Seven Questions the National Dairy Council Must Answer

[Guest guest]

Debunking the Calcium Crisis

 

Seven Questions the National Dairy Council Must Answer

By Erik Marcus

 

 

 

One of the National Dairy Council's central missions these days seems to be

repeating the phrase " calcium crisis " until the public gets caught up in a

frenzy to consume more dairy products. In June 1999, the Dairy Council even held

a " Calcium Summit, " in Washington DC which was attended by more than 250 health

professionals.

 

The Dairy Council was able to use this summit to get coverage in the New York

Times and other leading newspapers. Much of this media coverage suggested that

people would be well-advised to increase milk consumption. The trouble is that

there are a number of problems that accompany the inclusion of dairy products in

the diet.

 

Below, I offer seven questions that get to the root of the Dairy Council's

" Calcium Crisis. " These questions raise some serious concerns regarding milk,

and I invite the Dairy Council to respond. I ask that each answer be given in a

summary ranging in length from one sentence to two hundred words. If necessary,

I will link each summary answer to a fuller answer containing pages of

supporting text and documentation. In an effort to encourage discussion, I will

post the Dairy Council's full response to each question in the October issue of

Vegan.com.

 

If no response from the National Dairy Council is forthcoming, Vegan.com will

ask our readers to help publicize this list of questions until we get a

response.

 

 

 

1) If cow's milk improves bone health, how is it that the United States is a

world leader in dairy consumption yet also has one of the highest rates of

osteoporosis?

 

2) What percentage of studies related to milk and calcium are funded by the

Dairy Council and other milk-industry groups? Each year, how many researchers

and nutritionists receive grants from the Dairy Council and other milk industry

groups?

 

3) Leafy greens contain no cholesterol or saturated fat, and they are loaded

with beneficial phytochemicals that are absent from dairy products. There are

some greens like spinach that contain oxalates that inhibit calcium absorption,

but a number of other leafy greens have been proven to be better calcium sources

than milk (both by weight and by calorie.) If increasing dietary calcium is a

goal of the dairy council, why isn't priority given to leafy greens, especially

since the calcium in leafy greens is often more plentiful and better absorbed

than the calcium in dairy products?

 

4) During the June 1999 Calcium Summit, no representatives were present from

industries or farm collectives that market leafy greens. Nor were

representatives invited from other food concerns that market non-dairy calcium

rich foods and supplements. Given the contribution that these products could

make to calcium consumption, why weren't people connected with these industries

specifically invited to the summit?

 

5) Why do many " Got Milk " advertisements feature celebrities of African or Asian

descent, while these ads fail to mention that most adults of these ethnicities

lack the enzyme to properly digest milk?

 

6) Why hasn't the National Dairy Council taken a stance to ensure that milk from

cows treated with Monsanto's rBGH is labeled, so that consumers can choose to

avoid this milk if they so desire?

 

7) The National Dairy Council and its associated groups consistently put out

the message that milk builds strong bones and reduces osteoporosis risk. If milk

can reduce the risk of osteoporosis, why has Harvard's Nurses' Health Study,

which included over 57,000 women, found women who consumed the most calcium from

dairy products had almost double the rate of hip fractures compared to women who

got the least calcium from dairy?

[Guest guest]

Anji, I having trouble finding planet vegan at . . . I got to it

through this email, but that's it, is this how we are supposed to work this

thingy?

 

 

Vikas Sharma of Operations & Media

Carnival Management

 

carnival

 

Phone 416.923.7325

 

 

 

anji b. [anji]

Wednesday, November 17, 1999 1:56 AM

 

Seven Questions the National Dairy Council Must

Answer

 

 

" anji b. " <anji

 

Debunking the Calcium Crisis

 

Seven Questions the National Dairy Council Must Answer

By Erik Marcus

 

 

 

One of the National Dairy Council's central missions these days seems to be

repeating the phrase " calcium crisis " until the public gets caught up in a

frenzy to consume more dairy products. In June 1999, the Dairy Council even

held

a " Calcium Summit, " in Washington DC which was attended by more than 250

health

professionals.

 

The Dairy Council was able to use this summit to get coverage in the New

York

Times and other leading newspapers. Much of this media coverage suggested

that

people would be well-advised to increase milk consumption. The trouble is

that

there are a number of problems that accompany the inclusion of dairy

products in

the diet.

 

Below, I offer seven questions that get to the root of the Dairy Council's

" Calcium Crisis. " These questions raise some serious concerns regarding

milk,

and I invite the Dairy Council to respond. I ask that each answer be given

in a

summary ranging in length from one sentence to two hundred words. If

necessary,

I will link each summary answer to a fuller answer containing pages of

supporting text and documentation. In an effort to encourage discussion, I

will

post the Dairy Council's full response to each question in the October issue

of

Vegan.com.

 

If no response from the National Dairy Council is forthcoming, Vegan.com

will

ask our readers to help publicize this list of questions until we get a

response.

 

 

 

1) If cow's milk improves bone health, how is it that the United States is a

world leader in dairy consumption yet also has one of the highest rates of

osteoporosis?

 

2) What percentage of studies related to milk and calcium are funded by the

Dairy Council and other milk-industry groups? Each year, how many

researchers

and nutritionists receive grants from the Dairy Council and other milk

industry

groups?

 

3) Leafy greens contain no cholesterol or saturated fat, and they are loaded

with beneficial phytochemicals that are absent from dairy products. There

are

some greens like spinach that contain oxalates that inhibit calcium

absorption,

but a number of other leafy greens have been proven to be better calcium

sources

than milk (both by weight and by calorie.) If increasing dietary calcium is

a

goal of the dairy council, why isn't priority given to leafy greens,

especially

since the calcium in leafy greens is often more plentiful and better

absorbed

than the calcium in dairy products?

 

4) During the June 1999 Calcium Summit, no representatives were present from

industries or farm collectives that market leafy greens. Nor were

representatives invited from other food concerns that market non-dairy

calcium

rich foods and supplements. Given the contribution that these products could

make to calcium consumption, why weren't people connected with these

industries

specifically invited to the summit?

 

5) Why do many " Got Milk " advertisements feature celebrities of African or

Asian

descent, while these ads fail to mention that most adults of these

ethnicities

lack the enzyme to properly digest milk?

 

6) Why hasn't the National Dairy Council taken a stance to ensure that milk

from

cows treated with Monsanto's rBGH is labeled, so that consumers can choose

to

avoid this milk if they so desire?

 

7) The National Dairy Council and its associated groups consistently put

out

the message that milk builds strong bones and reduces osteoporosis risk. If

milk

can reduce the risk of osteoporosis, why has Harvard's Nurses' Health Study,

which included over 57,000 women, found women who consumed the most calcium

from

dairy products had almost double the rate of hip fractures compared to women

who

got the least calcium from dairy?

 

 

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