conditions were implemented in the early 20th century, the death rate decreased,
and pasteurization was wrongly credited as the key reason why.
As a result, pasteurization became big business. Gone were the days of small,
family-run farms, which dairy farming replaced on a massive scale. Cows were
no longer free to roam and eat grass; instead, they were confined to overcrowded
stalls and fed soy, bakery waste, corn, grains, and other dead animals— anything
but the fresh green grass essential to making healthy, nutritious milk. Cows are
routinely injected with recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), a genetically
engineered growth hormone that stimulates milk production. (The long-term
effects of this hormone on our health are still unknown.) Last, the cows’ milk is
pasteurized to promote shelf life. It’s clear that pasteurized fatfree milk, which
we are encouraged to consume on a daily basis, is not as nutritious as the full-fat
raw milk humans consumed for thousands of years.
Research done on pasteurized milk reveals:
• Pasteurization destroys milk enzymes and forces the body to work extra
hard to break down the milk nutrients.
• Pasteurization destroys and reduces many nutrients in milk, including
vitamins A, C, and B complex.
• Pasteurization destroys many of the healthy bacteria present in milk.
• Pasteurization lowers calcium by 38 percent.
It’s worth repeating: before pasteurization, adults consumed very little milk
for thousands of years. Once pasteurization made dairy farming big business,
milk began to be marketed as an essential food that should be consumed in the
amount of three servings per day. Aggressive marketing led to an
overconsumption of dairy and an upsurge in lactose-related illnesses. When
saturated fats in dairy were condemned in the later part of the 20th century as
atherogenic, simple sugars were at times added to many dairy products, such as
yogurt, to replace the removed fat. This process took a further toll on our insulin
secretions and other hormones.
The Refinement of Whole Grains
In the late 19th century, mills started refining whole grains into nutritionally
barren white flour. White flour has a long shelf life and makes fluffier breads and
pastries. However, it’s nutritionally empty. The taste of this new flour appealed
to many people who viewed dark or wholegrain bread as “peasant” food, and in
particular Americans were quick to embrace this new taste. The process of
refining grains removes its fiber, which is actually the healthiest part of the grain
and crucial for slowing digestion.