'I Could Never Be Vegan. I Love Cheese Too Much!'

An incredibly tasty grilled soy-cheese sandwich! And you thought this was dairy cheese....

You would be surprised how many times I get the response, "But I'm addicted to cheese!", when I tell people that I'm vegan and that it's not hard to do.

The thing is, what these people don't realize is that yes, they are actually addicted to cheese. Present in cheese, as well as in all dairy products, is something called casein, one of the most well-defined classes of protein found in milk that constitutes 80% of cow's milk protein. Protein benefits aside, casein's main function results from the fact that it is an evolutionary survival mechanism for young calves. When secreted in milk and resultantly consumed by young calves, the casein protein gets converted into a substance called casomorphin. We all know what morphine is (according to Wikipedia, it is an extremely potent opiate psychoactive drug), and yes, casomorphin works on your body in much the same way. Nature (and evolutionary succession) has thus worked to put this calming, feel-good "drug" into milk so that calves (and organisms of all species, which means YOU) will be addicted to it and want to go back to the source of this wonderful opiatic experience. Thus, baby calves do not starve when young as they associate this feel-good sensation with their mother's milk, ensuring that they get enough to eat and grow up strong and healthy.

Now, where does that leave you? First of all, before listing all the bad stuff that casein can do to the body (besides make you addicted to something that is high in fat content and can put you on the fast track to obesity), a few facts about casein:

-According to (a horribly titled but AMAZING book) Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, cheese has the highest content of casein out of any dairy product, and, frighteningly enough, contains more casein than cow's milk itself!

-One of the reasons why manufacturers put casein in cheese, and yes, even in soy and vegan cheeses, is because casein is what makes cheese melt. So, all you vegans out there, make sure you read your labels! (I've even found casein listed in the ingredients of non-dairy powder creamers)

-One of the greatest benefits of casein for calves is not just that it ensures that they get enough to eat, but that it helps calves grow at an extremely fast rate. Yes, the rate at which calves mature when they drink milk is far faster than the rate at which human babies mature. So, just think about that. Why do doctors advise mothers not to feed their babies cow's, goat's, or any other type of milk besides human milk, and yet, once they are at a mature age it is deemed okay for them to drink it? Milk from cows and humans have different nutrient concentrations each suitable to the growth and development of their respective young.

-Humans are the only organism that drinks another species' milk. I've commented on this to many a non-vegan and the typical response I get is, "Well, we are the only species smart enough to do so." (Which then leads me to counter, "Yeah, well what about monkeys?"). But "smart enough" they say? Really? How is it smart to drink cow's milk which contains an inordinately high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol for the human body and which studies have shown protect bones no more than other forms of calcium do?

-Just as calves move on from eating baby food (a.k.a. drinking their mother's milk) to eating adult food (a.k.a. grass), so too should humans. You might think that you did/have, as you no longer eat jars of mashed vegetables and fruits (not to mention suck on your mother's...um you know what) but you haven't. Yes, you eat hamburgers, salads, pasta, pizza, and other so-called solid, hard to digest 'adult' foods, but hello?! You are still, on a constant and daily basis, consuming cow's milk, a.k.a. baby food (albeit for calves). Does that not sound perverse and backwards to you?

THE (NOT SO) GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY ABOUT CASEIN:

(It's easy, oh so easy, to go on about all the bad stuff found in milk and dairy products, but for now, I'm just going to focus on casein)

The number one danger associated with consuming casein is its strong link with cancer. In his book, The China Study, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, discusses the connection he has found between animal protein intake and cancer development in human beings. Long story short, what Campbell discovered was that it's not simply protein itself that promotes cancer development, but that it's casein specifically which promotes cancer in all stages of its development. Ironically, the only 'safe' protein which he found in his study that did not promote cancer was plant based.

Many studies have also shown that casein (as well as gluten) can exacerbate already-existing cases of autism. In studies where both casein and gluten have been eliminated from the diet, habitual, sleep, activity, and bowel behaviors, as well as overall progress of the patient improved.

This finding led to pharmacist Paul Shattock's Opioid Excess Theories which assert that autism is a consequence of a metabolic disorder that occurs when certain biologically active peptides and other compounds (that are derived mainly but not exclusively from dietary gluten and/or casein) are not metabolised correctly and thus lead to/worsen the patent's condition.

I suppose that's enough harping on casein for now, which leaves me with this parting message to all non-vegans:

You might have read this post and are now convinced that hey, maybe milk and dairy products aren't that good for your body. You might be planning on converting to 'veganism', but of course still allow the rare dairy indiscretion, such as a small party-sized Snickers bar or a bite of your sister's macaroni and cheese. I'm not one too mother you and tell you what to do and not to do, but let me tell you this:

Eating dairy products is a slippery slope.

Did you not just read this post and learn that dairy is like an opiate? No matter how small the amount of dairy you eat is, you will still be consuming a bit of this wonderful, feel good 'drug.' Going vegan is similar to alcohol or drug rehabilitation. There is no such thing as moderation. You are either sober or you're not. Yes, it's a tough, black and white world that we live in, but then again, if you want to be healthy and live a long, disease-free life, you've got to make some sacrifices once in a while.

But then again, just as eating cheese is a hard habit to break once you've entered into it, so too is not eating cheese. A habit is a habit, and whether or not you make that habit healthy is up to you.

Blame it on the casein, brah...