitivity), delayed-type allergy (cell-mediated) and the non-antibody, non-cell-mediated sensitivities which include the toxic, enzyme-lacking and metabolic sensitivities. If this is too technical, ignore the details and try to understand the general concepts which will soon be evident. I will defer a more detailed description of the Types of Sensitivities. And move on to discuss the concept of The Shock Organ.

THE SHOCK ORGANClinical manifestations of allergic/sensitivity reactions vary depending upon what I like to call the Shock Organ. If the skin is the Shock Organ then acute manifestations may be: itching, rash, hives, edema, and excessive perspiration. Chronic manifestations may be eczema, psoriasis, and acne.

If the cardiovascular system is the Shock Organ then acute manifestations may be: increase pulse rate, acute and immediate lowering of blood pressure with resulting syncope (fainting), and acute hypertension. Chronic manifestations may be: chronic hypertension.

If the Joints are the Shock Organ, acute symptoms might be general aches and pains and chronic symptoms might be arthritis. We could go down the line and discuss other organ systems which are part of the more expansive Power Point Presentation, bu for now I think I have made the point.

But before we do, lets discuss the Brain as the shock organ and the manifestations of Cerebral Allergy. If the Brain or Nervous System are the Shock Organs, most any function of the brain and mind can be affected. The determining symptoms depend upon what particular region of the brain or nervous system is affected. The symptomatology obviously reflects the complexity of the nervous system.

Tomorrow, I will discuss in depth the manifestations of Cerebral Allergy and how similar these are to vitamin deficiencies.

nicola michael ©. Tauraso, M.D.)
Director, Tauraso Medical Clinic
7051 Poole Jones Road
Frederick, MD 21702
301-682-8717
Web site: www.drtauraso.com
Blog site: http://www.drtauraso.com/blog/index.htm
Email: drtauraso@drtauraso.com

XANTHINE OXIDASE IN HOMOGENIZED MILK

XANTHINE OXIDASE IN HOMOGENIZED MILK


Xanthine oxidase is a metaloflavoprotein enzyme which occurs in high concentrations in cow’s milk. It is postulated that the xanthine oxidase in milk is absorbed from the gut in a biologically active form and that this enzyme reacts with the phospholipid component of the arterial wall to cause a lesion. The body reacts by depositing cholesterol over the lesion to protect further damage. In the base of cholesterol plaques the active enzyme can be found.

There should not be a bovine (cow) protein in the human body. How did it get there? When one drinks cow milk the proteins should be digested within the stomach and should never reach the intestines where it can be absorbed. Besides, a large protein-enzyme such as xanthine oxidase should never be absorbed in the first place. Again the question: “how did it get there?” There are two related events which can explain the reason.

First, in the process of homogenization the fat molecules within milk are disrupted into much smaller particles so that the fat (cream) will not separate so easily. The smaller fat molecules surround protein molecules in the form of a suspension and protect the protein-enzyme xanthine oxidase from digestion by stomach acid and proteolytic enzymes.

Second, we have the general practice of feeding cow’s milk to newborn infants and babies whose digestive tract is very immature allowing inadequate digestion in the stomach and for larger proteins to be absorbed in the intestines where in the maturing adult these larger proteins are not absorbed. So the xanthine oxidase is absorbed and begins its destructive damage within the arterial wall. The cholesterol plaque which eventually results in severe cardiovascular disease is the end result of this insult which began many years previously.

It is hard to quarrel about the process of Pasteurization which many so-called holistic physicians are also against. Before Pasteurization, one of the greatest diseases killing so many people was Tuberculosis (TB) – a disease cause by consuming unpasteurized milk from TB-infected cows. But now the herds must be certified TB-free. It would seem that, if the herds are indeed TB-free, the need for Pasteurization would be lessened. Another aspect of this entire problem is the delivery of food from the farm to the consumer. In the old days milk could travel from a local farm to a consumer. But, today, we have a problem of delivering considerably more food to the masses. So, we can understand the regulations must be tightened in this latter situation.

Pasteurization brings the bacterial content of milk down to a safe-drinking range. And, in fact, Pasteurization kills the TB bacterium. But homogenization is yet another matter. Homogenization only renders the milk more acceptable because one does not need to shake the bottle vigorously to disperse the cream fat throughout the milk. It does not do much else other than the damaging effect of protecting the potentially damaging xanthine oxidase from digestion within the human body.

Another aspect of the immature digestive system of the infant is an explanation why more people are allergic to cow’s milk than any other food. A similar explanation can be made. Undigested cow’s protein gets absorbed by the infant, and this foreign protein sets the individual up for allergic reactions later in life.

It can be argued: cow’s milk for cows; human milk for humans! It is difficult to refute the logic of this statement.

We must also note that, if a nursing mother drinks a lot of milk, the infant will experience similar problems with milk allergy later in life. This has been observed over and over.

In conclusion, do not feed homogenized milk to infants, at least, until 9-10 months of age. It would also be a healthy practice not to drink cow’s milk entirely.

nicola michael ©. Tauraso, M.D.)
Director, Tauraso Medical Clinic
Web site: www.drtauraso.com
Blog site: http://www.drtauraso.com/blog/index.htm
Email: drtauraso@drtauraso.com