A friend asked me to write an article for some of his websites. Here’s what I wrote…

Cancer and Dairy
By Elana Rogers

As a 38-year American female who is relatively fit and a non-smoker, I am a two-time cancer survivor and am thinking, “What gives?” The first time I was diagnosed it was Hodgkin’s Disease and I was 19 years old. The 2nd time it was breast cancer and I was 36, with a recurrence at 37. After treatments, surgeries and what-not, thankfully I am now in remission. Hallelujah! However, when something like this happens to you, you have to wonder – is there something I can do differently?

That’s when I turned to research. Did I party too hard in college? Did I spend too many years on birth control pills? Was this genetically caused? Did I cheat on my 5th grade math test? None of the above qualified. ; )

Allow me to cut to the chase here – after spending numerous hours reading a variety of materials, attending seminars and receiving treatment at MD Anderson (known as the “premier cancer center in the world”), I began to pick up on a theme: What you put into your body impacts how your body responds and repairs itself! In other words: you ARE what you eat. Wake up America! It’s TIME… to pay attention.

To my surprise, I learned that dairy (yes, dairy!), causes inflammation, coagulation and stimulation of cell growth – ALL of which are candidates for cancer formation. One cause of this is due to the imbalance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids in dairy. Hormone-laden, antibiotic-stuffed, factory-farmed dairy has higher amounts of Omega-6 than grass-fed stock. Why the change?

According to Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, author of “Anti Cancer – A New Way of Life”, changes in our diets over the last half century point to the culprit: a dietary imbalance in the ratio of essential fatty acids leading to the incredible over-consumption of Omega 6s, together with the rise in insulin levels due to the higher glycemic indexes of the modern Western diet (hello, sugar!). These imbalances are precisely the factors associate with certain cancers.

Here’s some more evidence for you: Ever notice how so many people are allergic to dairy foods or are lactose intolerant, or why people gain weight quickly on dairy foods and loose it when they go off of dairy? In addition, do you ever wonder why Chinese women rarely get breast cancer? Scientific research has shown that when Chinese women move to the West or adapt a Western diet, within one or two generations their rates of breast cancer nearly match those of their new community. Do your research and you will find that Chinese people rarely or never traditionally consume dairy.

Prior to the large demand for beef and milk in America in the 1950’s, cattle were grass-fed, which is rich in Omega 3. This pre-50’s form of raising cattle has now been replaced with factory farming. Corn, soy and wheat are “served” in factory farms and contain practically no Omega-3 fatty acids. Rather, they contain a higher concentration of Omega-6 fatty acids, which help stock fats and promote rigidity in cells as well as coagulation and inflammation – according to Dr. Servan-Schreiber .

You may also agree that the diet of chickens have changed drastically as well. Eggs no longer contain the same essential fatty acids they did fifty years ago. In some cases, chickens are treated with hormones like estradiol and zeranol to fatten them even faster. These hormones build up on fatty tissues and are excreted in milk.

It should also be no surprise that a new hormone has been introduced to on cattle farms to stimulate milk production. You may have heard of it: RBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). This hormone promotes high levels of insulin growth factor (IGF) production in cows (aka: milk) and is not destroyed by pasteurization. High amounts of IGF have been found by studies to stimulate the growth of cancer cells in humans. In fact, rBGH is banned in Europe and Canada!

Sadly, by removing the element of grass-fed cows, we’re also removing a fatty acid that was known to have anti-cancer benefits, according to research lead by Dr. Philippe Bougnoux of France. This fatty acid is CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). CLA is primarily found in cheese, but only if the cheese comes from grass-fed animals. Therefore, by disrupting the process of grass-feeding of cows, goats and sheep, we have eliminated the only anticancer benefit these animals might have provided.

Dr. Robert Young, author of “The pH Miracle”, further explains the additional risks of dairy products. Like most animal foods, diary products contain pesticide residues, microforms and mycotoxins and saturated fats (again: Omega-6 fatty acids). Adding to this, the sugar (lactose) in milk ultimately feeds microforms in the body and raises acidic levels. Furthermore, dairy is the leader of all foods in forming sticky mucus (aka: inflammation) which too is highly acidic. It can increase cancer risk. Let’s not forget that pasteurization also destroys the beneficial enzymes in milk.

Kris Carr, author of “Crazy, Sexy Cancer” further backs this up stating, “A diet heavy in animal products is that it’s incredibly acidic. Acidic foods create mucus in the body, and mucus acts like glue, clogging our elimination organs. Acidity lowers the pH of the body, creating an environment for cancer cells to thrive in.”

With all this information it’s overwhelming, right? It’s so much it almost makes you cry! Remember in elementary school you were shown a chart of the all-important “5 Food Groups” and how milk and dairy was always on that chart? We as Americans are raised to believe that dairy is an essential part of good health. It’s time to change that line of thinking. For instance, take a look at this chart. Look how much emphasis is on dairy and I can’t believe they even suggest sugar!

Suggestion? With the recommendation of many resources, wean yourself off of cow’s milk and replace it with rice, soy or almond milk as I have. And given the clear signal of sugar “feeding cancer” (aka, a high glycemic index in the body), steer clear from the vanilla or sweetened types. Rather, go for ORGANIC and UNSWEETENED soy, rice or almond milk. I have found this to be a surprisingly easy transition.

But what about calcium? Here’s a myth: the current rage for getting huge doses of calcium is through large quantities of diary products as well as supplements, is based on a total faulty understanding of how the body uses it, according to Dr. Robert Young. Many people worry – totally unnecessarily – that if milk products are eliminated, their diet will leave them deficient in calcium. The fact is that all leafy, green veggies are inherently high in calcium, as are celery, cauliflower, broccoli, beet greens, collards, kale, fennel, parsley, chickpeas, avocados, tofu and almonds – to name a few!

Do your own research and you will realize that you will not be depleted of calcium by removing dairy from your diet. I am also not suggesting that you go full-on Vegan. Just be aware of the multitude of factors of dairy that have been proven to contribute to cancer and make your own decisions.