Why do we Need to Avoid Dairy Products?
Why do we need to avoid dairy products is a question that I am often asked. Avoiding dairy products is one of the dietary changes that are a part of healthy diet recommendations. However many people who live in Western societies react with disbelief when informed that dairy foods are not essential for human health, and that most people on this planet do quite nicely without them.
The strong belief that dairy products are essential for strong bones and teeth has been thanks to dairy industry promotions and decades of government-sponsored nutrition ‘education' in schools. Many people find it even harder to believe the information that there is a solid and growing body of scientific evidence which suggests that limiting or eliminating dairy products from the diet may be important to achieving optimal health.
The dairy industry spends millions of dollars on advertising to convince us that their products are not only wholesome, but absolutely essential for our health. However, "There is no human requirement for milk from a cow," says Suzanne Havala, RD, author of the American Dietetic Association's "Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets" and several books on nutrition. "The use of milk and its products in our country is strictly a cultural tradition," she notes. "There are millions of people around the world who never consume cow's milk and are none the worse for it." The belief that dairy products are essential is incorrect. As one writer stated - ‘even cows don't drink it!'
Many people have also been lead to believe that dairy products are our only reliable source of calcium. It is true that calcium in our bloodstream is essential for our health and it plays a critical role in blood clotting, muscle contraction, heartbeat maintenance and proper nerve function. About 99 percent of calcium (roughly three pounds) is stored in our bones and teeth, which rely upon the mineral for their strength. When needed, calcium is released from our bones into the blood. Calcium is calcium, however, whether it's from broccoli or cottage cheese. "There's no best source of calcium," explains Robert Heaney, a professor with the Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton University School of Medicine. "The sheer quantity of calcium in dairy products certainly makes them attractive sources, but they have no monopoly on calcium. There's no reason in the world why you couldn't get an adequate intake from a vegetable source."
The dairy industry presents the notion that their calcium-rich foods are veritable guarantors of unbreakable bones. However, there is little support for this assertion. There is no clear evidence that high calcium intakes alone - even the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 800 mgs - can ensure bone health. Indeed throughout the world the people who consume the most calcium actually have the poorest bone health and the idea that dosing yourself with calcium will automatically keep your bones in good shape is just plain wrong. The nations with the greatest calcium intake have the highest rates of osteoporosis and hip fracture and there are relatively few fractures among populations where calcium levels are not so high. Of course the dairy industry disputes these findings, continuing to insist that every man, woman and child would benefit from drinking at least three glasses of milk a day.
Healthy bones require more than simply ingesting copious amounts of calcium-rich foods. Certainly, calcium intake is important, particularly during childhood, early adulthood and up to the age of 30 - 35 when our bones achieve their peak mass and stop growing. But retaining the calcium we've stored in our bones appears to be even more vital. This is particularly the case in our late 40s or so, when our bones begin to break down faster than they can be rebuilt. Indeed, research indicates that preventing calcium loss is actually three to four times more important in determining calcium balance (that is, whether we gain, maintain or lose calcium from our bones) than is calcium intake. And one of the greatest instigators of calcium loss is a high-animal protein diet. Indeed pediatrician Charles Attwood, MD, suggests that "...milk, with its excessive protein, may be part of the calcium problem instead of a solution."
The question of how much calcium is needed by the body remains especially since the RDA for calcium is established higher than it otherwise would be in order to compensate for calcium losses due to high consumptions of protein. People worldwide develop and maintain strong bones on levels of calcium considerably below the 800 mg RDA. The World Health Organization recommends 400 - 500 mgs daily. However, because vegetarians generally have lower protein intakes and absorb and retain calcium better, they may have lower calcium needs. For most people, the RDA can quite easily be fulfilled by eating a varied diet with at least several servings of calcium-rich foods each day. Children, teens and young women should be especially careful to include these foods since their calcium needs are relatively high compared to others. Some people may choose to take supplements as added insurance. Of course one advantage of meeting calcium needs with plant foods is that many are also excellent sources of antioxidants, fiber, folic acid, complex carbohydrates, iron and other important vitamins and minerals you won't find in milk products.
Apart from the calcium question there are additional serious health concerns that are related to dairy products. These include:
Allergies: Milk is the most common cause of food allergy. A recent study found that one way to reduce the number of allergies in infants is for the breastfeeding mother to avoid consuming, or make very limited use of cow's milk. Anemia: Over reliance on milk in children can lead to anemia, as milk is very low in iron, and drinking large quantities of it can crowd iron-rich foods from the diet. In young infants, protein from cow's milk can cause intestinal bleeding, another possible cause of anemia.
Colic: Sensitivity to cow's milk can cause colic, a digestive ailment in infants. Colic can cause problems even in infants who aren't drinking cow's milk but whose mothers are.
Drug safety concerns: Dairy farmers regularly administer drugs and growth hormones (bovine somatotropic hormone BSH and others) to cows to boost milk production. Investigations have routinely found residues of these veterinary pharmaceuticals in milk and other milk products, some of which may raise cancer risks. One compound approved for use in 1993 and now widely employed by commercial dairies is the controversial genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH). Many feel that this compound poses grave potential health risks for consumers (including elevated antibiotic residue levels in milk).
Heart disease: Dairy products are major contributors of saturated fat and cholesterol to the diet. According to cardiologist Dean Ornish, MD, "Milk rates second only to beef as the largest source of saturated fat in the American diet." Consider, for example, that one glass of 2% milk fat has as much saturated fat as three strips of bacon. Almost half the calories in whole milk come from fat.
Insulin-dependent diabetes: Recent research indicates that consuming cow's milk throughout adolescence increases the risk of developing Type I diabetes. About 1 million Americans have this disease.
Lactose intolerance: Many people cannot stomach lactose, the sugar in milk, because they lack the necessary digestive enzyme. Some people are also sensitive to milk protein. An estimated 50 million Americans experience intestinal discomfort after consuming dairy products. Symptoms include bloating, stomach pain, cramps, gas or diarrhea.
Women's health concerns: Studies indicate that osteoporosis, which afflicts 20 million American women, and ovarian cancer are most common in those countries with the highest consumption of dairy food and lowest in those countries with low dairy intake. According to gynecologist Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women's Bodies Women's Wisdom, other health problems associated with the consumption of dairy foods include benign breast conditions, recurrent vaginitis, acne, menstrual cramps, fibroids, chronic intestinal upset and increased pain from endometriosis.
This all indicates that dairy products are not essential for the health of humans and that all the nutrients that are contained in dairy products can be obtained from plant foods. Plant foods offer many health protecting factors while dairy foods increase the risks of many diseases. The more we learn about the affects of dairy products the harder it is to eat them with any assurance that they are doing our bodies any good.
21.02.2008. 21:06
This article hasn't been commented yet.
Top
Write a comment
* = required field