Ways preventive medicine says homogenized and pasteurized milk affect your health

April 15, 8:07 AMSacramento Nutrition ExaminerAnne Hart

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Cardiologist, Stephen A. Sinatra, M.D. in his 2007 book, Reverse Heart Disease Now, writes (on page 178) "Besides their saturated fat content, meat and dairy are high in methionine, an amino acid precursor to homocysteine. Too much homocysteine is a major promoter of arterial damage. Moreover, the homogenization of milk creates very small compounds that get inside blood vessels, causing inflammation and injury to the vessel walls."

Dr. Sinatra goes on to mention fish  for its anti-inflammatory oils. And (on page 181) Sinatra notes, "Actually, there's not much need for milk because you get plenty of calcium from vegetables. A single serving of kale, for instance, contains as much calcium as a glass of milk." He also writes, "Drink water. I can't stress this enough. Eight to ten 8-ounce glasses a day."

One of the most debatable controversies in nutrition today is about the effect of milk on health. Check out the various articles and informational materials at the Weston A. Price Foundation. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation’s site, "Dr. J. C. Annand has written a series of articles in which he has advanced the theory that the increase in the incidence of heart disease was proximately related to the on set of pasteurization of milk."

Different population groups were studied in various parts of the world. His theory is that "the heat process of pasteurization alters the protein found in milk and as a result heated protein is responsible for the large increase in the incidence of heart trouble in citizens of western civilization, during the course of the past generation.” 

Dr. Kurt A. Oster also has advanced the theory "that homogenization of milk is proximately related to the atherosclerosis which is so prevalent in citizens in developed countries of the western world." How did his research help to move the theory into mass media so that it is accepted as fact by some health care professionals today? And is it fact or still theory?

Oster's theory and research noted, "The reduction in the size of the fat particles caused by homogenization permits them to be assimilated into the stomach lining in a manner that was not contemplated by nature. When these fat particles along with xanthine oxidase get into the bloodstream the human system sets up a defense mechanism which results in the scarring of arteries." 

Can science show this really happens when you compare people that drink raw milk with those that drink pasteurized and homogenized milk? Take into consideration the fact that you have debates or issues related to many ongoing studies of how milk affects the human body.

Before you can take notes on the issue of what type of milk or nondairy beverage is healthy for the human body, you need to look at the most current medical and scientific journal articles from primary and secondary sources. Numerous books on health and nutrition warn people not to drink homogenized milk, and some books ask you not to drink pasteurized milk, even though the heating process kills the TB germs and other microbes in the milk. What should you do in the midst of this debate?

Another issue in the debate is how much antibiotics and growth hormones are put in milk sold to the public? How does organic milk differ? Does organic, raw, or otherwise differently treated or untreated milk effect human health in different ways? These are questions for debates on nutrition. To begin researching the field for your own reports, papers, projects, documentaries, or debates, look at the campaigns. Should you take sides? Sure, I drink almond milk, but ice cream is big business.

Begin by reading about both sides of the issue to get a perspective on what the controversy or issue actually emphasizes. Remember that “A Campaign for Real Milk” is a project of The Weston A. Price Foundation, PMB 106-380, 4200 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington DC 20016.

Also see another link at the Weston A. Price Foundation’s raw milk site where raw milk  is compared at the site to pasteurized milk in California. While you’re taking notes, remain unbiased and look at all sides and scientific studies to get a handle on what’s being researched and why. List the pros and the cons, the health effects, and the consumer requirements of a beverage product such as milk. Also read the article at the Foundation's site on the "Socio-Cultural Syndrome of Milk" by anthropologist, H. Leon Abrams, Jr. published in the Journal of Applied Nutrition, Volume 27, Number 4, Winter, 1975 in the Archives of the Weston A. Price Foundation's site. Also see the Journal of Applied Nutrition article on

Then research whether health-related studies are being performed on ‘milk’ that doesn’t come from an animal, such as rice milk, oat milk, and almond or hazelnut milk. That’s not milk at all, but a non-dairy beverage used in place of milk. What’s the effect on the body, the sugar content, and other nutrients in each beverage?

Who’s studying that particular drink? What’s new? Every decade, new definitive guides are published on many aspects of numerous foods. Is there really a definitive guide in the face of changing research findings about almost all foods studied as regards to effects on human health? It can be an adventure to search answers to these questions using links to research appearing in scientific journals.

It will get you reading more about who's researching what when it comes to nutrition and health. While you're reading, look at the articles at any of the various online preventive medicine sites. You have personalized medicine, predictive medicine, and preventive medicine along with alternative, complementary and integrative medicine fields all working together and sharing information that conventional medicine may just be beginning to be aware of.