Dairy Products & 10 False Promises

[Guest guest]

Please share with those who still harass you with not drinking milk or eating

dairy.............~ Jo (And please forward widely)

 

Dairy Products and 10 False Promises

Milk is as pure white as fresh fallen snow and as familiar as a mother's warm

touch.  Common sense once led me to believe that if a single food, milk,

could sustain a baby as the sole source of nutrients, then it must be

" nature's most perfect food. "   Milk builds strong bones – I have learned over

and over again – and since the hardest parts of my body are made mostly of

calcium, this liquid food must be essential for my strength and stability. 

Milk is for life, because they tell me I never outgrow my need for milk.  All

these “facts†were the “truth†until I took the trouble to think a

little

about the subject on my own and to look into the scientific research.  May I

share with you some of my surprising discoveries?

 

Mother's Milk Can Be a Perfect Food

Within the same species – like cow for calf, cat for kitten, mare for foal –

mother's milk can be the perfect food for the very young – not, after

weaning, for older offspring, and certainly, not for the fully-grown.  All

mammals nourish their developing young with this ready-to-eat liquid

synthesized by specialized sweat glands, called the mammary glands.  This

life-giving fluid contains the nutrients, antibodies and hormones that

optimize the chances for growth and survival of the infant.How essential is

mother's milk? Human infants deprived of the advantages of human breast milk

have:1

 

Two to four times the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (crib death),

More than 60 times the risk of pneumonia in the first three months of life,2

Ten times the risk of hospitalization during their first year

Reduced intelligence as measured by IQ score

Behavioral and speech difficulties

An increased chance of suffering from infections, asthma, eczema, type I

diabetes, and cancer (lymphoma and leukemia) in early life

A greater risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, food

allergies, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease later in life No one

argues against the fact that human breast milk is nature's most perfect food

for human babies. 

 

There is also no satisfactory substitute; therefore, every effort should be

made to have every infant breast-fed exclusively for six months; and then,

with the addition of healthy solid food choices, partially breast-fed until

the age of two.  (More information on this is found in The McDougall Program

for Women book).Mother's Milk is Species SpecificThe nutritional needs of

very young animals are met by the unique qualities of the milk of that

particular species.  The composition of this infant food has evolved over

millions of years to be ideally suited for that animal.  Let me explain in

terms of one essential nutrient: protein.The amount of protein in the milk of

an animal varies to meet the growth demands of the very young – the faster an

animal grows the greater the protein needs.

 

Comparisons of Milk of Different Species3

 

Animal Protein* Growth Rate(days)**

Human 1.2 180

Horse 2.4 60

Cow 3.3 47

Goat 4.1 19

Dog 7.1 8

Cat 9.5 7

Rat 11.8 4.5

 

* Grams per 100 milliliters (in terms of % of calories, cow's milk has four

times more protein than human milk; 21% vs. 5%4)** Time required to double

birth weightIn addition to the much higher protein content, consider the

other nutrient differences between cow's milk and human:

 

Nutrient

 

Human

Cow

mg/100 Cal

 

Calcium 45 194

Phosphorus 18 152

Sodium 23 80

Potassium 72 246

 

Not surprisingly, since a calf doubles its birth weight nearly four times

faster than a human infant does, the concentrations of protein and calcium

are nearly four times greater.  Rapid growth requires a much higher density

of all kinds of nutrients.

 

Problems of Excess Nutrients

Most people think of health problems in terms of deficiencies of nutrients;

this is the reason vitamin and mineral supplements are so popular.  However,

I do not see diseases of deficiency in my patients.  For example, I see no

vitamin C deficiency (scurvy), B1 deficiency (Beriberi), or protein

deficiency in my patients.  Rather, I see diseases of excess – such as excess

dietary fat (obesity), cholesterol (heart disease), and salt (hypertension). 

Therefore, feeding an overly-concentrated food such as cow's milk to people

(infants, children, and adults) promotes diseases of excess. 

 

(Some of you are still thinking cow's milk corrects calcium deficiency in

people, preventing osteoporosis.  Be patient, in a moment I will show you

this is not true.)

 

Replacing human breast milk with cow's milk was once tried in the mid-1800s

in the United States for emergency situations (such as when a mother died in

childbirth).  The result was a quick death for most of the infants, because

the high protein content of the cow's milk forced fluid losses from the

infant's kidneys, resulting in dehydration.5 Once this problem was

recognized, then infant formulas were developed which added sugar to the

cow's milk in order to reduce the protein concentration of the cow's milk and

make it more resemble human milk.  Some of you may be old enough to remember

making or drinking infant formula made from Carnation evaporated cow's milk

and Karo syrup (sugar).6 (This is a very unhealthy formula for infants – do

not use this).

 

Consider the purpose of cow's milk.  This is an ideal food to grow a calf

from its 60-pound birthweight to a 600-pound young cow, ready to wean.  This

is a high “octane†fuel.  One obvious consequence of people eating “calf

food

†is rapid fat gain – and dairy products are one of the leading contributors

to the epidemic of excess body fat affecting 25% of children and 65% of

adults in Western populations.  Matters are made even worse when cow's milk

is converted into even more concentrated products, like cheeses.

 

Cow's milk products have some important nutritional deficiencies.4  They are

completely devoid of fiber; and contain insufficient amounts of vitamins,

like C and niacin, and minerals, like iron, to meet the human body's needs.

 

False Promise #1: Milk Builds Strong BonesIf you ask people why they drink

milk, they'll tell you it's for the calcium. Milk has lots of calcium and its

supporters have " milked " that point for all it's worth. One of your first

clues that cow's milk is not ideal for bone health comes from comparison of

the calcium content of the two kinds of milk (shown above).  Cow's milk has

more than four times the calcium content as human breast milk. If this

exaggerated amount of calcium is not required during our greatest time of

growth – babies double in weight in six months – then why should a

concentration of calcium ideal for calves be required when we stop growing

bones as adults?  Without a doubt growing the hefty skeleton of a cow takes

much more calcium than growing relatively small human bones.

 

Billions of people worldwide do not consume milk after weaning and they grow

normal adult skeletons.7 For example, Bantu women in Africa consume no dairy

products at all, and take in only about 250 to 400 mg of calcium each day

through vegetable sources8 (about half the recommended daily intake in the

U.S.). These women typically have ten children each and breast-feed each one

for about 10 months. Yet despite a diet with no dairy products and the

tremendous calcium drain of pregnancy and breast-feeding, osteoporosis is

virtually unknown among these women.8

 

When rural African women migrate to cities or move to Western counties and

adopt rich, high-calcium diets, osteoporosis becomes common.9 You will soon

understand this is because their new diet becomes very high in animal

protein.10

 

The world picture fails to support benefits claimed by the dairy industry. 

Countries that have the highest traditional consumption of dairy products

(United States, Sweden, Israel, Finland, and the United Kingdom) also have

the highest rates of osteoporosis-related hip fractures.11 Places in the

world with a traditionally low intake of dairy - Hong Kong, Singapore,

countries in rural Africa - have the lowest incidence of osteoporosis.

 

If calcium is the key and milk is such a great source, why are there still 10

million Americans with osteoporosis?  Long-standing recommendations to

increase calcium intakes have had little or no effect on the prevalence of

osteoporosis or fractures in the United States.7

 

Worldwide, the incidence of osteoporosis correlates directly and strongly

with animal protein intake.  The highly acidic nature of animal protein is

the major cause of bone loss.10 (You can read more about this at <A

HREF= " http://www.drmcdougall.com/ " >

www.drmcdougall.com</A> in the February 2003 McDougall Newsletter in the

article,

“Fish is not health food.â€)

 

False Promise #2: Research Supports Dairy’s Benefits

In September of 2000, two researchers compiled a review of the 57 studies on

dairy products and bone health which had been published in the scientific

literature since 1985.  This review was published in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition.12   

 

Not surprisingly, most of this research was financed by the dairy industry. 

The researchers reported that 53 percent of the studies showed no benefit

from dairy.  

 

Then they excluded studies with weak evidence or poor techniques, which

eliminated more than half of the studies. Of the 21 remaining studies, 57

percent again showed no benefit from dairy, and another 14 percent found that

dairy products actually weaken bones. Think about that – this means that 71

percent of the scientifically sound research did not support the bone

building benefits of dairy products and some showed actual harm.

 

Randomized controlled studies compare an experimental group with a control

group and are considered the most valid form of scientific research.   Of the

seven randomized controlled studies which have been completed on the effects

of dairy products on bone health, six were financed by the dairy industry. 

Only one looked at the benefits of fluid milk on the health of the women most

likely to benefit: postmenopausal women.13 At the conclusion of this study,

the women in the experimental group, fed three eight-ounce glasses of skim

milk daily for a year, were still losing more calcium from their bodies than

they were absorbing (they were in negative calcium balance). Even though they

consumed more than 1400 mg of calcium daily they still lost twice as much

bone as the women in the control group, who were not getting the supplemental

milk.  Yet the industry continues to proclaim its pro-milk message from every

rooftop.

 

False Promise #3: Dairy Foods Make Meeting Calcium Recommendations Easy

Recommended intakes of calcium to prevent osteoporosis are now so high that

it is difficult, if not impossible, to make up practical diets that meet

these recommendations.7   The National Institutes of Health Consensus

Conference and The National Osteoporosis Foundation support a calcium intake

of 1,500 milligrams per day for postmenopausal women not taking estrogen, and

for adults 65 years or older.  Assuming 300-400 mg of calcium comes from

starches, vegetables, fruits, eggs, poultry, fish, and meats,4 then 1,200 mg

would have to be obtained from dairy products daily.  An average

postmenopausal sedentary woman consumes 1500 calories a day.  The amount of

dairy required to meet her recommended calcium needs would be:4* 6 ounces

Cheddar cheese (which is 74% fat).  This would mean that 46% of the calories

in her diet must be from cheese; or

 

* One quart (32 ounces) of whole milk (which is 50% fat) which would mean 40%

of her diet is from milk; or* One quart (32 ounces) of non-fat milk (which is

3% fat) which would mean 23% of her diet would be non-fat milk.The dairy

industry is happy about these grand recommendations, but consuming that much

cow's milk product daily would replace too many other more filling

(satisfying) and nutritious foods, and be unhealthy.

 

False Promise #4:  We Require 1500 mg of Calcium a DayOur requirements for

calcium are far less than recommended.   Scientific research demonstrates

people need as little as 150 to 200 mg/day, even when pregnant or

lactating.14

 

Consider the great variation in calcium intakes and recommendation:

Minimum Requirement Based on Research 150-200 mg

Calcium Intake for Underdeveloped Countries 300-500 mg

Calcium Intake for Average American 500-600 mg

World Health Organization Recommendation 400-500 mg

USA Food and Nutrition Board 1000- 1300 mg

A National Institutes of Health 1000-1500 mg

 

Why the large variation in figures for calcium intakes and recommendations? 

The simple answer is the amount of calcium in the foods you eat has little

effect on the quantity of calcium that is eventually taken into the body and

on the health of your bones.15

 

Your intestine will always absorb sufficient calcium to meet your needs from

the foods you eat. On a diet low in calcium, the efficiency of mineral

absorption is increased, and the intestine takes in more calcium. On a

high-calcium diet, more calcium is left in the intestine to be excreted,

unused, in the feces.16  The intestine is so “smart†about calcium that it

never fails to meet the body’s needs.  If you look over the last hundred

years of scientific and nutritional literature you will find there is no

evidence that dietary calcium deficiency occurs in humans, even though most

people in the world don't drink milk after weaning – because of custom,

lactose intolerance, or simply because milk is not generally available in

their part of the world. 7,14, 17-20  This means there is no such disease as

“

dietary calcium deficiency†– think again if your mind drifts to

osteoporosis – remember, populations with the lowest calcium intakes have the

strongest bones; the least osteoporosis, worldwide.11

 

False Promise #5: Milk is the Best Food for Bones

The truth is, milk is not the only source of calcium and it is not the best

source of calcium.  Consider that the original source of calcium is the

ground.  Calcium, and other minerals, are dissolved in watery solutions and

absorbed by the roots of plants.  These minerals are then incorporated in the

roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of the plants.  Humans can get

plenty of calcium the same way it gets into cow's milk; from the plant foods

they eat.Inappropriate concern about calcium intake may divert attention and

resources from more important nutritional issues. Calcium isn't the only

nutrient that affects bone health. Studies have shown that potassium and

magnesium may be even more critical in preventing bone loss, and that

beta-carotene, phosphorus, and fiber play important roles as well.21,22

 

Plants are excellent sources of these nutrients.  Milk provides no

beta-carotene and no dietary fiber.4 Most important, bone health can be more

about what you don't eat than what you do eat. Certain foods and substances –

like animal proteins, cigarettes, soft drinks, caffeine, and salt – all

affect your body's ability to absorb and use calcium vs. the loss of calcium

from the body. 23,24

 

False Promise #6: Milk is Necessary for vitamin D

Some people will point out milk's vitamin D content as evidence of its

critical place in a healthy diet. Well, that's a fabrication, too. Vitamin D

is not really a vitamin; it's a hormone that the body produces in reaction to

sunlight. And it isn't present naturally in milk – it's added as a supplement

at the dairy processing factory. This addition was supposedly done to prevent

rickets, a painful, deforming bone condition that is caused by vitamin D

deficiency. But rickets is really caused by limited exposure to sunlight, and

the body levels of vitamin D are only slightly affected by dietary

sources.25,26 The amount of sunlight we get during the summer holidays is

reflected in our vitamin D levels all year long.  More than 90% of the

vitamin D in the body is produced by sunlight.  Exposing the face and arms

for as little as 15 minutes 3 times a week provides adequate amounts of

vitamin D.  However, this activity is modified by the use of sunscreens and

by skin pigmentation.27 So nearly everyone gets enough vitamin D every day

just through normal activities – we don't need to drink milk to get it. Plus,

vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means it is stored in our body fat for long

periods of time – and most importantly, for periods of low sun exposure in

the winter months.

 

Myth #7:  Milk Cures Hypertension

A grant from the National Dairy Council supported a large review of the

influence of dietary (dairy products) and nondietary (supplements) calcium

supplementation on blood pressure and came to the conclusion “that calcium

supplementation leads to a small reduction in systolic (top number) and

diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure.â€28  Of the 67 studies published, 47

proved eligible for review.  The actual decrease in blood pressure was

paltry:  Decreases of 1.44 mmHg systolic and 0.84 mmHg diastolic.  The

mechanism causing this almost undetectable reduction in blood pressure from

consuming calcium is unknown.

 

By comparison, our results from the McDougall residential center show a 23/14

mmHg decrease in blood pressure in people with high blood pressure (150/90

mmHg or greater) in less than 10 days; and almost all of these people were

taken off all of their blood pressure medication during the 10 days.

 

False Promise #8:  Milk Prevents Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States and other

places where people eat the Western diet.  There is general agreement in the

scientific community that this form of cancer is due to the high-meat,

high-fat, low-dietary fiber, low-vegetable diet that people eat.29,30 

However, among those unfortunate people who eat this unhealthy diet, those

who have a higher calcium intake also have a lower risk of colon cancer.  The

reason for this may be that calcium in the colon binds and neutralizes

cancer-causing substances, such as fats and bile acids, which are produced by

the Western diet.31

 

The recommendation to increase your calcium intake, rather than change to a

healthy diet, makes good economic sense for the dairy and calcium supplement

industry.  However, as a sensible person, you would come to the conclusion

that stopping the cause of colon cancer – the Western diet – should be the

focus of your attention.

 

False Promise #9:  Low-fat Dairy Products are Health Food

Low-fat or skim milk and dairy products are widely consumed today, but in

some ways they may be even more of a health hazard than the high-fat

versions. The process of skimming the fat from the milk increases the

relative proportions of protein and lactose.

Making Low-fat Milk

When the fat is removed from whole milk to make low-fat and skim milk the

relative amounts of proteins and carbohydrates (sugars) are increased.4 

 

Whole Low-fat Skim

Fat 49% 31% 2%

Protein21% 28% 41%

CHO 30% 41% 57%

 

CHO = carbohydrate = lactose = milk sugarProtein causes calcium loss10,11 and

is the #1 source of food allergies in people; and the milk sugar (lactose)

results in lactose intolerance (diarrhea, stomach cramps and gas). Although

skim milk may have less fat, it is still devoid of fiber; and contains

insufficient amounts of vitamins, like C and niacin, and minerals, like iron,

to meet the human body's needs.4

 

False Promise #10: Milk Is As Pure White As Fresh Fallen Snow

Milk may be white but it is far from pure.  Unfortunately, some of that white

comes from white blood cells – commonly referred to as “pus cells†–

which

are cells produced by the cow's immune system to fight off infections,

especially those of bacterial origin, such as mastitis.  The dairy industry

calls these somatic cells and refers to their presence as the somatic cell

count (SCC).  The SCC is the number of (mostly) white blood cells per

milliliter (cells/ml) of milk.  (There are 20 drops per milliliter; 30

milliliters to an ounce)

 

Beginning July 1, 1993, the SCC level in milk must be less than 750,000 SCC

to comply with the State and Federal Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.32   This

means one 8 ounce glass of milk (240 milliliters) can contain 180 million

white blood cells and still be fine for you to drink and feed to your

family.  In a recent study of milk sold in New York State the average SCC was

363,000 cells/ml.33

 

These white blood cells were produced by the cow to fight off the 24,400

bacteria/ml found in this milk.I realize this is a disgusting way to end this

article.

 

References:1)  McDougall J. The McDougall Program for Women. Plume, 2000.

Pages 59-70.2)  Cesar JA.  Impact of breast feeding on admission for

pneumonia during postneonatal period in Brazil: nested case-control study. 

BMJ. 1999 May 15;318(7194):1316-20.3)  McDougall J.  The McDougall Plan. New

Win Publ. 1983; page 101.4)  J Pennington.  Bowes & Church’s Food Values of

Portions Commonly Used.  17th Ed. Lippincott. Philadelphia- New York.

1998.5)  Abrams CA.  Hazards of overconcentrated milk formula.

Hyperosmolality, disseminated intravascular coagulation and gangrene.  JAMA.

1975 Jun 16;232(11):1136-40.6)  Belton NR.  Clinical and biochemical

assessment of a modified evaporated milk for infant feeding.  Arch Dis Child.

1977 Mar;52(3):167-75.7)  Hegsted D.  Fractures, calcium and the modern

diet.  Am J Clin Nutr 74: 571-3, 2000.8)  Walker A. The influence of numerous

pregnancies and lactations on bone dimensions in South African Bantu and

caucasian mothers.  Clin Science 42:l89-196, l972.9)  Smith R. Epidemiologic

Studies of Osteoporosis in Women of Puerto Rico and Southeastern Michigan

with Special Reference to Age, Race, National Origin, and to Other Related or

Associated Findings. Clin Orthop 45:31-48, 1966.10)  Barzel US, Massey LK.

Excess dietary protein can adversely affect bone.  J Nutr.

1998;128:1051-3.11)  Abelow B.  Cross-cultural association between dietary

animal protein and hip fracture: a hypothesis.  Calcific Tissue Int 50:14-8,

1992.12)  Weinsier R.  Dairy foods and bone health: examination of the

evidence.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Sep;72(3):681-9.13)  Recker R.  The effect of milk

supplements on calcium metabolism, bone metabolism and calcium balance.  Am J

Clin Nutr. 1985 Feb;41(2):254-63.14)  Paterson C. Calcium requirements in

man: a critical review.  Postgrad Med J 54:244-8, 1978.15)  Kanis J.  The use

of calcium in the management of osteoporosis.  Bone 24:279-90, 1999.16) 

Spencer H. Influence of dietary calcium intake on Ca(47) absorption in man.

Am J Med 46:197-205, 1969.17)  Hegsted D.  A study of minimum calcium

requirements of adult men.  J Nutr 46:181-120, 1952.18)  Symposium on human

calcium requirements. JAMA 185:588-93, 1963.19)  Goodhart and Shils, Modern

Nutrition in health and disease (Dietotherapy), 5th ed. 1973 p. 274.20) 

Walker A. Osteoporosis and calcium deficiency. Am J Clin Nutr 16:327,

1965.21)  Tucker KL.  Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes

are associated with greater bone mineral density in elderly men and women. 

Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Apr;69(4):727-36.22)  New S. Dietary influences on bone

mass and bone metabolism: further evidence of a positive link between fruit

and vegetable consumption and bone health.   Am J Clin Nutr

71:142-151,2000.23)  Ilich J. Nutrition in bone health revisited: a story

beyond calcium. J Am Coll 19:715-37, 2000.24)  Cohen A. Review of risk

factors for osteoporosis with particular reference to a possible aetiological

role of dietary salt.  Food Chem Toxicol. 38:237-53, 2000.25)  Holick M.

Environmental factors that influence the cutaneous production of vitamin D.

 Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Mar;61(3 Suppl):638S-645S.26)  Stamp T.  Comparison of

oral 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, vitamin D, and ultraviolet light as

determinants of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Lancet. 1977 Jun

25;1(8026):1341-3.S27)  Norris J.  Can the sunshine vitamin shed light on

type 1 diabetes?  Lancet 2001 358:1476-77.28)  The influence of dietary and

nondietary calcium supplementation on blood pressure: an updated metaanalysis

of randomized controlled trials. Am J Hypertens. 1999 Jan;12(1 Pt

1):84-92.29)  Weisburger J.  Causes, relevant mechanisms, and prevention of

large bowel cancer.

Semin Oncol. 1991 Aug;18(4):316-36.30)  Mason JB.  Nutritional

chemoprevention of colon cancer.  Semin Gastrointest Dis. 2002

Jul;13(3):143-53.31)  Holt R.  Dairy foods and prevention of colon cancer:

human studies.  J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Oct;18(5 Suppl):379S-391S.32)  Adkinson

RW.  Implications of proposed changes in bulk tank somatic cell count

regulations.  J Dairy Sci. 2001 Feb;84(2):370-4.33)  van Schaik G.  Trends in

somatic cell counts, bacterial counts, and antibiotic residue violations in

New York State during 1999-2000.  J Dairy Sci. 2002 Apr;85(4):782-9.

 

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