By Mayesvara dasa
Hari Bolo Prabhus!
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Sri Guru & Sri Gauranga.
I am posting this inquiry with the hope that those who read it might be able to help provide information that supports the scientific benefits of milk consumption. As many of you probably already know, there is a huge VEGAN movement in the West and they are trying to disgrace the use of milk and it’s bi-products for any type of food. Of course all of their reasons are based on speculative research and based on that the idea that we should not ever consume any cows milk is being propelled like a fad.
My understanding is that as a rule of thumb Srila Prabuhupad advised we take no more then 1 cup of milk a day, and that particularly small children need to get cows milk for their brain cells to grow. (Some say adults also need it to develop their brain cells.) But is there any research that confirms this Vedic standard? Can the assembled devotees please forward to my email addresses provided below whatever material they may have on this subject. I am not trying to justify the horrendous Factory farming which is currently prevalent all over the West. I think we all agree that must come to an end. At this time I am simply looking for material that will check the VEGAN movement which is slowly becoming as eccentric and distasteful as the PETA organization, despite the good intentions of both these groups. I think it is important we are well prepared to deal with the radical VEGANS by having sound arguments offset their extreme antics. It is hard enough to get the average meat addicted individual to stop consuming innocent animals without giving them the impression that the only way to do so is to eat Shredded Wheat and Soy Milk!
I am also hoping someone might be able to tell me where the reference to the “Seven mothers” came from. Srila Prabhupada refers to them all the time in his lectures, (Birth Mother, Wife of the King, Brahman’s Wife, Mother Cow, Mother Earth, One’s Nurse or Nanny, Wife of the Guru) but nowhere in the folio could I find where he get this particular sutra from.
Hoping this meets you in good spirits and enthusiastically engaged in the service of Lord Krishna.
Your Servant,
mayesvara dasa
william.roberts @ navy.mil
md @ jagannatha.com
Mayesvara Prabhu, you bring up a really important point and I hope you get answers to your question regarding the scientific benefits of milk consumption.
If I could be honest, however, I do think that since PETA and the Vegan movement do absolutely have “good intentions,” as you say (in fact I would go so far as to say that they have great intentions in their compassion and respect for life), and since we share many important goals with them, we would do better to ally ourselves with them rather than to alienate them by referring to them as “eccentric” and “distasteful” in our public forums.
hare krsna! dandavat!
isn’t the seven mothers from chanakya pandit? or is he quoting some vedic text. his points are usually traceable to vedic texts, at least.
y.s. atmavan dasa (jps)
Niti Sastra
siaatma-mata guroh patni
brahmani raja-patnika
dhenur dhatri tatha prthvi
saptaita matarah smrtah
atma-mata-one’s own mother; guroh-patni-the wife of the guru; brahmani-the wife of a brahmana; raja-patnika-the wife of a king; dhenuh-the cow; dhatri-the nurse; tatha-thus; prthvi-the earth; sapta eta-these seven; matarah-mothers; smrtah-should be remembered as.
One’s own mother, the wife of the guru, the wife of a brahmana, the wife of a king, the cow, the nurse, and the earth are known as the seven mothers of a man.
(Canakya Pandita)
Niti Sastra
Dear Mayesvara Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Bhakti-vighna-vinasa Narasimhadeva Bhagavan ki jaya!
For a vegetarian milk and its by products are the only dietary source of Vitamin B12.
“Vitamin B-12 is naturally found in foods of animal origin including meat (especially liver and shellfish) and milk products.”
“Vitamin B-12 is important for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system and for the formation of blood. It is normally involved in the metabolism of every cell of the body, especially affecting the DNA synthesis and regulation but also fatty acid synthesis and energy production.”
So it would seem that simply as a source of vitamin B12 it is vital for proper brain function. Vegans are deprived of this nutrient unless supplemented.
“The Vegan Society, the Vegetarian Resource Group and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, among others, recommend that vegans either consistently eat foods fortified with B-12 or take a daily or weekly B-12 supplement.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12
Taking our nutrients via food such as milk is much preferable to eating pills for numerous reasons not the least of which is that supplements (often synthesized in the lab) are not absorbed as well as a natural food. The above statements suggest that one could not live a healthy life as a vegan without dependence on artificial supplements created in a lab; hardly a natural life.
I am not suggesting that this is the only way that milk is beneficial to brain function but it is a starter. I would suggest that you research this topic via the ayurvedic route as the Ayurveda holds milk and its by-products in high esteem.
As a side note I have read in several news stories that fire departments world wide give milk to victims of smoke inhalation to help them to resist the toxic effects and a greater chance of survival. So this is another angle you could pursue by contacting your local fire department.
Please let us know the results of your findings on this subject.
Your humble servant
Shyamasundara Dasa
www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com
When addressing this issue, I usually just casually reference Ayurveda as the authority on the benefits of milk. I’m not an expert on Auyrveda, but in most cases having a basic understanding is sufficient, and searching for “ayurveda milk” reveals many pages on the subject.
My feelings as someone who was active in the animal rights before (and after) hearing about Krishna, and as a former vegan, is that most in the vegan crowd would not care about a reference to shastra. References to authoirities are only influencial on those who accept that authority; except that when such a reference does not help, it may do harm. (If someone, for example, tells me that “Sai Baba said…” I will immediately think this person is not credible.) I think they would be more impressed by broad acceptance in the modern writings on Ayurveda.
Really, the issue concerning vegans is usually ethics rather than health, but they preach to the public on the basis of health because many more people make decisions based on health rather than ethics.
However in the matter of ethics, which does mean something to the vegans themselves, I always explain that the best philosophy is not one that simply stops a bad relationship; it turns the bad relatinship into a good one. Considering the cow as a mother, which isn’t hard for people to accept in light of the common idea of the earth as a mother, along with the other kinds of mothers, it’s very reasonable to say that the best relationship with a cow is to give cows protection and accept their products such as milk, manure, etc. Any open-minded person can understand that loving relationships are the ideal. Of course, finding an open minded person may take some work.
Many of the Vegans are compassionate people who have good points we should also consider. Another questions for all of us is: Do the health benefits of drinking commercial milk outweigh the fact that this milk is full of pesticides and antibiotics and supports the eventual slaughter of the cows that give the milk. Organic milk is better, but the cows are still slaughtered. Balabhadra of ISCOWP could answer your question.
The problem is that there are some of us who either distrust the milk outside that which is provided at the temple, or should not be drinking milk because of lactose intolerance or other bodily problems.
Personally, I am not supposed to drink too much milk because my body produces twice the mucous as a normal person would. Therefore, I am very glad that I have another variety of vegetarian milks (soy and rice milks which are absolutely delicious) that can satiate my thirst and dietary needs.
Although I strongly disagree about PETA’s actions, being that they are very militant, the supposed ‘Vegan movement’ is unorganised in itself. Many vegans are vegans for differing reasons, and not only because of ethics. I have even heard that some Vaishnavas, knowing that the cows are not generally treated well in the West, refuse to drink the milk. Others argue that milk is still pure because Krishna likes milk.
In Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, there is a temple in Mexico where the people subsist of a vegan lifestyle for Krishna. What is more important, in my most humble opinion, is the consciousness and compassion behind offerings to Krishna, not simply because the dish was made of butter and milk or soybutter and soymilk.
Firstly I will clarify that I drink milk (including commercial milk).
I have heard lots of arguments from KC point of view but to be honest I am still not able to accept drinking commercial milk on basis of these arguments.
The best argument so far on the issue of drinking commercial milk is that it does lots of Good for Cow to offer her (can be commercial) milk to krishna, so spiritually she gets benefit and she also gets liberated by us doing so. And as it is offered to krishna it is ok if we drink it. Still to be honest I am not able to justify this argument!
Second best argument is based on shastras that milk helps bhramacharya and also helps mental developement on spirituall path, but again I am not able to accept this argument for commercial milk!
Also I have heard that Organic milk carries fish oil. Normally they put chemicals to substitute Vitamin D but organic milk needs natural product and hence they use fish oil to substitute Vitamin D. I might be wrong on this still cow killing is done even in the organic industry which puts organic milk in commercial milk only.
Hence even though I drink milk I am not able to justify drinking commercial milk!
I will be very happy if some one can show me better understanding for drinking commercial milk.
As for vegan also I try and explain them as written in comment #4 most of times it works but some sentimental Vegans dont accept that.
Hare krishna
Essentially, I addressed this question in my 1993 article in Back to Godhead magazine, “Is Milk for Everyone?” Here’s an except from my article:
***********************
Who Needs Milk?
Milk is an excellent source of three important nutrients: protein, calcium, and several B vitamins. Though the body can get protein and calcium from other sources, for certain B vitamins the body depends on milk.
In the vegetarian diet, milk plays an essential role by providing vitamin B12 (cobalamin). Most animals have micro-organisms in their stomachs that produce B12, but human beings do not. Their only natural sources of B12 are meat and milk. The body needs vitamin B12 to properly develop red blood cells. A deficiency can cause pernicious and megaloblastic anemia.
For anyone trying to understand the subtleties of spiritual science, possibly the most important role of vitamin B12 is that it helps maintain proper functioning of the nervous system, including brain cells. A deficiency of B12 may take as long as five to ten years to show, but gradually it leads to “unsteadiness, poor memory, confusion, moodiness, delusions, overt psychosis, and eventually death.”
Srila Prabhupada emphasizes the value of milk in developing brain tissue for spiritual understanding:
The cow is the most important animal for developing the human body to perfection. The body can be maintained by any kind of foodstuff, but cow’s milk is particularly essential for developing the finer tissues of the human brain so that one can understand the intricacies of transcendental knowledge.
— Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.5.7, purport
The B12 content of milk is greatest in whole milk, fresh from the cow. But the body needs only a small amount of B12, and it can get what it needs even when the milk is heated. Ninety percent of the B12 remains after pasteurization, and seventy percent remains after boiling from two to five minutes.
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Of course, conscientious vegans can obtain their vitamin B12 from nutritional yeast and things like seaweed and miso, but most safely must rely on artificial supplements, to avoid nerve and heart damage. I respect the conviction of those who want to do this, wishing to avoid the violence connected with getting milk from animals that they themselves are not able to protect.
However, in all honesty, a vegan diet cannot be regarded as a natural diet, and it is telling that although there are a number of examples of traditional vegetarian societies around the world — even outside India, such as the Buganda of Africa — there is not one example of a traditional vegan society anywhere in history. The simple fact is that without modern artificial vitamin B12 supplements, in earlier historical eras, all the children in such a society would have died from malnutrition.
The ideal solution to the moral vegan’s predicament, is to be able to take loving care of the cows and offer the milk to the radiantly beautiful forms of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.
On the other hand, for as long as we continue to offer into the sacrificial fire ghee made of butter from cows who have already been slaughtered, it is a great shame on us if we point an accusing finger at such thoughtful vegans
— better to improve our own cow protection programs first, by providing our young people training and land to protect the cows. Honest vegans will surely enjoy such milk when they see the actual love — from both cow and cowherd — that goes into producing it and offering it to Krishna. But we must produce it first.
For more information, below is a recent excerpt from a Canadian source on the topic of milk and vitamin B12.
your servant,
Hare Krsna dasi
********************************
http://www.dairygoodness.ca/en/health-professionals/dairy-nutrition/dairy-facts-and-fallacies/milk-as-brain-food.htm
Milk as Brain Food
Fact: All Canadians especially pregnant women, children and older adults, should be encouraged to consume recommended daily intakes of milk and milk products, the most bioavailable source of naturally occurring B12 in the diet.
The only natural source of vitamin B12 is food of animal origin. Foods rich in B12 include dairy, fish, meat, poultry, eggs and shellfish. Inadequate intakes have been shown to be an important contributor to low vitamin B12 serum concentrations. Recent studies show that the vitamin B12 in meat, the major source of vitamin B12 for most individuals, may be less available than the vitamin B12 in dairy products1. Nutritional B12 deficiency can develop easily in strict vegetarians and those who follow macrobiotic diets since they typically avoid the foods that are rich in B12.
There is little information on the prevalence of B12 deficiency in Canada. But a recent Canadian cross-sectional study of 1,424 pregnant women in Newfoundland found that 43.6% of women were B12 deficient or had marginal B12 levels2.
We know that specific nutrient deficiencies can cause low birth weight and spina bifida, so it is also possible to envisage nutrient deficiencies affecting brain development in infants causing adverse effects. Reports of B12 deficient infants (several of strict vegetarian mothers) showed anemia, irritability, anorexia and failure to thrive, as well as marked developmental regression and poor brain growth3,4. The age of onset of symptoms may be important, as may the duration of symptoms. Although the response to treatment in the short term is encouraging, complete neurologic recovery may never be complete3.
In a review by Graham, only 2 of 6 reported cases had normal intellectual outcome at 9 – 11 years. Another study reporting on older children discovered that B12 deficiency early in life, due to macrobiotic diet consumption to the age of 6 years, may not be overcome in adolescence following moderate consumption of B12 after the age of 6 years5. Children on macrobiotic diets until the age of 6 with marginal vitamin B12 status were not able to overcome cognitive problems, due to the deficiency, regardless of moderate B12 intakes in later years6.
In fact, previously ‘macrobiotic’ subjects with low or normal vitamin B12 status scored significantly lower in intelligence tests measuring reasoning, capacity to solve complex problems, abstract thinking ability and ability to learn3. These studies demonstrate the potential long-term risk in cognitive function that can occur in children who persistently avoid animal products due to medical reasons, beliefs, poverty or eating habits during the formative years.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is estimated to affect 10-15% of people over age 607. Prevalence of B12 deficiency increases with age, especially over 65, and is frequently associated with Alzheimer’s disease8. Neurologic complications are found in 75-90% of individuals with clinically apparent vitamin B12 deficiency. While low serum cobalamin levels are often found in apparently normal older subjects, a major worry of leaving vitamin B12 deficiency untreated is that it may lead to subtle deterioration in cognitive function7.
Cognitive syndromes such as dementia, hallucination, frank psychosis, paranoia, depression, violent behaviour and changes in personality are not frequent, but vitamin B12 deficiency should be considered as a possible cause of these symptoms9. In fact vitamin B12 assay is part of the routine investigation of dementia in the United Kingdom. A study by Eastley et al10 of 1,432 patients found a positive treatment effect of B12 among patients presenting with cognitive impairment. However, in the same study none of the B12 deficiency-related-dementia was reversed with the treatment of B12.
References:
1. Tucker, KL et al. 2000. Plasma vitamin B12 concentrations relate to intake source in the Framingham Offspring Study. Am J Clin Nutr 71:514-22.
2. House, JD et al. 2000. Folate and vitamin B12 status of women in Newfoundland at their first prenatal visit. Can Med Assoc J 162(11):1557-9.
3. Graham, SM et al. 1992. Long-term neurologic consequences of nutritional vitamin B12 deficiency in infants. J Pediatr 121(5pt1)710-4.
4. Stollhoff, K and Schulte, FJ. 1987. Vitamin B12 and brain development. Eur J Pediatr 146(2):201-5.
5. Van Dusseldorp, M et al. 1999. Risk of persistent cobalamin deficiency in adolescents fed a macrobiotic diet in early life. Am J Clin Nutr 60:661-7.
6. Louwman, MWJ et al. 2000. Signs of impaired cognitive function in adolescents with marginal cobalamin status. Am J Clin Nutr 72:762-9. 7. Baik, HW and Russell, RM. 1999. Vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly. Annu Rev Nutr 19:357-77.
8. Wynn, M et al. 1998. The danger of B12 deficiency in the elderly. Nutr Health 12(4):215-26.
9. Zucker, DK et al. 1981. B12 deficiency and psychiatric disorders: case report and literature review. Biol Psychiatry 16(2):197-205.
10. Eastley, R et al. 2000. Vitamin B12 deficiency in dementia and cognitive impairment: the effects of treatment on neuropsychological function. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 15(3):226-33.