Milk's Benefits

 It does a body good

That's what the ads used to say about my favorite natural drink:
Milk.

As you know, I've been singing milk's praises (the raw variety of
course) for decades — I've even written a book on the subject. It's
a great source of calcium, vitamin D, lactoferrins (natural
antibiotics), and other good stuff.

But as you also may know, the fat-phobic and animal-loving
medical mainstream in this country is very anti-milk, for the most
part. Now, however, there's some new evidence of milk's benefits
that might shake some sense into the naysayers when it comes to
this natural lifesaver. It's pretty big news, too…

Apparently, a high calcium intake from milk and other sources can
help prevent COLON CANCER.

According to a recent Associated Press story, researchers have
concluded that the calcium your body ingests by drinking at least a
glass of milk a day can cut the risk of developing polyps that
typically turn cancerous in both men and women (but slightly more
so in women) by as much as 12%. The calcium in two or more
glasses a day slashed colon cancer's incidence in test subjects by
15%.

This was not small-scale research, either — it was actually a
sustained analysis of 10 different nutrient studies that encompassed
more than half a million people!

Vitamin D, which is often added to milk, was thought by the
study's authors to play a role in this cancer-preventative effect,
either by it's own nutritive action or by its ability to help the body
absorb calcium. The research couldn't pinpoint the exact role of
vitamin D or its rate of effectiveness by itself — but it definitely
noted the greatest degree of risk reduction among subjects who
consumed daily doses of both calcium and vitamin D in
abundance.

What's this finding mean to you? It means you should drink plenty
of full-fat, vitamin D-filled milk every day — and supplement your
diet with both calcium and extra vitamin D.  But if your milk is
raw, it's not necessary to supplement it. You could practically
LIVE on raw milk alone it's so nutritious. Too bad it's virtually
impossible to find. Also, you should make sure you get plenty of
sunlight, too (even in the wintertime), to make sure your body
produces as much vitamin D as it needs.  

And don't buy into the mainstream's vapid arguments against milk
if yours is the raw variety — they're based on nothing but junk
science and PC feel-goodism.

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 The crazy truth behind estrogen replacement

A lot of mainstream doctors have sold a lot of women on
prescription-drug estrogen replacement therapy for the "relief" of
menopause symptoms.  It's a racket that pays the drug biz and the
individual practitioner big bucks for treating something that's
perfectly normal (and perfectly manageable, if you use a few safe,
natural techniques).

But there's another reason why a lot of MDs are convincing
women to look past the increased risk of several types of female-
specific cancers (breast and uterine, most notably) and the
heightened likelihood of strokes and heart attacks that accompany
modern drug-based hormone replacement therapy…

Pharmaceuticals makers have successfully positioned (a term
prevalent in advertising, how fitting) estrogen therapy as a
preventive for dementia in women over 65.

This, despite the fact that there's actually proof to the contrary!

A few weeks ago, the Journal of the American Medical
Association published the results of a government-sponsored study
called the Women's Health Initiative. The research focused on
3,000 women aged 65 to 79, and guess what they discovered? 
Contrary to drug company claims and mainstream doctors' beliefs,
the research showed a whopping 38% greater risk of developing
Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia among women taking
supplemental estrogen than among those coping with menopause
the natural way.

I've touched on this subject in prior Daily Doses and in my
newsletter, but it bears repeating now — a 38% increased risk in
anything as serious as dementia cannot be under-reported, in my
opinion.

There is a new, positive development in this saga, though.
Apparently, the message is trickling out about the risks of modern
estrogen replacement therapy: Worldwide sales of one leading
marketer's supplemental estrogen drugs fell by nearly 40%
between 2001 and 2002.