Part III: What is in the Milk You Drink? An Eye-Opening Education

Shocking Facts About Factors that Control the Quality of Milk and Dairy Products

In Parts I and II of the article, I discussed the effect of cow’s breed on butterfat cream and Vitamin A content, Grazing and feeding method on Vitamin A, D, E, K, and Hormones, pregnancy, vaccines and drugs, stress levels, feeds and additives, on cow and milk health. Let’s continue with learning more about some of the feed additives:

1. Feed and Additives (continued): Cows eat a lot! They consume about 3.5% of their body weight as dry matter. They even eat more when fed lower quality low-forage (low hay or non pasture-grazed) mixed feeds often given to confined cows. To reduce feeding costs and accelerate the calves’ growth, dairy businesses use feed additives like growth hormones (discussed in Part II) to accelerate both bodily growth and milk yield. Also, chemists and biologists have designed synthetic Feed additives like Monensin (monensin), Bovatec (lasalocid) and Cattlyst (laidlomycin) increase dairy business profits by reducing cow’s intake of food (cost of blended feed for confined cows without access to pastures or hay) and release of methane gases, and increasing milk production (or flesh/meat). The problem with these additives is that they disrupt the animal’s natural microbiome, which can have serious and long-term effects on the animal and humans consuming the animal products (see below).For example, Monensin, Bovatec and Cattlyst are ionophores that affect the ion balance of ruminal microorganisms to inhibit acetate- and butyrate-producing bacteria and favor the proportion of propionic acid. Acetate, Butyrate and propionate are esters of three volatile (or short chain) fatty acids, which are derived primarily from microbial fermentation and provide most of the energy requirement in ruminants and also stimulate insulin and glucagon release. Acetate is responsible for the distinct flavor in butter milk and primary building block of milk cream (milk fat hosting all milk’s goodies, Vitamins A, D, E and K). Propionate can convert to lactose (milk sugar) and enhance milk production. Butyrate is what protects and nourishes the cow’s (and human’s) gut lining and feeds the good gut bacteria.Science today is mostly a sponsored business! Guided by conscience and not politics or profits, Ray Armat, Ph.D. is an independent polymath, farmer, educator and former NASA grantee who brings you simplified, uncensored, unsponsored insight and analysis.SubscribeAdditives like Monensin that disturb the fatty acid balance of a cow’s rumen in favor of propionate are troublesome because each fatty acid produced in a cow’s rumen has a different beneficial balancing role. While propionate is the main source of glucose for the cow (it promotes gluconeogenesis or glucose production), leading to higher feed efficiency, energy retention and milk yield, acetate, which is sacrificed by additives like Monensin, is the primary building block of milk fat (cream hosting all milk’s goodies, Vitamins A, D, E and K). A higher ratio of propionate to acetate often correlates with more milk but lower milk fat and vitamins content (percentage). Also Acetate has shown the ability to enhance the immune system, potentially by improving the antimicrobial activity of immune cells and reducing stress on mammary cells. So lowering acetate to propionate ratio, which allows cows to redirect energy toward milk production, will hurt their ability to fight off pathogens and diseases. So we will have a more productive sicker cow (kind of reminds me of myself some 30 years ago! I was productive but sick! The reason I wrote my first book “Masks, Crutches and Daggers: The Science of our Self-Delusional, Addictive Homo economicus Brain”).Rumensin (monensin) also decreases butyrate in the rumen by altering the microbial population to shift volatile fatty acid (VFA) production toward propionic acid. But like acetate, Butyrate is an important fatty acid because as the preferred energy source for the rumen’s epithelial cells, it stimulates the development of a healthy rumen and its lining, and maintains gut barrier integrity by supporting tight junctions between epithelial cells. As a result, butyrate supports the immune function of the gut, integrity of the rumen and health of the cow. When we sacrifice its production in favor of propionate (more milk for profit), we are sacrificing the cow’s immune system and gut health.Furthermore, while an excess of propionate in the cow’s rumen can lead to reduced appetite and feed intake (good for business), it also induces excessive insulin secretion and decreased insulin sensitivity (vulnerability to diabetes and hyperglycemia) and exerts a negative impact on overall energy balance. Also, an increase in propionate and later sugar (glucose) in cow’s digestive tract, can contribute to rumen acidosis, especially if other fermentation products like lactic acid are also high. Over time, continued overloading of pancreas (insulin) and liver (gluconeogenesis) could disrupt the functions of these two important metabolic organs and metabolic health of the cow.As a result, high propionate levels, especially when coupled with other stressors caused by heat, confinement or separation from calf (see Part II of the article), could have serious negative effects on an animal’s digestive efficiency and overall immune system and health. In fact, Rumensin (Monensin) is highly toxic and can be fatal to horses, donkeys, mules, dogs, cats, and guinea fowl, even in small amounts, causing rapid heart failure, while excessive doses can also kill goats, pigs, sheep, and even cattle, leading to muscle damage, heart failure, and death, with accidental cross-contamination in feed being a major risk in many commercial dairy farms.There are many other similar feed additives used by feed mills supplying the commercial (confined cows) dairy industry. These additives have their own risks. For example, Formic Acid used as an antimicrobial preservative added to silage is a carcinogen by inhalation, posing risks to farm workers (and cows? and their milk?). You can search for yourself for potential harms associated with various additives. Just remember, every synthetic or purified (denatured) feed additive designed to boost yields and profits is bound to be potentially harmful to animal’s natural metabolic health/balance and the milk/meat it produces for calf or human consumption.
2. Pasteurization and homogenization: Pasteurization destroys many of the enzymes and carrier proteins needed to absorb calcium, folate, B12, B6, vitamins A and D, iron and many other minerals. Also, enzymes and bioactive components such as lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, and xanthine oxidase, known to inhibit pathogen growth, are significantly reduced or inactivated by heat treatment. This inactivation may diminish the milk’s natural defense mechanisms, making it more susceptible to microbial proliferation (spoilage) during storage. When we pasteurize the milk (at ultra high temperatures) we also deactivate lactobacilli (fermentation facilitator), Vitamins D and K2 so we may impair our body’s ability to direct calcium into bones and not to unwanted tissues (as in arteries, kidneys, joints, eyes, etc.). For example, the production and availability of Vitamin K2, which together with vitamin D, ensures the calcium in their milk deposits in the (calves’) bones and NOT arteries (heart), joints (arthritis), kidneys (stones), eyes (cataract), depends on healthy beneficial bacteria that are destroyed during pasteurization. Studies also show that pasteurization can significantly reduce vitamin D (D2 and D3) concentrations by 10% to 20%.The aggressive heat treatment of milk also leads to various protein alterations by denaturation, aggregative interactions, Maillard reactions, and a loss of nutritional value. Different chemical reactions may occur during pasteurization, including denaturation, hydrolysis, glycation, β-elimination reaction, iso-peptide bond formation, and racemization. The milk protein denaturation range by heat falls between 62 °C and 72 °C (140-160). The series of reactions during the heating of milk involves different amino acids, especially lysine, tryptophan, asparagine, threonine, phosphoserine, and glutamine, and can affect various milk characteristics. The amount of lysine is reduced by heat treatment, mainly due to Maillard reactions with lactose. Amino acids are building blocks and key components of milk proteins, contributing to nutrition, bioactivity, and functional properties like emulsification and gelling. Heat-sensitive amino acids such as lysine and tryptophan undergo chemical changes during thermal processing, including Maillard reactions and oxidation. These reactions reduce amino acid availability, impair protein digestibility, and affect milk’s flavor, color, and stability.Pasteurization can also destroy the heat-sensitive fat-soluble Vitamin A, a potent antioxidant essential for health, immune system, healing, skin and tissue health, and fertility. This is the reason you see pasteurized milks with “added” Vitamins A and D, although milk from pasture-raised cows is naturally (without synthetic additives) a great source of both vitamins and the reason many humans consume milks! As explained in previous parts, healthy pasture-raised cows that feed on a lot of green forage, make healthy doses of Vitamin A, known for its orange color. Milk contains both pre-formed vitamin A (retinol) and its precursor beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A within the cow and the human body. More orangish cream in milk usually means healthy forage, healthy cow and a healthy dose of Vitamin A. Although in recent years, confined cows are fed with mixed feeds that contain “orang-generating” color additives and preformed (synthetic) Vitamin A in forms like all-trans retinyl acetate or all-trans retinyl palmitate as a primary substitute for natural grass-generated beta-carotene. Also, annatto is a coloring that is added to milk and dairy products (cheese and butter) to create the yellow color. It has been documented that children living in agricultural areas and with restricted use of vaccines, antibiotics, and antipyretics (medicines to reduce fever) showed a lower risk of asthma and allergies, rhinitis, otitis, and respiratory tract infection with consumption of unpasteurized (raw) but clean milk.Science today is mostly a sponsored business! Guided by conscience and not politics or profits, Ray Armat, Ph.D. is an independent polymath, farmer, educator and former NASA grantee who brings you simplified, uncensored, unsponsored insight and analysis.Subscribe

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