2 Things @ Milk

Two news items came to my attention last week about leche.

The first was a warning from the FDA about dairy products.  Don't drink raw cow's milk.  There were 12 confirmed cases of illness in Michigan last month, after unpasteurized milk was consumed; and between 1998 and 2008, there were a total of 1614 reported illness, 187 hospitalizations and 2 deaths from drinking unpasteurized dairy products.  Don't do it.

 

The second was from a new study in *Pediatrics* about breast milk.  The lives of an estimated 900 babies would be saved every year, if 90% of US women would breast feed for the first 6 months.  The risk of stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, SIDS and even childhood leukemia would dramatically decrease.  The reasons: breast milk contains antibodies that help fight infections, and can affect blood insulin levels--making babies less likely to develop diabetes or obesity.