Sources and Citations = Dairy and Ear Infections/Poor Health in Infants and Children

[Guest guest]

Simone,

 

Thanks for the links. The connection between dairy and childhood illnesses

is something I hear a lot about, but have never researched in the scientific

literature on my own.

 

From glancing at some of the studies and their descriptions, it does look

like there is a valid connection between dairy and ear infections. I will go

through them as I get time and report back to the list for anyone who is

interested.

 

I fully understand people making nutrition and disease claims based on their

experience. The drawback to that is that many people will say good things

about meat and dairy based on their own experience. And there are things

like the placebo effect and simply coincidence and not understanding the

true cause of things that can get in the way of people understanding their

observations.

 

For example, I used to have hay fever fairly bad. When I gave up dairy, my

hay fever got considerably better. Was it because I gave up dairy? Maybe. I

also moved to a different part of the country. Then I moved back. After

being back, my allergies increased again. Then I moved again and became a

raw foodist. They went away. Was it the dairy? The raw foods? The new

location? But now I am far from a raw foodist and they are gone. But I've

been taking flaxseed for a few years and, of course, I moved again. So, has

the flaxseed helped? The move? A combination of everything. It's pretty hard

to say.

 

Jack

 

> simone spearman <pohevol

> Thu, 25 Apr 2002 15:57:48 -0700

>

> [sFBAVeg] Sources and Citations = Dairy and Ear Infections/Poor

> Health in Infants and Children

>

> In response to Jack's questions about studies and citations, these following

> links give summaries of a few studies as well as helpful citations:

>

> 1) Problems with Dairy

> http://www.pcrm.org/health/Info_on_Veg_Diets/dairy.html

>

> 2) Citations to Studies Linking Milk Consumption to Ear Infections (Journal

> of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, etc.)

> http://www.milksucks.com/babyear.html

>

> 3) Diabetes Study

> http://www.pcrm.org/research/diabetes.html

>

> 4) Why Milk isn't Required or Recommended

> http://www.pcrm.org/health/Info_on_Veg_Diets/milk.html

>

> 5) Dairy and Mucus Production

> http://www.milksucks.com/mucus.html

>

> 6) Advantages for Children (Vegan Diets)

> http://www.pcrm.org/health/Info_on_Veg_Diets/vegetarian_kids.html

>

> 7) EPA's Warning = Highest Exposure to Dioxin Comes from Eating Animal

> Products

> http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pbt/dioxins.htm

>

> 8) Cholesterol and Heart Disease as Related to the Consumption of Animal

> Products

> http://www.pcrm.org/health/Preventive_Medicine/cholesterol_and_heart_disease

> .html

>

>

> Also here are a few articles/reviews from both the *traditional* and

> *alternative* medical community making the " common knowledge " connection

> between milk/mucus/susceptibility to ear infections:

>

> 1) http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/article.asp?PageType=article & ID=1175

>

> 2)

> http://www.healthychild.com/database/ear_infections_alternative_solutions.ht

> m

>

> 3)

> http://www.healthychild.com/database/milk_is_it_really_good_for_our_children

> _.htm

>

> 4) http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVJunJul98p49.html

>

>

> But finally, I think most of us have personal stories which really hit close

> to home, and win us over about the problems with dairy. Many of us were

> raised on dairy and suffered from ear infections (both me and my husband, as

> well as close friends). We found that once we gave up dairy - we felt

> better. We didn't blow our noses as often, didn't have gas pains or

> diarrhea, didn't get colds or upper-respiratory infections like we used to.

>

> For those of us who are not of European descent - there are numerous and

> HILARIOUS stories of the evils of dairy! :-) The statistics are daunting

> (check out the Journal of the National Medical Association - March and April

> 1999) - but those of us who are of African, Latin, or Asian descent - we

> know *personally* how dairy rakes our insides and makes us feel horrible.

>

> And it's not just people of color - many of us are/or know European

> Americans who pop Lactaid or take Gas-X after eating dairy. We know of/or

> are vegans who sometimes succumb to a craving for dairy cheese pizza and end

> up in the bathroom all night. We know of/or are that one European American

> teenager who got rid of her/his/our acne when she/he/we gave up dairy.

> Maybe it's an allergy, maybe we're " lactose intolerant, " maybe we have

> " sensitive " stomachs - or maybe we should just stick to the milk of our own

> species?

>

> Finally, for those of us raising vegan children, the studies only confirm

> what we already know. We know first-hand that our children don't have

> constant runny noses, clogged (asthmatic breathing) or ear-infections like

> their dairy-eating peers. Or course there are no absolutes - and there are

> *always* exceptions to the rule - but generally speaking - dairy seems to be

> a great food for growing calves, not growing humans.

>

> Sincerely,

> Simone

>

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