From: "Robert Cohen" <notmilk@e...>
Date: Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:29 pm
Subject: Attacking (NotMilk) Messengers
Attacking (NotMilk) Messengers
It did not take long for the dairy industry to attack
the lead article in this month's journal, PEDIATRICS
(Pediatrics. 2005 Mar;115(3):736-43).
Amy Lanou, M.D., Susan Berkow, Ph.D., and Neal Barnard,
M=2ED., have researched and published a landmark paper
that has undergone a rigorous peer-review process by
one of America's most respected scientific journals.
Their article concludes that neither dairy products
nor calcium supplementation plays any role in building
strong bones.
This news was so bad for dairy producers that their
strategy was to attack the authors personally. Although
dairy producers refer to this scientific study as an
"opinion piece," a Medline review of the abstract
of that article confirms that the authors identified
and analyzed 58 studies in order to come to their
(independently scrutinized and confirmed by third
parties) scientifically-based conclusions.
Here is the official dairy response as published in
Dairy Herd, a pro dairy website:
<
http://www.dairyherd.com >
(you must register to access this and other articles,
but their column reproduced here in its entirety):
**************************************************
Report attacks milk's role in building strong bones
By Dairy Herd news source (Wednesday, March 09, 2005)
According to an article in the February issue of Pediatrics,
milk may not be the best calcium source to help kids build
strong bones. That message flies in the face of countless
studies completed over the years that link dairy consumption
with building strong bones.
But, unless you know the lead researcher is a member of the
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine =E2=80" an animal
rights group with just 5 percent of the membership being
actual physicians =E2=80" you may be inclined to believe the message.
A statement by the National Dairy Council and the International
Dairy Foods Association, calls the article an "opinion piece"
and that the authors "chose to ignore decades of comprehensive
research endorsing dairy=E2=80=99s role in bone health."
Consensus in the scientific and medical community is strong
regarding the value of dairy foods in a healthy diet. In fact,
for information on the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP)
current calcium policy statement, go to:
<
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org...ediatrics;104/
5/1152 >
The U.S. Surgeon General, National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD), Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
are just a few of the organizations that confirm that milk and
milk products are a good way for kids and teens to get the
bone-building calcium they need.
When it comes to nutrition, people should listen to health and
nutrition experts, not animal rights activists.
The NDC and IDFA encourage consumers to learn more about sound
science on calcium and bone health at these websites:
1=2E NICHD's extensive, publicly funded education program called
"Milk Matters" explains why milk is so essential in the
development of kids and teens. <
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/ >
2=2E In 2004, the U.S. Surgeon General called for all Americans
to take action to improve and maintain healthy bones. He urged
people of all ages to meet daily requirements for calcium and
Vitamin D with three glasses of lowfat milk each day to reach
this goal. <
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth/ >
3=2E The CDC's longstanding National Bone Health Campaign(TM),
"Powerful Girls, Powerful Bones," encourages teen girls to get
the calcium they need for healthy bones.
<
http://www.cdc.gov/powerfulbones/index_content.html >
**************************************************
The PEDIATRICS article, as reported on Medline:
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Calcium, dairy products, and bone health in children
and young adults: a reevaluation of the evidence.
Lanou AJ, Berkow SE, Barnard ND.
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 5100 Wisconsin
Ave NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20016, USA. alanou@p...
OBJECTIVE: Numerous nutrition policy statements recommend
the consumption of 800 to 1500 mg of calcium largely from
dairy products for osteoporosis prevention; however, the
findings of epidemiologic and prospective studies have
raised questions about the efficacy of the use of dairy
products for the promotion of bone health. The objective of
this study was to review existing literature on the effects
of dairy products and total dietary calcium on bone integrity
in children and young adults to assess whether evidence
supports (1) current recommended calcium intake levels and
(2) the suggestion that dairy products are better for
promoting bone integrity than other calcium-containing food
sources or supplements.
METHODS: A Medline (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD)
search was conducted for studies published on the relationship
between milk, dairy products, or calcium intake and bone
mineralization or fracture risk in children and young adults
(1-25 years). This search yielded 58 studies: 22 cross-sectional
studies; 13 retrospective studies; 10 longitudinal prospective
studies; and 13 randomized, controlled trials. RESULTS: Eleven
of the studies did not control for weight, pubertal status, and
exercise and were excluded. Ten studies were randomized, controlled
trials of supplemental calcium, 9 of which showed modest positive
benefits on bone mineralization in children and adolescents. Of
the remaining 37 studies of dairy or unsupplemented dietary calcium
intake, 27 studies found no relationship between dairy or dietary
calcium intake and measures of bone health. In the remaining 9
reports, the effects on bone health are small and 3 were confounded
by vitamin D intake from milk fortified with vitamin D. Therefore,
in clinical, longitudinal, retrospective, and cross-sectional
studies, neither increased consumption of dairy products,
specifically, nor total dietary calcium consumption has shown even
a modestly consistent benefit for child or young adult bone health.
CONCLUSION: Scant evidence supports nutrition guidelines focused
specifically on increasing milk or other dairy product intake for
promoting child and adolescent bone mineralization.
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Robert Cohen
http://www.notmilk.com