Milk does a body bad.

That was the message author and consumer activist Robert Cohen gave in a lecture Saturday hosted by the Vegetarian Education Group. The presentation was titled, “Milk: Debunking the Myth of the Perfect Food.”

Cohen, who wrote “Milk: The Deadly Poison,” said the dairy industry is contributing to a host of illnesses and diseases while propagating the idea that dairy products are part of a healthy diet. Standing near a cardboard cutout of a cow displaying the message “Human beings are the only species to drink the milk of another species,” Cohen delivered his lecture to about 75 people.

Cohen began his research in the 1970s, when he became curious about possible health risks caused by substances contained in dairy products. He read one study in Science magazine that stated there are no biological effects from bovine growth hormone rbGH, also known as somatotrophin, contained in cow’s milk. The hormone occurs naturally in cow’s milk, but milk cows are injected with additional hormone to cause them to produce more milk, Cohen said.

He questioned the statement, because the study also showed increased spleen size & a lymphatic system defense & in some of the lab animals. A doctor told Cohen the results were not statistically significant enough to state that there were biological effects on milk drinkers from the hormone.

“He said, ‘That’s a trade secret,’ and that pissed me off,” he said. “I decided they were never going to beat me.”

Cohen said a milk protein called casomorphin, formed by the breakdown of casein in the stomach, makes dairy products addictive. Casein is a binding agent used in foods such as dairy products and tuna and some “Healthy Choice” meals. It is also a glue used for furniture and to hold labels on beer bottles, he said.

The body reacts to casein by producing histamines, which create mucous in the body, he added.

“If you get rid of the mucous, it’s a tremendous change in your body,” Cohen said. He said abstaining from dairy products is “the fountain of youth,” resulting in weight loss and increased energy.

“In one week, you’re going to feel incredibly good,” he said. “You’ll find out you are what you eat.”

Cohen said the hormone is unique to bovine and humans, and it can cause a variety of problems from the growth of cancer to earlier development in women.

According to a 1990 article by FDA speechwriter Beverly Corey at www.fda.gov, tests on rats showed that they were unaffected by oral administration of the bovine hormone somatotrophin, and that studies have shown that the hormone is not effective in humans, even if injected.

A 1993 FDA report reiterated that conclusion.

“[The] FDA believes that the available data confirm that biologically significant amounts of rbGH are not absorbed in humans following the consumption of milk from cows treated with rbGH,” the report stated.

The same report stated that there was no evidence that milk-drinkers would absorb biologically active rbGH, “because there were no dose-related trends associated with oral administration of rbGH to rats for 28 days.”

Cohen said the presence of insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-I, in cows treated with growth hormones, can cause cancer in humans who consume their milk.

Though Cohen said breast and prostate cancers are linked to IGF-I, the FDA stated that there was no evidence of direct links between IGF-I and the cancers derived from studies.

The FDA determined IGF-I concentration was not a human food safety concern. Since that analysis, the FDA has received more studies that show the levels of IGF-I found in milk from treated cows was within the range of those normally found in milk from untreated cows.

Cohen said contradictory information from the FDA and other governmental agencies is a result of studies being financed by the dairy industry.

He said organic skim milk is not different from other types of milk.

“The healthiest milk from the healthiest cow in your backyard is full of hormones,” he said. “These hormones don’t discriminate. You’re not going to grow a bigger earlobe. You’re not going to grow a bigger nose, unless you’re Pinocchio, or the FDA.”

Cohen said calcium deficiency is not a risk for those who avoid dairy products — sufficient calcium can be obtained from other sources.

More information on the safety of dairy products is available at FDA’s Web site. Cohen’s Web site, www.notmilk.com, explains the findings of his research and other information related to dairy products and vegetarianism.