The Dark Side of Dairy

Introduction and Context

In my previous article called White Poisons, I identified milk as one of the four white poisons that are a fundamental part of the Standard American Diet (SAD). In this article, I want to provide a summary of the core points, key insights, and conclusions of a particular episode of Hard Copy that investigates the claims behind milk consumption, particularly challenging the long-standing belief that "milk does a body good." The segment introduces author Robert Cohen, who critically examines the ingredients and health implications of milk produced by American dairy farms.

Genetically Engineered Hormones in Milk Production

• American farms inject cows with genetically engineered hormones to produce excess milk beyond natural needs. An estimated one in six cows is injected with this.
• Though calcium content in milk is often cited as a health benefit, leafy green vegetables contain more calcium per serving than milk.

Food Item	Calcium Content (mg/100g)
Human breast milk	33
Potato chips	40
Beans	50
Chickpeas	150
Amarantha grain	267

Dairy products are criticized as a poor calcium source because milk's high protein content inhibits calcium absorption.

Contaminants and Health Risks in Milk

• Milk is described as "liquid meat," loaded with protein that complicates calcium uptake.
• Contaminant concerns: 60% of American cows carry leukemia virus; 80% carry paratuberculosis.
• Health links: Potential connections to irritable bowel syndrome and elevated cardiovascular risks due to cholesterol.

Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) and Hormones in Milk

• In addition to the genetically engineered hormones injected into them by dairy farmers, cow milk also naturally contains bovine growth hormones.
• Bovine growth hormone is identical between cows and humans. Consuming milk doubles the presence of this hormone, which Cohen claims stimulates breast cancer growth.
• Milk actually contains 59 different bioactive hormones (including estrogen from pregnant cows) that may influence early puberty and other health factors in children, as well as early onset of menopause and some types of cancer (eg., prostate and endometrial).

Comprehensive Critique of Milk's Composition

Milk is described as a "dangerous brew" containing high levels of fat, cholesterol, viruses, bacteria, and growth hormones. Cohen’s book, Milk, the Deadly Poison, posits that milk contains chemical, biological, and bacterial agents harmful to human health.

International Comparisons and Dairy Industry Financials

• Countries with high dairy consumption (Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Sweden) exhibit high rates of breast cancer and osteoporosis.
• The dairy industry spends approximately $500 million annually on marketing campaigns to maintain its image of health.

Milk Protein Casein and Its Effects

Casein (80% of milk protein) is the main ingredient in a specific class of adhesives called casein glues. These glues are used to stick labels on glass bottles, to hold furniture together, and for book binding. Its consumption is linked to excessive mucus production, respiratory issues, and digestive problems. 

It is no wonder cow's milk causes inflammation and, in some cases, obesity. Dairy, particularly from cows, can act as a trigger for inflammation and digestive distress. When systemic inflammation takes hold, it can attack multiple areas of the body. In the skin, it can manifest as acne, psoriasis, or eczema. In the brain, it can trigger anxiety, fatigue, confusion, and cognitive decline. In the gut, it can lead to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)—including Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. This inflammation can also target the respiratory system, joints and other critical body systems.

Dr. Sten Ekberg of Wellness for Life explains that proteins are very heat-sensitive and become denatured when heated (eg., during pasteurization). He explains that this process involves the protein's molecular structure changing—much like how an egg white turns solid when cooked—making the proteins more difficult for the body to break down and process.

Dairy Cholesterol Level vs Bacon Fat

Robert Cohen makes a comparison regarding cholesterol intake from dairy products relative to eating bacon. 

• Dr. Cohen states in his book, "The average American eats the equivalent cholesterol in 53 slices of bacon [daily]... just by drinking two glasses of milk."
• He asserts that by consuming dairy products, a person is effectively consuming the same amount of cholesterol as if they were eating 19,000 slices of bacon per year. 
• He further contextualizes this by noting that by the age of 52, the accumulated lifetime amount of cholesterol consumed would equate to the cholesterol contained in 1 million slices of bacon.

Expert Qualifications and Public Perception

Robert Cohen, a researcher in psychoneuroendocrinology, claims the dairy industry actively suppresses damaging information. Despite marketing, widespread lactose intolerance (notably 95% of African-Americans) challenges the idea that milk is a universally suitable food.

Glossary of Terms

Term	Definition
Casein	The primary protein in milk, the main ingredient in casein industrial glue.
Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH)	A potent growth hormone identical in cows and humans, linked to cancer growth.
Paratuberculosis	A bacterial disease found in cows linked to irritable bowel syndrome in humans.
Psychoneuroendocrinology	Scientific field studying how hormones affect brain function and behavior.

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The Hidden Truths About Milk: What You Should Know

There is a deeply ingrained belief that "milk does a body good," but mounting scientific evidence and expert insights suggest that this nutritional narrative may be more about marketing than health. Here is a breakdown of the concerns surrounding modern dairy consumption.

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Core Points: Beyond the Marketing

• Hormonal Concerns: Many milk brands contain powerful, artificially introduced synthetic growth hormones. These substances can have profound, unnatural effects on the human body.
• Calcium Misconceptions: While dairy is pushed as a primary calcium source, many plant-based foods—such as chickpeas and amaranth grain—offer significantly higher calcium density than milk, which are more easily absorbed by the body.
• Pathogens and Viruses: Research suggests that milk can act as a carrier for various viruses, including those linked to leukemia and paratuberculosis (the latter being associated with irritable bowel syndrome).
• The Cancer Link: A unique growth hormone shared by cows and humans is present in milk. Studies suggest that consuming just one 12-ounce glass can significantly elevate levels of this hormone, which is potentially linked to the promotion of breast cancer.
• Dairy Cholesterol Level vs Bacon Fat: Robert Cohen makes a comparison regarding cholesterol intake from dairy products relative to eating bacon. He asserts that by consuming dairy products (the average American consumes two glasses of milk per day), a person is effectively consuming the same amount of cholesterol as if they were eating 19,000 slices of bacon per year. He further contextualizes this by noting that by the age of 52, this amount would equate to the cholesterol contained in 1 million slices of bacon.
• Industry Influence: The dairy industry spends roughly $500 million annually on advertising to maintain a positive public image, often overshadowing concerns about the 59 bioactive hormones found in dairy products.

Key Findings and Health Risks

Issue	Key Concern
Casein Protein	Known as the "glue" of dairy, it is linked to excessive mucus production and potential digestive/allergy issues.
Cholesterol Load	The lifetime cholesterol burden from dairy is alarmingly high, comparable to consuming hundreds of thousands of slices of bacon.
Global Data	Countries with the highest dairy consumption (e.g., Sweden, Denmark) also report the highest rates of osteoporosis and breast cancer.

Important Considerations

"Despite widespread belief, much of the public is influenced by highly funded marketing efforts rather than nutritional necessity, particularly when considering that 95% of African Americans are lactose intolerant."

It is Unnatural for Adults to Drink Milk

Science and reason prove that it is completely unnatural and abnormal, as well as unhealthy, for adults to drink milk. Milk is for infants, not adults. It is designed by God to make infants grow fast, whatever kind of mammal they are, but it was not intended to be consumed by adults. That is why in nature, you don't see adult animals drinking milk unless humans feed it to them, such as adult house cats. 

Even the Scripture says, "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Heb 5:13). 

This passage is referring to spiritual milk (elementary truths of the faith), but it is based on the fact that anyone living on milk -- whether spiritual or natural milk -- is considered to still be an infant, since that is something only infants do, not adults. Adults live on solid food, not milk.

Conclusion

This summary presents a critical perspective on milk consumption as argued by Robert Cohen and the investigative program.

Further Research

Please see the following sites for further research:

The Truth About Milk (Rense.com article)

The Perils of Dairy (summary of a video).

John McDougall MD discusses what dairy products have going for them. They are a great source of nutrition -- for getting fat and growing tumors!

Is DAIRY Scary?? Inflammation & Obesity Concerns - 2026 (Dr. Ken Berry video)

Acne, dairy and cancer (PubMed article)

Milk consumption: aggravating factor of acne and promoter of chronic diseases of Western societies (PubMed article)

Dairy and prostate cancer (PubMed article)

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Attribution notice: This article was created with the aid of AI to quickly summarize the content of the video, and was then revised by this author as necessary. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as The Perils of Dairy, White Poisons, Some Foods Damage and Others Heal and The Benefits of Eating Well. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master." The views expressed in this blog are not intended as medical advice to treat any condition. Rather they are my personal opinions based on my own research, and do not necessarily represent the views of Doulos Missions International.

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

White Poisons

Most people put poisons into their body every day and don't realize it.  They consume foods that are toxic and which cause poor health, but have no idea how much damage they are doing.  There are four white poisons I want to talk about today that you should avoid.  They are white sugar, white flour, milk and it's byproducts, and table salt. 

Sugar
First of all, sugar is a major factor in poor health. Robert Lustig, MD. gave a lecture about this in 2009 that has been reported on in the New York Times and featured on You Tube. Most nutrition experts agree with him.  Sugar can cause diseases like atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, rectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and many other health problems. In fact, sugar is the source of all chronic disease. Nancy Appleton, PhD. lists 143 reasons sugar ruins your health.  She's right, and just think of all the sugar in the western diet. Whether it's cookies, soft drinks, cakes, chocolate, or breakfast cereal, you will find sugar in just about every meal that westerners consume.

Even many of the so-called healthy alternatives contain sugar.  For example, look at the ingredients on a commercial box of soy milk or commercial almond milk, and you will find sugar.

But it's not just refined sugar that's bad for you.  There are many forms of sugar, including glucose and fructose.  Fructose is contained in fruit juices, even the ones that have no sugar added. And when you consume it in high quantities, it's not healthy.  Since all fruits contain sugar, it's best to eat the fruits raw in their whole form, and limit your daily intake.  This will lower the amount of fructose you consume, rather than squeezing out the juice and drinking it.

Many of the carbohydrates you eat are converted into sugars in your body when digested, and this has an overall net affect on your health, which is not good for you when you combine it with all the other sugars you consume directly.  For example, when you eat potatoes, carrots, and even grains contained in bread and cereals, your adding to your sugar intake.

I think this is one of the major causes of obesity in America today, so if you care about your health, cut out the direct intake of refined sugar, including white sugar, brown sugar, and raw sugar.  Use a little bit of honey as a sweetener instead.  And limit your consumption of carbohydrates that turn into sugar inside your body.

If you would like to do more research on the harmful effects of sugar, I suggest reading Kill the Sugar Before It Kills You: 'Sugar Is the Source of All Chronic Disease', a CBN News article by Lorie Johnson.

Milk
Another white poison is milk and all its byproducts.  It's horrible and will kill your family.  According to Robert Cohen's "Not Milk" website (no longer online as of 2026), this is a bad news substance that has been linked to acne, arthritis, allergies, asthma, autism, breast cancer, constipation, Crohn's disease, depression, irritable bowels, lactose intolerance, Lou Gehrig's disease, migraines, multiple sclerosis, obesity, osteoporosis, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and many other diseases.  I've researched this out thoroughly and found that what Cohen says is true.

Eighty percent of the protein in milk is casein.  This substance is very harmful to your body.  It's the same glue used to hold your furniture together and to affix labels to beer bottles. When you consume it, your body creates histamines and it generates lots of mucus.  And the pasteurization process renders casein into an inorganic substance that cannot be digested.  So it doesn't do your body any good to drink milk.

And just think of all the dairy westerners consume each day.  In addition to drinking milk directly, it's an ingredient in many of the processed foods you eat.  Then there are all the cheese products in foods like cheeseburgers, pizza and lasagna. There's all the butter you use for cooking, put on your toast and in your recipes.

A great case in point concerning the harmful effects of dairy is the Scandanavians.  Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Sweden have the highest rates of osteoporosis as well as breast cancer.  There is also a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension).  Dairy products (from cows, goats, and reindeer) are heavily consumed. In addition to drinking milk, Scandanavians also have a high intake of sour cream, buttermilk, and cheese. Cheese is generally served at every meal.  This should help you to see how dangerous this substance is to your body.

If you are concerned about getting enough calcium, you should know that protein inhibits your body's ability to absorb calcium, and milk is liquid protein.  So it's not the best source of calcium.  If would like to find good, healthy sources of non-dairy calcium, such as leafy greens (which is much more bioavailable than in milk), then see here.

If you would like to do more research on your own, I suggest you watch the interview with Robert Cohen, read my articles The Dark Side of Dairy and The Perils of Dairy. Also read the Deadly Dairy Deception, by Dr. Robert Bibb, MD., and the FAQ on the Scandanavian Diet.

I've done the research and I say one of the best things you can do for your health is get rid of the dairy.

Salt
Typical salt is "chemically cleaned". This is another deadly substance.  When you consume processed table salt, you do a lot of harm to your body.  Over time, you increase your blood pressure and cause a hardening of the arteries.

You'll find refined salt in most of the foods you eat as part of a western diet. And most of the common salts have toxic chemicals that pollute your body.  You can read more about this from Bee Wilder.  But what your body needs are salts that have not been processed with chemicals, such as unrefined sea salt or naturally harvested Himalayan salt, which contain many trace minerals needed for optimal health.  You would do yourself a favor if you switch to real salt and avoid foods containing refined salt.

White Flour
This is the last one I will discuss.  White flour is made from whole grains that have been processed. This process renders the grain devoid of most of its nutrients.  To further add insult to injury, chlorine is used as an industry standard chemical agent to bleach the flour, which gives it a longer shelf life and removes the odor.  This is the same chemical in the bleach you use to remove stains from your laundry. Dr. Joseph Mercola explains this process and why white flour is bad for you, especially bleached white flour. 

What you end up with is a food that is full of empty calories.  And you'll find white flour in breads, dumplings, pastas, and all sorts of baked goods.  This is another food to avoid, if you care about your health.  Replace it with wheat flour, which has not been bleached.

Putting it All Together
Now that I've shown you why these four substances are toxic, stop and think about how the western culture promotes their consumption beyond even the normal daily diet.  In the Spring, people consume high quantities of these poisons around Easter time and Mother's Day.  In the summer, these are part of graduation parties, picnics and holiday parties like Father's Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.  In the fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving give people another reason to indulge in these poisons.  And then in the winter, you've got more opportunities to do so at Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Day.  In between all those, you have all the birthday parties. It's no wonder westerners are so sick and diseased when we regularly consume so much poison in our diet.

I want to be clear that I am not forbidding anybody from eating these foods.  "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving..." (1 Ti 4:4). You can eat them if you like, but I am simply presenting facts about them, so that you can make wise decisions for the sake of your health and that of your family.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Bible says that your body is a member of Christ (1 Co 6:15). That means you should take good care of it. If you would like to take a step toward improving your health, then begin cutting these white poisons out of your diet and replacing them with healthy, nutritious alternatives.

Author's note: This post is part of a series.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as The Milk Deception, Some Foods Damage and Others Heal and The Benefits of Eating Well. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  The views expressed in this blog are not intended as medical advice to treat any condition.  Rather they are my personal opinions based on my own research, and do not necessarily represent the views of Doulos Missions International.

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.