Cows Milk Compared to Human Milk

By: Ron Lagerquist

Cow's milk has five times as much salt and seven times the phosphorous, but only one-tenth of the Vitamin E content and half the Vitamin A content of mother's milk. Cow's milk contains trans-unsaturated fatty acids—up to 6 percent in summer and 3 percent in winter, and only 3 percent linoleic acid compared with mother's milk at 7 percent. An insufficiency of this essential fatty acid in the maturing infant can cause diaper rash, diarrhea, and eczema.

Cow's milk is lower in lactose compared to human milk; lactose contains galactose, a kind of “brain sugar” that is needed in the development of the myelin sheath that surrounds and insulates nerves. Human infants naturally have a high percentage of bifidus flora in their intestines to facilitate milk digestion. The beta-lactose in human milk maintains a healthy culture of bifidus flora, whereas the alpha-lactose of cow's milk cannot properly maintain a healthy culture of bifidus bacteria. In the absence of bifidus, harmful bacteria thrive, producing damaging by-products.

A cow secretes an enzyme called rennin which breaks down casein, one of the proteins in cow's milk. The majority of humans do not secrete rennin after infancy, which accounts for many digestive problems associated with milk. Although mother's milk does have casein, cow's milk has double that amount. Borden is the largest producer of white glue. The bonding agent casein makes in wood glue is so strong that it will hold furniture together for two hundred years. Doubling the casein content makes cow's milk much harder to digest. It tends to curdle in the stomach, causing mucus and constipation.

Finally, cow's milk contains up to three times the protein of mother's milk. Excess protein causes changes in the blood acid/alkali balance, setting the stage for infections and a weakened immune system, especially if the infant is suffering from a genetic weakness.

Related Article: Infant Formulas Compared To Breast Milk

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can you tell me the percentages of each component? that's what i need for homework and this wasn't helpful. interesting though.
helena borgue
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