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volume 104 issue 6• october 10, 2012 • santa monica college
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CORSAIR
Milk: Does a body good?
Daniel McCarty Contributor A woman selects a gallon of lowfat milk at Ralphs grocery store on Tuesday.
anilec vita Staff Writer
Daniel McCarty Contributor Alessandro Canale of Santa Monica College (L) battles College of the Canyons’ Jamie Bent (R) for the ball in the opening moments of SMC’s victorious 2-0 win on Corsair Field at SMC on Tuesday.
For many years, doctors, government institutions and health organizations have encouraged drinking milk every day. Even today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends drinking three cups of milk daily for those over age 9. But over the last decade, some studies have associated milk with several health problems, leading some to question whether or not drinking milk is actually healthy. Milk is the first food consumed by humans when they are born, but there is a debate about whether or not it is necessary for humans to keep drinking milk after breastfeeding. Ad campaigns such as the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign, sponsored by the California Milk Processor Board, promote awareness of the nutritional benefits of cow’s milk, while other organizations such as the Dairy Education Board claim that “milk is a deadly poison” that contains cancercausing hormones.
Prop. 37 would require GMO labeling, issues remain rachel spurr Photos + Text
If the GMO labeling initiative Proposition 37 passes in the November election, California would be the first state in the nation to require labeling on genetically engineered crops or processed foods. According to the official voter information guide for California’s general election, supporters of the proposition say that the public has a “right to know” if their food contains “DNA that was artificially altered in a laboratory using genes from viruses, bacteria, or other plants and animals.” Opponents claim that regulations mandating labeling would be “expensive” and “deceptive.” While approval of Prop. 37 would be a significant milestone for supporters, it would only be the beginning of a long battle toward thwarting the issue of corporate control of seeds and the food system, according to David King, founding chair of the Seed Library of Los Angeles. In the past 50 years, through the
emergence of corporate agricultural business, seed saving and sharing among farmers has changed dramatically. What was once considered to be the basis of necessity for future planting and maintenance of rich biodiversity has now come under increasing threat. In an article entitled “The Control of Nature,” Vanity Fair reports that in 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court “extended patent law to cover ‘a live human-made microorganism.’” This ruling paved the way for genetically engineered seeds to be patented and privately owned. After the ruling, chemical company Monsanto began producing genetically engineered food crops in the U.S. “At some point Monsanto made a conscious decision to control the seed market,” says King. “Until the 1970s [and] ‘80s, Monsanto was primarily a chemical company. After that time they became a chemical company that buys seed.” Since then, over 140 U.S. farmers have been prosecuted by Monsanto for infringement of intellectual property rights over seeds,
according to a press release from the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association. Under these relatively new patent laws, if Monsanto seed mixes with a farmer’s own seeds through pollination or wind, it automatically becomes the ownership of that corporation. The OSGTA has fought back, saying that farmers “face legal intimidation and the loss of economic livelihood, all because America’s legal system has failed to adequately protect them from the real threat of genetic trespass that is inherent as a result of Monsanto’s patented GMO seeds and the natural biological functions of cross pollination from wind, insects or animals.” Genetically modified crops are usually given traits for either resistance to disease or insects, or tolerance to herbicides, according to a report from New York University. “In the field, GM has to be treated as a pesticide, because pesticide is built into it, so you have to wash your hands after
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A study published in May in the journal “Nutrition Reviews” indicates that milk can contain hormones such as insulin-like growth factor 1, and states that “a high intake of milk and dairy products can increase the risk of cancer.” Yvonne Ortega, a registered dietitian and nutrition instructor at Santa Monica College, said that the fundamental reason why nutritionists recommend drinking milk is because they consider it highly nutritious and rich in calcium. “Milk seems to be the easiest way to obtain the adequate amounts of calcium,” Ortega said. “It is also a really excellent source of high-quality proteins, vitamins and minerals.” A regular intake of calcium and vitamin D in conjunction with exercise are essential for maintaining healthy bones, according to Ortega. “We reach our peak bone mass at the age of 30,” Ortega said. “Once we hit 30, unfortunately the absorption of calcium starts to decrease, and we begin to lose calcium storages. The adolescent years and early adulthood are the prime time to get that calcium and make the bones as dense as possible so people are not prone to osteoporosis as they get older.” However, it is not necessary to consume dairy to obtain adequate calcium, according to Ortega. Calcium can be found in green vegetables, nuts and beans, and is fortified into certain plant-based milks including rice, almond and soy milk. “As long as people consume at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, people can go without drinking cow’s milk,” Ortega said. Plant-based milks have been increasing in popularity over cow’s milks, according to Ortega. One reason for this trend could be related to the possible connection between milk and the increased risk of some types of cancer. Ortega said that the insulin-like growth factor 1 amounts found in milk are small and are not a significant risk. “Our bodies naturally produce IGF-1, and technically, the IGF-1 in milk cannot be absorbed by the body, so people should not be worried about this factor,” Ortega said. But when it comes to the connection between milk and some types of cancer, the nutritionist has a different opinion. “My recommendation for people is that if cancer runs in their family—specifically
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