looking for medical research CAUTION, IT'S LONG

[Guest guest]

Hello Lisa,

I'll surely come up with something in my files, only today I must start

work. In the meanwhile I'm sending you a couple of things. The first -sent

separately, so as not to make this mail too long!- is an article by Dr Spock

(I hope he's considered legitimate enough by your family) and the other

articles, reports of studies etc. One of them is from healthcentral.com,

which is a very conventional website, not particularly favourable to

vegetarianism, and usually draws from Reuter's.

 

Good luck!

 

Irene

 

Towards_health_and_beauty/ Friendly support

and guidance to everyone struggling with weight and wellness problems.

 

 

" lisastarks " <lisastarks wrote:

 

>I am looking for some source of some documentation that supports this that

comes from what my meat eating

>family would consider 'legitimate' I'm looking for something from a

non-biased type of source that supports veggie nutrition for children/teens.

>I'm having to defend my daughter's choices to her ignorant father.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE # !

 

Discover Magazine: Worrying about Milk

 

The August 2000 issue of DISCOVER MAGAZINE carries an article by Will Hivley

called " Worrying About Milk. " It discusses grave concerns held by T. Colin

Campbell, a nutritional biochemist at Cornell University, regarding the

safety of milk.

 

The article cites various studies, which suggest that milk is carcinogenic.

It also takes a brief look at the politics behind the promotion of milk in

our society:

 

" Thanks to Congress, dairy producers enjoy price supports and government

purchase of surplus production. They plow some of their profits into

promotional industry groups that fund research studies, they educate health

professionals about milk, and they provide free materials to schools

suggesting that milk is vital to good nutrition. "

 

This is not an animal rights article; For one thing, it cites many animal

tests.

 

You can read the article at:

http://www.discover.com/aug_00/gthere.html?article=featmilk.html

Here's a link: <A

HREF= " http://www.discover.com/aug_00/gthere.html?article=featmilk.html " >Worr

ying About Milk</A>

 

 

ARTICLE # 2

 

IN A ''FOWL'' MOOD? DISH OUT CHICKEN ALTERNATIVES

 

BY ROBIN ROBERTSON, CORRESPONDENT

The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)The Virginian-Pilot takes letters at:

letters

August 2, 2000, Wednesday,

 

AS BURGER KING and Chick-Fil-A duke it out in the courtroom over the battle

gimmick between cows (''Eat mor chikin'') and chickens (''Save the Chickens,

Eat a Whopper! " ), a more telling conflict is erupting in some homes thanks

to the movie ''Chicken Run. "

 

I like to call it the ''Babe'' effect, by which many people lost their taste

for pork after seeing the movie about the charming young pig. Babe helped

people make the connection that the pork chop on their plate was once part

of

a sentient being. ''Chicken Run'' has sent at least some children home

tearfully refusing to eat their wings and drumsticks.

 

If cute claymation chickens don't tug at your heartstrings, the Physician's

Committee for Responsible Medicine may help change your mind about eating

chicken. The Spring/ Summer 2000 issue of the committee's magazine reports

that chicken is not the low-fat ''health food'' that many people want you to

believe. ''A 3.5-ounce piece of broiled lean flank steak is 56 percent fat

as

a percentage of calories, " the article states. ''Chicken contains nearly the

same at 51 percent. Even when the skin is removed, dark meat is thrown away

and a non-fat cooking method is used, chicken is still 23 percent fat. "

 

The article goes on: ''Four ounces of beef - just the size of a deck of

cards

- and 4 ounces of chicken both contain about 100 milligrams of cholesterol,

and the cholesterol from chicken does just as good of a job at clogging

arteries and causing heart disease. "

 

The article also states that salmonella is reported to be growing inside one

in every three packages of chicken, with campylobacter infecting as many as

two-thirds of all prepackaged chicken. These factors might inspire anyone to

cry foul at the thought of eating fowl.

 

Wouldn't it be great if you could enjoy the familiar flavors of your

favorite

chicken dishes without having to eat a chicken? Well, thanks to the wonders

of vegetable protein in the hands of some creative food companies, now you

can.

 

Love those Buffalo wings? Check out your supermarket freezer case for

Morningstar Farms brand meat-free Buffalo Wings. They're deliciously spicy

and crunchy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. You can dip them

in the traditional salad dressing if you like, or try them slathered with

barbecue sauce or a sweet and sour sauce. I've taste-tested these little

gems

on meat-eaters and they pass with flying colors.

 

Another fabulous product is Meat of the Wheat brand ''Chicken Style'' Wheat

Meat. Available in natural food stores, this wheat meat, also known by its

Japanese name, seitan, can be used to make an amazing number of entrees. The

frozen chunks and pieces are perfect for stir-fries, pot-pies, ''chicken''

salads, and just about any other way chicken is prepared. Wheat meat is also

great simmered in barbecue sauce or served with bread stuffing and topped

with a mushroom gravy.

 

Other tempting poultry-free chicken-like recipes can be made using tempeh

(compressed soy beans formed into cakes) and firm tofu. The secret to

great-tasting tempeh is to poach it in water before using it in recipes. I

especially like it chopped and made into a ''no-chicken'' salad. Firm tofu

can be sliced thin and sauteed picatta-style with white wine and lemon

juice,

or cooked with teriyaki or other flavorful sauces.

 

For great poultry-free recipes that convert a variety of your favorite

poultry dishes into tasty vegan alternatives, look for the cookbook

''Instead

of Chicken, Instead of Turkey: A Poultryless Poultry Potpourri'' by Karen

Davis, who heads United Poultry Concerns, an organization dedicated to

raising public awareness of the treatment of domestic fowl. Its Web site is:

www.upc-online.org

 

For information about Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine call

(202) 686-2210 or visit its Web site at www.pcrm.org, where you can read the

article about chicken and health in its entirety.

 

 

ARTICLE # 3

 

Early puberty from hormones from meat and milk

 

This is from TIME.com 10/24/00

 

Cecilia Morton, in Santa Maria, Calif., has not one but two daughters who

developed early. Clara, now 13, started sprouting breasts and pubic hair

when

she was 8 and began menstruating a year later, at summer camp. Says her

mother: " It was scary and embarrassing because the girls in her cabin didn't

have their periods yet. " Then Clara's little sister Susan, a kindergartner,

began developing at the same time. Although Susan's tests were normal,

Morton

put her on hormone treatments. " We already see how men look at Clara, " she

says. " If my younger one didn't have the medication, I can't even imagine

the

problems we'd be having. "

 

If these were isolated cases, they might be chalked up to statistical

flukes.

But it seems as if everywhere you turn these days--outside schools, on

soccer

fields, at the mall--there are more and more elementary schoolgirls whose

bodies look like they belong in high school and more and more middle

schoolers who look like college coeds. " Young girls [in the 5-to-10-year-old

range] with breasts or pubic hair--we encounter this every day we're in

clinic, " says Dr. Michael Freemark, chief of pediatric endocrinology at

Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

 

It's as if an entire generation of girls had been put on hormonal

fast-forward: shooting up, filling out, growing like Alice munching on the

wrong side of the mushroom--and towering Mutt and Jeff-like over a

generation

of boys who seem, next to the girls, to be getting smaller every year (see

box).

 

What's going on? Is it something in the water? That's a possibility.

Scientists think it may be linked to obesity, though they've also proposed a

witches' brew of other explanations, from chemicals in the environment to

hormones in cow's milk and beef. But the truth is that all anyone knows for

certain is that the signs of sexual development in girls are appearing at

ever younger ages. Among Caucasian girls today, 1 in every 7 starts to

develop breasts or pubic hair by age 8. Among African Americans, for reasons

nobody quite understands, the figure is nearly 1 out of every 2.

 

 

ARTICLE # 4

 

Another Study Links Charred Red Meat And Breast Cancer

 

August 22, 2000

Researchers have been hinting at a link between well-cooked meat and breast

cancer and a new laboratory study with animals shows that sizzling steaks at

high temperatures may increase a woman's risk of the disease.

Cooking red meats at high temperatures results in the consumption of at

least one heterocyclic amine (HCA) that is associated with increased breast

cancer risk and has been found to induce mammary cancers in rats, according

a report in the Journal of the National Cancer Society.

The relationship between well-cooked cooked meats and breast cancer is

something we've been struggling with for about 25 years. Interested was

prompted when it became clear that Japanese women have one of the lowest

rates of the disease, until they come to the United States, when it zooms

up. The indication is that diet -- possibly increased consumption of red

meat -- could be part of the puzzle.

At any rate, this latest study by scientists with the National Institutes of

Health only showed this particular HCA --

2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-beta]pyridine (PhIP) -- to induce

cancer in rats and we can't extrapolate the results to humans without

further research.

However, researchers found that of 273 women with breast cancer, there was a

significantly higher consumption of red meat -- along with a 50 percent

increase in the HCA found in the rat study -- than among a larger control

group of women without breast cancer.

There's a lot of Asian research being done on fat in the diet, but here in

the U.S., we need to follow up on whether charcoal broiled, well-done meat

poses an increased risk of breast cancer in women. Based on these early

experiments, data suggests that the PhIP HCA could be a mammary carcinogen

that might be avoided by not overcooking red meat.

Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Aug. 16, 2000.

 

ARTICLE # 5

 

Low-fat vegetarian diet may reduce PMS symptoms

 

http://www.healthcentral.com/news/newsfulltext.cfm?ID=27033

 

 

February 04, 2000

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Consuming a low-fat, vegetarian diet appears to

reduce the length and severity of menstrual cramps and other premenstrual

symptoms, US researchers suggest.

According to the study in the February issue of the journal Obstetrics &

Gynecology, menstrual cramps are caused by prostaglandins, substances that

come from traces of fat stored in cell membranes in the uterus. Sex hormones

such as estrogen drive production of prostaglandins.

In an interview with Reuters Health, lead author Dr. Neal D. Barnard,

president of the Washington, DC-based Physicians Committee for Responsible

Medicine, explained that estrogen causes the wall of the uterus to thicken

and produce prostaglandins. The more estrogen that is produced, the thicker

the uterine wall becomes, thereby producing more prostaglandins.

The researchers hypothesized that lowering fat intake with a low-fat

vegetarian diet might reduce estrogen levels in two ways. First, low-fat

diets have been shown to reduce estrogen production, thereby also reducing

prostaglandin production. Second, vegan diets are rich in fiber, which can

boost levels of a protein in the blood called sex-hormone binding globulin

that helps the body to excrete estrogen. Reducing estrogen in this way could

also lower prostaglandin production.

To investigate, the team asked 33 women, aged 22 to 48 years, who typically

experienced moderate to severe abdominal pain during menstrual cycles to

consume a low-fat vegan diet for 2 months. A vegan diet prohibits all animal

products, including yogurt and milk. Fat made up about 10% of calories in

the diet.

The women were allowed unrestricted amounts of grains, vegetables, legumes

and fruits, but could not eat any animal products or foods high in fat such

as oils, fried foods, avocados, olives, nuts, or seeds.

After 2 months, subjects followed their regular diet while taking a placebo,

or inactive pill.

The investigators assessed levels of sex-hormone binding globulin, the

protein in the blood that inactivates estrogen. They also measured body

weight, pain duration, and intensity of premenstrual symptoms during each

phase of the study.

According to the researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible

Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown

University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, the study results showed

that the vegan diet was associated with a decrease in the intensity of

menstrual cramps and fewer days of cramps.

Women experienced about 4 days of menstrual cramps at the outset and 2.7

days of menstrual pains when they consumed a low-fat diet, the authors

report.

Some woman also experienced less water retention, weight reduction, more

energy and lower cholesterol levels, they add.

Barnard said the results of the study should empower women who experience

severe monthly menstrual cramps. " (The diet) allows a natural, non-drug

approach that gets to the root of the problem, " he said.

However, the diet did not offer pain relief to all women and it is unclear

why some women experienced profound pain relief while others did not.

" It may be that a slight alteration in the diet may reduce the benefit, "

Barnard suggested.

According to the study, up to 10% of women in their teens and early 20s

suffer from severe menstrual cycles and many women are forced to miss work

and social activities.

A consumer tip sheet on the vegan diet used in the study is available at the

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine website at

www.pcrm.org/news/research000131.html .

 

 

ARTICLE # 6

 

Red meat may raise uterine fibroid risk

 

 

August 31, 1999

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- High dietary intake of red meats and ham appear

to increase a woman's risk of developing benign uterine fibroid tumors,

according to Italian researchers.

On the other hand, " high intake of green vegetables seems to have a

protective effect " against fibroids, conclude researchers led by Dr. Fabio

Parazzini of the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, in Milan.

Their findings are published in the September issue of Obstetrics and

Gynecology.

About 20% of American women develop uterine fibroids at some point in their

lives. These benign tumors often have little or no negative effect on

health, but in some cases they can lead to pelvic discomfort, anemia or

infertility. Treatment of uterine fibroids is now the leading reason for

hysterectomy in the United States.

Studies have suggested that estrogen may play a role in fibroid development.

Because diet can impact estrogen activity, the Italian team compared the

diets of over 800 women with uterine myomas to those of over 1,500 women

without a history of fibroids.

" Women with uterine (fibroids) reported more frequent consumption of beef,

other red meat, and ham and less frequent consumption of green vegetables,

fruit, and fish, " Parazzini and colleagues report.

The team found that women who consumed the highest amounts of beef had a 70%

higher risk of the benign tumors compared with women consuming the least

beef.

In contrast, women consuming the highest amounts of either vegetables or

fruit had a 50% and 20% lower rate of fibroid occurrence, respectively, than

women who ate the lowest amounts of vegetables or fruit.

The researchers point out that similar associations between diet and risks

for breast or endometrial (uterine) cancer emerged in a previous analysis

focused on the same study group.

" The intake of green vegetables, fruit, and fish may be a general indicator

of more health-oriented attitudes toward diet and other lifestyle habits, "

Parazzini's team conclude.

 

Eat Your Vegetables And Avoid Uterine Fibroids

 

December 21, 1999

 

Here's another good reason to eat fruits and vegetables - they help protect

against uterine fibroids, benign tumors found in about one-fifth of all

American women.

Italian researchers say that a diet rich in green vegetables appears to be

particularly effective in preventing uterine fibroids, one of the most

common reasons for hysterectomies.

I've been saying for years that such fibroids are linked to hormones such as

estrogen, and while they might not cause any problems, they can contribute

to conditions such as anemia, pelvic pain and infertility.

Women who frequently consume beef, other red meat and ham tend to have more

fibroids, according to the Italian study published in Obstetrics and

Gynecology. They came to the conclusion after interviewing 843 women with

fibroids and 1,557 women in a control group.

Frequent consumption of other high fat foods such as cheese, butter,

margarine and oil doesn't appear to have an association with fibroid

development, the study says.

This study makes sense because red meat is known to have an effect on

estrogen levels that can lead to fibroids. Vegetables, on the other hand,

may potentially reduce estrogen levels and may be a factor in reducing the

risk of fibroids.

So, once again we're being given a good reason to eat fruits and vegetables

as part of a daily regimen.

Source: Obstetrics and Gynecology, September 1999

 

ARTICLE # 8

 

Vegetarian diet cuts cholesterol in young women

 

By Nancy Deutsch

NEW YORK, April 14,2000 (Reuters Health) -- Premenopausal women may be able

to dramatically lower their cholesterol levels by eating a low-fat,

vegetarian diet, new research suggests.

In just 2 months of restricting their intake of fat to 10% of their total

caloric intake and avoiding animal products, 35 young women reduced their

LDL (''bad'') cholesterol levels by nearly 17% and total cholesterol by 13%,

according to the recent study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible

Medicine. Their report is published in the April 15th issue of the American

Journal of Cardiology.

Based on these findings, everyone should consider reducing their consumption

of fat and avoid meat and meat-based products, advised Dr. Donna Hurlock,

one of the authors of the study. ''The bottom line is humans were designed a

lot like gorillas and gorillas are vegetarians,'' she told Reuters Health.

The low-fat diet was also found to reduce menstrual cramps in premenopausal

women, a factor that motivated many of them to stick to what might be

considered a very restrictive eating pattern, Hurlock noted.

The 6-month study was based on a low-fat, vegetarian diet consisting of

grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits, but absolutely no animal products --

the only source of dietary cholesterol.

For the first 1 to 2 months, the women ate their normal diet and had their

cholesterol levels measured. After this initial period, they were divided

into two groups: those who continued to eat as they always had but took a

vitamin B12 supplement (a vitamin found mainly in animal products); and

women who followed the low-fat, vegetarian diet. After the 2-month period,

the groups switched diets.

However, the diet did have a downside. While LDL (''bad'') cholesterol and

total cholesterol fell, so did HDL (''good'') cholesterol, Hurlock told

Reuters Health. ``I wish it showed that HDL went up, but it didn't.'' The

researchers do not know why this occurred, or why triglycerides (fatty

acids) rose when a low level of triglycerides is considered healthier, she

admitted.

In addition to lowering their cholesterol, women benefited by losing about

one pound per week while on the diet.

As a result of these findings, Hurlock suggests that all Americans should

follow a diet comprised of only 10% to 15% of fat. ``I recommend it for my

8-year-old daughter and for anybody who wants to stay healthy,'' she said.

SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology 2000;85.