Dr Kurt Oster, head of cardiology in Connecticut, has been researching and gathering evidence about homogenised milk for over 20 years. This questionable process began being introduced by dairy companies as far back as 1932. Most of the milk consumed in the US is now homogenised. Dr Oster's findings conclusively show that in the process of extending shelf life and stopping the cream separating out of milk, medicine has a clear culprit for increased arteriosclerosis. Dr Oster's findings link the formation of the plaque which clogs arteries directly to ingesting homogenised milk.

According to Dr Oster, with Dr Donald Ross of Fairfield University and Dr John Zikakis of the University of Delaware, homogenising allows the enzyme xanthine oxidase (XO) to pass intact into the blood stream. There it attacks the plasmologen tissue of the artery walls and parts of the heart muscle. This causes lesions that the body tries to heal by laying down a protective layer of cholesterol. The end result is scar tissue and calcified plaques with a build-up of cholesterol and other fatty deposits. We call these arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. According to these experts, dietary cholesterol is not the main cause of heart attacks; it is homogenised milk.
Homogenisation forces the milk under extreme pressure, through tiny holes. This breaks up the normally large fat particles into tiny ones and forces the fat to form tiny molecular clusters, thus ensuring that the molecules do not regroup and form a cream layer on top of the milk. Instead, in this denatured state, they stay suspended in the milk. However, not only do they not regroup, the process also makes digestion almost impossible. The tiny molecules enter the bloodstream directly as undigested fat - not exactly the best for human health.

Xanthine oxidase has a very specific function in our bodies. It breaks down purine compounds into uric acid, which is a waste product. The liver of several animals, including humans, contains Xanthine oxidase specifically for this purpose.

However, as Dr Oster said, "When foreign XO, such as that from cow's milk, enters the bloodstream it causes havoc by attacking specific targets within the artery walls." The "specific target" which Dr Oster refers to, as mentioned earlier, is the plasmologen tissue making up the artery cell walls. Plasmologen is vital as it holds together the cell membranes within the artery walls. Any damage from foreign Xanthine oxidase causes lesions to the artery walls. The body, in its efforts to protect and repair them, immediately responds by "patching" the damage with calcified plaque. In the later stages of arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis, arteries lose their elasticity as additional calcium is deposited. Calcification of the arteries can contribute to high blood pressure which is actually not a disease by itself, merely a symptom. It has been found in some samples that plasmologen was missing in artery wall lesions and plaques. The mystery was solved when researchers found XO in the plaques. The two substances cannot co-exist.
So what should we do?
Firstly, we must minimise non-preferred fats in the diet. Preferred fats include fish oils and seafood oils, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, and small amounts of butter. Non-preferred fats include homogenised milk fats, processed oils, margarine and excess animal fat. The use of trans-fatty acids (bad fats) potentially results in deterioration of cell membranes and a degradation of the immune system.
EVEN STANDARD MILK PASTEURISATION BRINGS PROBLEMS

It changes calcium into an insoluble form which we can no longer absorb. The old myth that you can get calcium from milk is very shaky indeed and we have major increases in osteoporosis even though plenty of milk is consumed.1 It is a common misconception that dairy products are a good source of calcium. But the amount of phosphorus also in milk blocks its absorption. People who drink a lot of milk have even been found to have a higher incidence of osteoporosis. Furthermore, the Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research has shown that pasteurisation destroys the vitamin A, around 38 percent of the vitamin B complex, and about 50 percent of the vitamin C content of milk. Research has also shown that an anti-cancer metabolite contained in raw milk is destroyed in pasteurisation, and many enzymes are also damaged. A recent study by Auckland medical researchers,2 published in the latest issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal, also suggests a strong link between consuming milk with A1 beta-casein - which most New Zealanders consume each day - and heart disease and Type 1 diabetes.

One of the most outspoken opponents of dairy products is American, Dr William Ellis, who said: "Over my 42 years of practice, I've performed more than 25,000 blood tests for my patients. These tests show conclusively, in my opinion, that adults who use milk products do not absorb nutrients as well as adults who don't. Of course, poor absorption, in turn, means chronic fatigue."3

While pasteurising may well ruin several valuable components in milk, homogenising makes it much worse.

Robert Anderson Ph.D

References:

1. People in the US and Scandinavian countries consume more dairy products than anywhere else in the world, yet they have the highest rates of osteoporosis (Clin Ortho Related Res, 152; 35, 1980). This fact emphasises the threat of excessive protein in the diet and suggest that dairy products offer no protection against osteoporosis, probably due to the high protein content of milk (Am J Clin Nutr, 41; 254, 1985).

2. All cows' milk in New Zealand contains the A1 beta-casein protein and this has been shown recently to increase rates of heart disease and childhood diabetes. Diabetes, heart risk linked to NZ milk, 24.01.2003, NZ Herald. Original article see Jan issue New Zealand Medical Journal.

3. Healthview Newsletter, Virginia, Spring 1978.

4. Published by Mollica Press.

Bob Anderson is a former lecturer in Chemistry, Physics, Lab Technology and Nuclear Medicine, and holds an honours degree in Chemistry and Physics from the University of Birmingham, and PhD in Science Education. Since retiring he has worked as a member of PSRG, publicising issues surrounding GE.

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