WHITE LIES part 1
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaig...report06.shtml

The composition of cow’s milk
Cow’s milk composition can vary widely between different breeds and
during different stages of lactation. In the first few days after
birth, a special type of milk called colostrum is excreted which is
rich in fats and protein. Colostrum also contains important
infection-fighting antibodies which strengthen the immune system of
the young mammal. The transition from colostrum to true milk occurs
within a few days following birth.

Water
All milk produced by animals contains carbohydrate, protein, fat,
minerals and vitamins but the major component is water. Water dilutes
the milk allowing its secretion from the body; without water it would
be impossible to express milk. Additionally, the water in milk is
essential to the newborn for hydration. Cow’s milk contains a similar
amount of water to human milk – around 87 per cent.

Carbohydrate
The major carbohydrate in mammalian milk is a disaccharide (or sugar)
called lactose. For lactose to be digested, it must be broken down in
the intestine by the enzyme lactase to its component monosaccharides
glucose and galactose. Glucose can then supply energy to the young
animal. Many people are unable to consume cow’s milk and dairy
products because they are unable to digest lactose after weaning. Most
infants possess the enzyme lactase and can therefore digest lactose,
but this ability is lost in many people after weaning (commonly after
the age of two). In global terms lactose intolerance is very common,
occurring in around 90-100 per cent of Asians, 65-70 per cent of
Africans, but just 10 per cent of Caucasians (Robbins, 2001).
Therefore most of the world’s population are unable to digest milk
after weaning.

Protein
Protein provides energy and is required for the growth and repair of
tissue such as skin and muscle. Caseins are the primary group of
proteins in cow’s milk, making up around 80 per cent of the total
protein content. The remaining portion is made up from whey proteins.
There are four types of casein (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and
kappa-casein) that combine to make up a structure known as a casein
micelle. The micellar structure of casein is important in the
production of cheese; it also plays a significant role in cow’s milk
allergies (see Allergies).

Fat
The principal fat in milk is a complex combination of lipids called
triglycerols (esters of three fatty acids with one molecule of
glycerol). There are more than 400 fatty acids in cow’s milk ranging
in carbon atom chain length from four carbon atoms to 26 (National
Dairy Council, US, 2005). Fatty acids are described as saturated or
unsaturated depending on the amount of hydrogen in the carbon chain of
the molecule; milk contains both saturated and unsaturated fatty
acids. Unsaturated fatty acids may be further classified as
monounsaturated or polyunsaturated (depending on the number of double
bonds in the carbon chain of the fatty acid molecule). Again, milk
contains fatty acids from both groups but most of the fat in whole
cow’s milk (around 65 per cent) is the saturated type.

Polyunsaturated fats include fatty acids called the omega-6 and
omega-3 fatty acids (these names refer to the position of the double
bond in the carbon chain of the fatty acid molecule). Milk contains
the omega-6 essential fatty acid linoleic acid and the omega-3 fatty
acid linolenic acid. These are called essential fatty acids because
they are essential to health but cannot be made within the body and so
must be obtained from the diet. While milk does contain linoleic acid
and linolenic acid (both with chains of 18 carbon atoms) it does so at
relatively low levels.

There has been much excitement recently about the so-called conjugated
linoleic acids (CLAs) in cow’s milk. The term ‘conjugated’ refers to
the molecular arrangement of the molecule. CLAs are described as
positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid; this means that
CLAs are made up of exactly the same components as normal linoleic
acid, just in a different arrangement. CLA in one particular
configuration (cis-9, trans-11 CLA) is believed to possess a range of
potential health benefits for humans (McGuire and McGuire, 2000).
However, the majority of studies on weight loss, cancer,
cardiovascular disease, insulin sensitivity and diabetes and immune
function have been conducted on animals and it has been acknowledged
that variations exist between different animals’ responses to CLAs. A
recent review of 17 studies on humans concluded that CLA does not
affect body weight or body composition and has a limited effect on
immune function (Tricon et al., 2005). Furthermore some detrimental
effects of CLA have been observed in mice and some reports suggest
that CLAs can elicit pro-carcinogenic effects (Wahle et al., 2004).
Despite warnings from researchers that until we know more, CLA
supplementation in humans should be considered with caution, the dairy
industry sees this molecule as a new marketing opportunity and
research into producing CLA-enriched milk by manipulating the diet of
dairy cows has already begun (Lock and Garnsworthy, 2002).

In addition to the fatty acids discussed there are small amounts of
phospholipids and other fats present in milk including fat soluble
vitamins.

Minerals and vitamins
Minerals found in cow’s milk include sodium, potassium, calcium,
magnesium, phosphorus and chloride, zinc, iron (although at extremely
low levels), selenium, iodine and trace amounts of copper and
manganese (FSA, 2002). Vitamins in cow’s milk include retinol,
carotene, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin
B12, folate, pantothenate, biotin, vitamin C and trace amounts of
vitamin D (FSA, 2002). In the US, milk is fortified with additional
vitamin D; this has important implications as we shall see later (see
Osteoporosis).

Although cow’s milk contains all these nutrients it is important to
note that these vitamins are contained at very low levels.
Furthermore, the mineral content is so out of balance with human
biochemistry that it is difficult for us to absorb the optimum amounts
required for health.

Fibre
Milk contains no dietary fibre.

The undesirable components of milk and dairy products
Whole milk, cheese, butter and many other dairy products contain high
levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein all of which
are not required in the diet and have been linked to a wide range of
illnesses and diseases. For example, excess saturated fat and
cholesterol in the diet is associated with an increased risk of heart
disease and stroke. Cross cultural studies show that as the
consumption of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein increases
from country to country, so does the incidence of the so-called
diseases of affluence such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes,
osteoporosis and certain cancers. It has been suggested that this is
because of genetic differences between different races. However, when
people migrate from an area of low incidence of the so-called affluent
diseases to an area of high incidence, they soon acquire the same high
incidence shared by the population into which they have moved. This
correlation must then be attributed, at least in part, to
environmental factors such as diet and lifestyle. So if you can
increase the risk of disease by changing your diet and lifestyle, it
stands to reason that you can reduce the risk of disease by changing
your diet and lifestyle. The WHO state that there are major health
benefits in eating more fruit and vegetables, as well as nuts and
whole grains and moving from saturated animal fats to unsaturated
vegetable oil-based fats (WHO, 2006c).

In addition to saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein, a wide
range of undesirable components occur in cow’s milk and dairy
products. The modern dairy cow is prone to both stress and disease. In
the UK, cows suffer from a range of infectious diseases including
brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, foot and mouth disease, viral
pneumonia and Johne’s disease. As a result of an infectious disease a
wide range of contaminants can occur in milk. Mastitis (inflammation
of the mammary gland) is a widespread condition affecting cattle in
the UK in which all or part of the udder suffers from an infection
caused by bacteria entering through the teat (MDC, 2004). Mastitis may
be referred to as subclinical (no symptoms) or clinical whereby
symptoms include swelling, pain, hardness, milk clots or discoloured
milk. The cow responds to the infection by generating white blood
cells (somatic cells) which migrate to the affected area in an effort
to combat the infection. These cells, along with cellular debris and
necrotic (dead) tissue, are a component of pus and are excreted into
the milk.

The number of somatic cells in the milk (the somatic cell count)
provides an indication of the level of infection present. The somatic
cell count usually forms part of a payment structure to farmers with
defined thresholds of concentration determining the qualification for
bonus payments or penalty charges (Berry et al., 2003). In the
European Union the somatic cell limit is a maximum of 400,000 cells
per ml in bulk milk (Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations, 1995). This
means that milk containing 400 million pus cells per litre can be sold
legally for human consumption. So one teaspoonful of milk could
contain up to two million pus cells! It could be even worse, as
concerns have been raised about the efficiency of cell counting
techniques (Berry et al., 2003).

Mastitis effects the quality of milk in many ways; the total protein
content is decreased, the amounts of calcium, phosphorus and potassium
content are decreased, the taste deteriorates (becomes bitter), and
the levels of undesirable components rise. These include enzymes such
as plasmin and lipase, immunoglobulins (Blowey and Edmondson, 2000)
and microbes. Mastitis is treated with antibiotics delivered directly
into the udder. These drugs can also end up in the milk, so milk from
treated cows must not be marketed until the recommended withholding
period has elapsed (MDC, 2004). Mastitis occurs in around 50 per cent
of cows in the UK (Blowey and Edmondson, 2000).

Milk contains many biologically active molecules including enzymes,
hormones and growth factors. In 1992, Pennsylvania State University
endocrinologist Clark Grosvenor published an extensive review of some
of the known bioactive hormones and growth factors found in a typical
glass of milk in the US. The list included seven pituitary (an
endocrine gland in the brain) hormones, seven steroid hormones, seven
hypothalamic (another brain endocrine gland) hormones, eight
gastrointestinal peptides (chains of two or more amino acids), six
thyroid and parathyroid hormones, 11 growth factors, and nine other
biologically active compounds (Grosvenor et al., 1992). Other
biologically important proteins and peptides in milk include
immunoglobulins, allergens, enzymes, casomorphins (casein peptide
fragments) and cyclic nucleotides (signalling molecules). The concern
here is that these signalling molecules that have evolved to direct
the rapid growth of a calf into a cow may initiate inappropriate
signalling pathways in the human body that may lead to illnesses and
diseases such as cancer.

All milk produced by mammals is a medium for transporting hundreds of
different chemical messengers. It has been suggested that milk
actively communicates between the maternal mammary epithelia and the
infant’s gastrointestinal system directing and educating the immune,
metabolic and microflora systems within the infant (German et al.,
1992). Indeed, research indicates that many of these molecules survive
the environment of the infant’s gut and are absorbed into the
circulation where they may exert an influence on the infant’s immune
system, gastrointestinal tract, neuroendocrine system, or take some
other effect. This has evolved as a useful mechanism between mothers
and infants of the same species, but the effects of bioactive
substances in milk taken from one species and consumed by another are
largely unknown. The concern is that the bioactive molecules in cow’s
milk may direct undesirable regulation, growth and differentiation of
various tissues in the human infant. Of particular concern for example
is the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) which occurs naturally in
milk and has been linked to several cancers in humans (see IGF-1).

Breast is best
The WHO states that as a global public health recommendation, infants
should be exclusively breast fed for the first six months of life to
achieve optimal growth, development and health (WHO, 2001). They
conclude that in general this is the healthiest start to life for a
baby. It is interesting to note that when given the choice between
human breast milk and cow’s milk infant formula, newborn babies
demonstrate a preference (by turning their head and mouthing) for
human milk regardless of their individual postnatal feeding experience
(Marlier and Schaal, 2005).

Breast feeding is important for many reasons. Babies receive an
important boost to their immune system in the first few days of breast
feeding as important antibodies are passed from the mother to the
infant in the colostrum (the fluid expressed before the so-called true
milk). These antibodies protect the baby from infection. Breast fed
babies are less likely to suffer many serious illnesses including
gastroenteritis, respiratory and ear infections, eczema and asthma as
children. Adults who were breast fed as babies are less likely to have
risk factors for heart disease such as obesity, high blood pressure
and high cholesterol levels (UNICEF, 2005). This was confirmed
recently in a study of over 2,000 children from Estonia and Denmark.
It was found that that children who were breast fed as infants had
lower blood pressure than those who were not; the longer the child was
breast fed, the greater the difference (Lawlor et al., 2005). The
implications are that breast feeding plays a role in reducing heart
disease in adults.

Furthermore, breast feeding is free! You do not need to wash and
sterilise an endless number of bottles. You will not be up in the
night mixing and testing the milk to see if it is cool enough; breast
milk comes ready mixed at the perfect temperature. The act of breast
feeding is also important for bonding the mother and baby
relationship. Yet British breast feeding rates are amongst the lowest
in Europe. At birth, only 69 per cent of UK babies are breast fed and
this figure falls rapidly to 55 per cent at one week (Hamlyn et al.,
2002).
The use of formula milk while in hospital is a strong indicator for a
mother giving up breast feeding after leaving hospital; 40 per cent of
breast feeding mothers whose babies had been given formula milk in
hospital stopped breast feeding within two weeks compared to only 13
per cent of breast feeding mothers whose babies had not been given
formula milk (Hamlyn et al., 2002). Regrettably, at six months of age,
just one in five babies in the UK are still receiving breast milk,
despite the fact that the WHO, UNICEF and the UK Government all
recommend that babies should be fed only breast milk for their first
six months of life.

Infant formula
Some mothers are unable to, or choose not to, breast feed and in these
circumstances infant formula milk is used. Formula milk is designed to
meet the nutritional requirements of the infant and must comply with
strict UK and EC legislation which specifies the nutritional
composition of the feeds. Soya-based infant formulas provide a safe
feeding option for most infants that meet all the nutritional
requirements of the infant with none of the detrimental effects
associated with the consumption of cow’s milk formulas. Under no
circumstances should a child under 12 months be given ‘normal’ cow’s,
goat’s, soya or any other milk that is not specifically formulated for
an infant (for a review on the safety of soya see Appendix I).

Milk in schools
In 1924, local education authorities (LEAs) in the UK were permitted
to provide children with free milk. This was the start of the movement
to introduce milk to school-aged children that would continue to this
day. In a recent paper published in the Economic History Review, Dr
Peter Atkins of Durham University reviewed the motivations behind the
introduction of cow’s milk in schools during the first half of the
twentieth century (Atkins, 2005). Atkins stated that the nutritional
benefits of school milk were debatable, possibly even negative in
those areas where it replaced other foods, but noted that the dairy
industry did well, creating new markets at a time of depression
(Atkins, 2005).

In 1946, the School Milk Act provided free milk to all school
children. A third of a pint of milk was provided to all children under
the age of 18 years until 1968 when Harold Wilson’s Government
withdrew free milk from secondary schools. This policy was extended in
1971 when Margaret Thatcher (then secretary of state for education)
withdrew free school milk from children over seven. This was an
economic decision, not one based on a nutritional assessment of the
value of milk, and for this she earned the nickname ‘Thatcher,
Thatcher, milk snatcher’ – although many children were delighted at
not having to drink the warm sickly odorous milk at school anymore!

The school milk scheme was introduced in 1977 by the European Union
(EU) to encourage the consumption of milk in schools. The scheme
requires member states to make subsidised milk available to primary
and nursery schools wishing to take part, but participation is
entirely a matter for the school or LEA. The European Commission had
originally indicated that it wished to abolish the subsidy because the
scheme was not providing value for money. The UK did not accept these
conclusions and fought hard to retain the scheme. A compromise was
secured whereby in 2001 the subsidy rate was reduced from 95 to 75 per
cent. The UK Government tops up the subsidy to its original level in
England, up to a maximum total expenditure of £1.5 million each year.
In the academic year 2003 to 2004, around one million school children
in England drank 34.9 million litres of subsidised milk at a cost of
around £7 million (Defra, 2005a).

The move to increase milk consumption in schools is gathering
momentum; the School Milk Project (TSMP), set up in 1998 by the
Women’s Food and Farming Union, aims to increase the uptake of milk in
primary schools. It receives funding from the Milk Development Council
(MDC) which was established following the re-organisation of the milk
industry in 1994. The MDC is funded by a statutory levy on all milk
sold off farms in Great Britain; the annual income from the levy is
over £7 million (MDC, 2005). Primarily the MDC funds research and
development into milk production methods, it also funds TSMP which
employs ‘facilitators’ to promote the uptake of school milk through
direct contact with LEAs, schools and dairy suppliers.

The charity Milk For Schools (MFS) was founded in 1994. Set up to
educate the public in the field of school based nutrition, MFS is a
registered member of the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organisation (UNFAO) School Milk Network, which initiated the first
World School Milk Day on 27th September 2000. In October 2004 Dairy UK
was established as a cross-industry body representing processors and
distributors of liquid milk and dairy products, as well as milk
producer co-operatives. In 2005 the EU and Dairy UK joined forces with
the MDC to promote milk consumption in primary schools (Dairy UK,
2005). Schools were targeted with ‘Teacher’s Guides to Health and
Fitness’ and School Milk Week commenced on 10th October 2005. Previous
school milk weeks have generated over 6,000 new school milk drinkers
or as Dairy UK put it “over one million new serving opportunities per
annum” (Dairy UK, 2005).

There is undoubtedly some very clever marketing going on here, in fact
the 30-year decline in milk consumption may be coming to an end. Liz
Broadbent, director of market development at MDC, points out that this
growth (worth £4 million to Britain’s dairy farmers), is the first
credible and seemingly sustainable rise in the past three decades.
Research indicates the extra milk is being in used in porridge, tea
and coffee. Evidence suggests this rise is due to successful promotion
and marketing of specific products. This explains the industry’s
recent move to abandon generic promotions (just telling everyone to
drink more milk) instead choosing to focus on specific products for
specific groups, hence the MDC’s latest campaign specifically
targeting teenage girls. The research has also discovered a growing
number of low milk consumers among the more affluent members of the
population including single professionals and young parents who did
not receive free milk themselves at school.

This group, that are not passing on a milk-drinking habit to the next
generation the MDC notes, account for around half of the population
but consume only a quarter of the volume. The MDC targets particular
groups in an attempt to generate new consumers, who will, in turn,
make new consumers of their children. Broadbent states that
convenience, innovation and habit are the key, and while cost is not
an issue for this group, providing milk in a form they like is. The
other route Broadbent suggests is through the school milk programmes
which are redeveloping the milk drinking habit at an early age.

MDC’s school milk project and match-funded school milk bar initiative
have generated half a million new milk drinkers and accounts for 20
million litres of milk. But its real value to the dairy industry is
the reinstatement of milk as a ‘normal’ commodity for regular family
consumption now and in the future. The policy of introducing school
milk begs the question, are the dairy industry nurturing our children?
Or simply nurturing a future loyal adult consumer base?

WHITE LIES part 2
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaig...report06.shtml

PART TWO: DAIRY CONSUMPTION AND HEALTH
The suggestion that the consumption of cow’s milk can lead to a wide
range of health problems, illnesses and diseases strikes at the core
of many people’s thinking. How can such a natural food be unhealthy?
Well the answer lies in the question; milk is not a natural drink for
adults. Furthermore, cow’s milk is not a natural drink for humans. In
nature, milk is consumed from a mother up until weaning, which is when
the mother normally stops producing milk. Consuming milk from a
pregnant mother is not the normal course of events. Furthermore, in
nature, mammals consume the milk of their own species, not that of
another. In a commentary published in the Journal of the American
Academy of Dermatology, New Hampshire dermatologist Dr F.W. Danby
states that the human consumption of large volumes of another species’
milk, especially when that milk comes from pregnant cows during the
human’s normally post-weaned years, is essentially unnatural (Danby,
2005).

As previously stated, cow’s milk is designed to help a small calf grow
into a big cow in less than a year. In order to sustain this rapid
physical growth, the composition of cow’s milk has evolved to contain
the specific types of nutrients required, at the specific levels
required. These are not necessarily natural or healthy for humans. For
example, whole milk and certain dairy products such as butter and
cheese, contain considerable amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and
animal protein, the detrimental health effects of which are now
well-documented. In addition to this, the vitamin and mineral content
of cow’s milk is not well-suited to human requirements, especially
those of the human infant. To meet the rapid skeletal growth
requirements of a calf, cow’s milk contains four times the amount of
calcium as human milk. This does not mean that cow’s milk is a good
source of calcium for the human infant, far from it; this level of
calcium coupled to the high levels of other minerals in cow’s milk
represents what is called a high renal solute load which means that
the young human infant’s kidneys cannot cope with ‘off the shelf’
cow’s milk.

In addition to the unsuitable nutritional composition of cow’s milk,
there are many other reasons why cow’s milk and dairy products are not
natural foods for humans, for example, the increasing body of evidence
linking bioactive molecules in milk (hormones and growth factors) to
disease. While the dairy industry would have us believe that milk is
an essential part of the diet, much of the research used to promote
this view is industry-sponsored. Furthermore, given that around 70 per
cent of people in the world do not drink milk, just how essential can
it be? The list of illnesses and diseases associated with the
consumption of milk and dairy products is quite extensive. These
health problems tend to occur at levels that relate directly to how
much milk is drunk in a particular region or country. Furthermore, as
milk consumption spreads to areas where previously it was not drunk,
these diseases follow. Some of these problems are discussed in detail
below.

Acne
Acne is a skin condition that affects many teenagers and in a small
number of cases it may occur in adulthood. About 80 per cent of people
will have some degree of acne between the ages of 11 and 30 (NHS
Direct, 2005). Acne can be a very serious problem causing distress and
depression in some sufferers who report feeling suicidal because of
bullying or lack of self-confidence.

Acne is caused by a combination of factors. Hormonal changes can
increase the secretion of an oily substance called sebum from the
skin’s sebaceous glands which are frequently located adjacent to hair
follicles. If skin cells build up and block the opening of hair
follicles, subsequent clogging of the sebaceous gland can contribute
further to the development of acne. The problem is often made even
worse by the colonisation of the skin by the bacterium
Propionibacterium acnes which can become trapped in the hair
follicles. Inflammation then may lead to the eruption of large
pus-filled spots characteristic of acne. Acne tends to occur on the
face, upper arms, upper back and chest.

In general doctors tend to dismiss the possibility of a causal link
between the diet and the incidence of acne. However, a large body of
scientific evidence now supports such a link. A recent review
published in the US journal Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery
linked diet (either directly or indirectly) to these principal causes
of acne (Cordain, 2005). Further to this, a study of 47 acne patients
confirmed a causal link between diet and acne. Results suggest that
refined grains, sugars, potatoes, processed foods, milk, yogurt and
ice-cream together with diets characterised by a high omega-6 to
omega-3 fatty acid ratio underlie the development of acne. In these
dietary intervention tests all dairy foods, virtually all processed
foods, refined grains and sugar were eliminated from the diet which
was then comprised primarily of lean meats, fish, fresh fruits and
vegetables. Subjects who followed this diet showed immediate
improvement in symptoms and eventually became completely clear of
acne. The results of this year long experiment will be published in a
series of papers in the next year (Cordain, 2005a).

A report linking teenage acne directly to the consumption of dairy
foods was published in the Journal of the American Academy of
Dermatology in 2005 (Adebamowo, 2005). A link between the intake of
milk during adolescence and the incidence of acne was observed in
47,355 women who completed questionnaires on high school diet and
teenage acne (as diagnosed by a doctor). Because the link between
teenage acne and milk consumption was strongest for skimmed milk, it
would seem that the saturated fat content of milk is not the causal
factor. The authors hypothesise that the hormonal content of milk may
be responsible for causing acne in teenagers. Cow’s milk contains the
hormones oestrogen and progesterone along with certain hormone
precursors (androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate, and
5ª-reduced steroids like 5ª-androstanedione, 5ª-pregnanedione and
dihydrotestosterone), some of which have been implicated in the
development of acne. The levels of these hormones in cow’s milk vary
depending on whether the cow is pregnant or not, and if so at what
stage of the pregnancy she is. At least two-thirds of cow’s milk in
the UK is taken from pregnant cows (Danby, 2005).

Milk also contains bioactive molecules that act on the sebaceous
glands and hair follicles (such as glucocorticoids, IGF-1,
transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), neutral thyrotropin-releasing
hormone-like peptides, and opiate-like compounds), some of which
survive pasteurisation. The bioavailability of the factors involved
may be altered during pasteurisation. In other words, heat-induced
changes in the shape or structure of the molecule may alter the way it
behaves in the body and, until we know more, it is difficult to say
exactly what role these bioactive molecules play in causing acne and
other health problems.

Allergies
The body’s immune system has to constantly discriminate between many
different unfamiliar molecules, some of which may be toxic substances
while others are harmless components of food. An allergy results from
an inappropriate immune response to such a substance (or allergen)
such as dust, pollen or a component of food. An allergic reaction
occurs as the body attempts to launch an attack against the foreign
‘invader’ perceived to be a threat to health. In such an attack, the
body releases a substance called histamine, which dilates and
increases the permeability of the small blood vessels. This results in
a range of symptoms including local inflammation, sneezing, runny
nose, itchy eyes and so on. These types of reactions may give rise to
the so-called classic allergies: asthma, eczema, hay fever and
urticaria (skin rash). These responses are called anaphylactic
reactions and they vary widely in their severity. The most severe type
of reaction (anaphylactic shock) may involve difficulty in breathing,
a drop in blood pressure and ultimately heart failure and death.

Initial sensitisation to the allergen precedes an allergic reaction
and this first exposure may not generate any perceivable symptoms. In
fact initial sensitisation may result not from the direct exposure to
an allergen but from exposure to dietary allergens during breast
feeding. Evidence suggests that this process, known as atopic
sensitisation, can occur in exclusively breast fed infants whose
mother’s breast milk contains dietary allergens. For example, a
Finnish study reported that a maternal diet rich in saturated fat
during breast feeding might be a risk factor underlying the later
development of allergies (Hoppu et al., 2000). More recently the same
research group reported that breast milk rich in saturated fat and low
in omega-3 fatty acids might be a risk factor for eczema (Hoppu et
al., 2005). While numerous studies now show that breast feeding can
protect against the development of allergies, and the majority of
studies are strongly in favour of breast feeding, it may be prudent to
avoid suspected allergens in the diet while breast feeding especially
if allergies such as asthma, eczema and hay fever run in the family.

Allergies are now so common in the UK, affecting around one in three
people, that the increasing occurrence is referred to by some as an
epidemic (Royal College of Physicians, 2003). Food allergy is
increasingly widespread and the most common of these is cow’s milk
allergy, affecting around two per cent of all infants under the age of
one. Symptoms include excessive mucus production resulting in a runny
nose and blocked ears. More serious symptoms include asthma, eczema,
colic, diarrhoea and vomiting.

Asthma
Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung disease characterised by
recurrent breathing problems. Asthma is a common condition that
affects around one in eight children and one in 13 adults in the UK
(NHS Direct, 2005). The number of children with asthma has risen
steeply over the last decade; in the 1970s just one in 50 children had
asthma. During an asthma attack, the lining of the airways becomes
inflamed and the airways become narrower causing the characteristic
symptoms of asthma: coughing, wheezing, difficulty in breathing and
tightness across the chest. Asthma can start at any age and the causes
are thought to include a combination of factors including a genetic
predisposition (asthma in the family), diet and environmental triggers
such as cigarette smoke, chemicals and dust mites.

As stated previously, allergies tend to run in families, so asthma,
eczema or hay fever in some family members may increase the risk of
others developing the same or another allergy. But a genetic
predisposition is not the only cause, as stated asthma is caused by a
combination of factors. In the past, the rise in childhood asthma has
been attributed to an increase in air pollution. However, this seems
unlikely as many of the most polluted countries in the world, such as
China, have low rates of asthma, whereas countries with very good air
quality, such as New Zealand, have high rates of asthma (ISAAC, 1998).
The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ has gained popularity as a causal factor for
the increase in asthma. This hypothesis blames the increasing asthma
rates on the extreme levels of cleanliness found in many homes.
Increased hygiene means that our immune systems are being challenged
less and less. It has been suggested that this causes us to overreact
to allergens such as dust mites.

It has been estimated that food allergies are responsible for
approximately five per cent of all asthma cases (James et al., 1994)
and as cow’s milk is a primary cause of food allergies, it may
therefore be useful to consider the possibility of cow’s milk allergy
in the treatment of asthma.
Eczema
Cow’s milk allergy is a risk factor for many allergic conditions
including asthma and eczema (Saarinen, 2005). There is an increasing
amount of interest in the role of the diet in the development of
eczema. Over the last decade, the links between certain foods and
eczema has become better understood. Eczema can be caused by several
environmental factors including dust mites, grasses and pollens,
stress and certain foods. It is thought that in about 30 per cent of
children with eczema, food may be a trigger, and in a smaller group
(about 10 per cent), food is the main trigger (National Eczema
Society, 2003). The most common foods linked to eczema are cow’s milk
and eggs, other foods associated include soya, wheat, fish and nuts
(National Eczema Society, 2003).

Hay fever
Hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) is an allergic reaction to
grass or hay pollens. A minority of cases may be caused by later
flowering weeds or fungal spores, and some research suggests pollution
can worsen symptoms. In response to exposure to pollen, the immune
system releases histamine which gives rise to a range of symptoms
including a runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes and throat. Again, you
are more likely to get hay fever if there is a history of allergies in
the family, particularly asthma or eczema (NHS Direct, 2005). Some
evidence suggests that altering the diet can help some people with
asthma and allergic rhinitis (Ogle and Bullock, 1980). However, the
effects of diet on hay fever symptoms have not yet been well studied.

Gastrointestinal bleeding
As stated previously cow’s milk-induced gastrointestinal bleeding as
an allergic response is a well-recognised cause of rectal bleeding in
infancy (Willetts et al., 1999). One of the main causes of
gastrointestinal bleeding is dietary protein allergy, the most common
cause of which is cow’s milk protein (casein). Gastrointestinal
bleeding from milk allergy often occurs in such small quantities that
the blood loss is not detected visually, but over prolonged time these
losses can cause iron-deficiency anaemia in children. In one trial of
52 infants, 31 of whom had been breast fed, and 21 fed formulas up to
the age of 168 days of age, the introduction of cow’s milk (rather
than formula milk) was associated with an increased blood loss from
the intestinal tract and a nutritionally important loss of iron
(Ziegler et al., 1990).

Frank Oski, former paediatrics director at Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine, estimates that half the iron-deficiency in infants in the US
results from cow’s milk-induced gastrointestinal bleeding (Oski,
1996). This represents a staggering figure since more than 15 per cent
of US infants under the age of two suffer from iron-deficiency
anaemia.

The only reliable treatment for cow’s milk allergy is to avoid all
cow’s milk and dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, butter and
cream. Also products with hidden milk content should be avoided, these
include products labelled as skimmed milk or skimmed milk powder, milk
solids, non-fat milk solids, milk sugar, whey and casein. Casein is
difficult to avoid as it is commonly used in the production of bread,
processed cereals, instant soups, margarine, salad dressings, sweets
and cake mix. Calcium-enriched soya, rice and oat milks can be used as
alternatives to cow’s milk. (For other gastrointestinal problems
associated with cow’s milk see Lactose intolerance).

WHITE LIES part 3
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Arthritis
The most common form of arthritis is called osteoarthritis, a
degenerative disease where articular cartilage gradually becomes
thinner as its renewal does not keep pace with its breakdown.
Eventually the bony articular surfaces come into contact and the bones
begin to degenerate. This condition tends to occur in older people;
around 12 per cent of people over 65 in the UK are affected (NHS
Direct, 2005). Osteoarthritis can develop after an injury to a joint;
this can happen months or even years after the injury. The most
frequently affected joints are in the hands, knees, feet, hips and
spine.

The next most common type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, a
chronic inflammatory disease of the joints. This type of arthritis
affects up to three per cent of the UK population, and tends to occur
in people between the ages of 30 and 50. Women are three times as
likely to develop this condition as men (NHS Direct, 2005). Rheumatoid
arthritis is a chronic condition characterised by hot painful swelling
in the joints. In many diseases inflammation can help towards healing
but in rheumatoid arthritis it tends to cause damage. For some people
the pain and discomfort caused by this condition has a serious impact
on their lives. Rheumatoid arthritis is thought to be an autoimmune
disease, caused by a fault in the immune system that causes the body
to attack its own tissues. This condition usually starts in the
wrists, hands and feet but can spread to other joints in the body.

Other forms of arthritis include ankylosing spondylitis, cervical
spondylitis, fibromyalgia, lupus, gout, psoriatic arthritis and
Reiter’s syndrome (NHS Direct, 2005). Arthritis can also affect
children but the causes of juvenile arthritis are poorly understood.
It has been suggested that genetic factors or viral infections may be
responsible (NHS Direct, 2005).

Until recently there has been little scientific research into the
links between diet and arthritis but recent research suggests that
diet may be involved in its development. It is important for people
with arthritis to maintain a healthy well-balanced diet. Arthritis
Care (the UK’s largest voluntary organisation working with and for
people with arthritis) suggest a diet high in fruit, vegetables,
pasta, fish and white meat and low in fatty foods such as red meat,
cream and cheese can help (Arthritis Care, 2004). Indeed most people
could benefit from eating less sugar and saturated fat and eating more
complex carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

If you suffer from arthritis it is important to keep as healthy as
possible by ensuring that the diet provides all the important
nutrients including minerals such as calcium and iron. Some people are
concerned that their calcium intake may drop if they cut out dairy
foods. Arthritis Care suggests that if you don’t like or are unable to
eat dairy products, you should obtain enough calcium from non-dairy
sources (Arthritis Care, 2004a). They list several non-dairy sources
of calcium including bread, green leafy vegetables and baked beans
(also see here). They also warn people with arthritis to be careful
not to have too much animal protein, salt or caffeine as excessive
quantities of these can reduce the body’s ability to absorb or retain
calcium (Arthritis Care, 2004a). Others are worried about iron,
particularly people who have recently stopped eating red meat. This
should not be a concern as vegetarians and vegans are no more likely
to become iron deficient than meat-eaters. Indeed one of the largest
studies of vegetarians and vegans in the world (the EPIC Oxford cohort
study) looked at over 33,883 meat-eaters, 18,840 vegetarians and 2,596
vegans and found that the vegans had the highest intake of iron,
followed by the vegetarians then the meat eaters (Davey et al., 2003).
It should be stressed that milk and milk products are an extremely
poor source of iron, whereas pulses, dried fruits and dark leafy
vegetables are good sources.

The Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC) founded in 1936, raises funds to
promote medical research into the cause, treatment and cure of
arthritic conditions. ARC has produced dietary guidelines for people
with arthritis and they suggest that one of the most important links
between diet and arthritis is being overweight. The extra burden on
the joints can make symptoms considerably worse. Losing weight can
have a dramatic effect in improving the condition. In order to lose
weight, you need to use more energy than you consume in the diet.
Research shows that vegetarians and vegans weigh less than meat-eaters
and ARC suggests that a lacto-vegetarian diet might help some people
with rheumatoid arthritis. They also go further to state that a vegan
diet may also help (ARC, 2002). Cutting down on sugar and taking
regular (even gentle) exercise will help control weight as well.

Saturated fats are the most important kind of fat to cut down on. The
body does not require saturated fats and they may aggravate arthritis
whereas essential fatty acids (EFAs) have been shown to help some
people with arthritis as the body uses EFAs to make substances that
help control inflammation (ARC, 2002). When trying to lose weight, it
is important to maintain a good intake of vitamins and minerals. This
means consuming plenty of fruit and vegetables. A healthy balanced
diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables, pulses and whole grain
carbohydrate foods (such as wholemeal bread, brown rice and whole
wheat pasta) provides a good supply of vitamins and minerals (and
fibre). A diet lacking in fruit and vegetables, and containing
processed carbohydrates (such as white bread, white rice and white
pasta) does not provide such a good source of these essential
nutrients. This can have a deleterious effect on health as the ARC
states that a good diet can still help even if strong drugs are being
taken to treat arthritis (ARC, 2002).

The subject of food allergy and arthritis is quite controversial.
However, research has shown that, in some people, rheumatoid arthritis
can be made worse by certain foods including milk products and food
colouring (ARC, 2002). If you think you are allergic to a particular
food ARC recommend cutting it out of your diet for one month then
reintroducing it to see if it makes a difference. In 2001, Swedish
researchers reported that nine out of 22 patients with rheumatoid
arthritis showed significant improvements in their condition compared
to one patient out of 25 after following a gluten-free, vegan diet
(Hafstrom et al., 2001). Of course it is difficult to say whether
eliminating milk was the reason these patients improved as they
eliminated all animal foods and gluten from the diet. However, this
work does provide evidence that dietary modification can benefit
arthritis patients.

Bovine somatotrophin (BST)
In cows, milk production is influenced by the complex interaction of a
range of hormones. Bovine somatotrophin (BST) is a natural growth
hormone that occurs in cattle and controls the amount of milk that
they produce. In 1994 Monsanto began marketing a synthetic version of
BST, known as recombinant BST (rBST), which was sold as Posilac.
Injecting dairy cows with rBST alters the metabolism to increase milk
production by up to 15 per cent. Since its introduction in 1994,
Posilac has become the largest selling dairy animal pharmaceutical
product in the US. Sold in all 50 states, rBST is used in around
one-third of the nine million dairy cows in the US (Monsanto, 2005).

While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permit the use of
rBST, its use is associated with severe welfare problems, for example
increasing the incidence of lameness and mastitis. For reasons of
animal health and welfare, the use of rBST in the EU was prohibited in
2000. Indeed Canada, Japan and many other countries have banned the
use of rBST because of its effects on animal health and welfare.
However, there are no restrictions on the import of rBST dairy
products, or any requirement to label them.
The Government’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate does not carry out
any testing of imported milk (Defra, 2006). Furthermore, Defra
confirmed in correspondence with the VVF, that since the EU is a
single market once a product has entered, if it is transported on to
another country within the EU, then the origin of the product will be
the EU country rather than the originating country (Defra, 2006). In
2005, the UK imported over 1,000 tons of dairy products (mainly
ice-cream) from the US (Defra, 2006a); these figures have declined
from over 5,000 tons in both 2001 and 2002 but still remain a concern,
especially as the consumer has a limited chance of discriminating
against imports from the US. The sensible option is to avoid all dairy
products.

Concern has been expressed over several health issues associated with
the use of rBST. The increased incidence of lameness and mastitis in
rBST-treated cows inevitably leads to an increased use of antibiotics
to treat these and other infections. Over half of the antibiotics that
are produced in the US are used for agricultural purposes (Mellon et
al., 2001). Antibiotic use is known to promote the development of
antibiotic resistance. Thus the widespread use of these drugs has
contributed to the high frequency of resistant bacteria in the
intestinal flora of farmed animals (Lipsitch et al., 2002). This
raises concerns about the development of antibiotic resistant
infections in humans. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine
in 2000 reported that the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of
Salmonella is associated with the use of antibiotics in cattle. This
study described how a new antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella
was isolated from a 12-year-old boy admitted to hospital with
abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. The boy lived on a ranch in
Nebraska and subsequent investigation revealed the presence of the
identical strain of bacteria, resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone,
among cattle on his family’s ranch and nearby ranches that had
suffered outbreaks of salmonellosis. The cattle had been treated with
ceftriaxone. This evidence suggests that the boy’s gastrointestinal
infection was acquired from cattle (Fey et al., 2000). The obvious
concern here is that the widespread use of antibiotics in cattle can
lead to an increase in antibiotic-resistant strains that may
subsequently transmit to humans. This is a public health concern and
the question must be asked: how much evidence of harm do we need
before we much further restrict the use of antibiotics in farm
animals?

Milk production increases in cows treated with rBST because it
promotes the production of the naturally occurring growth hormone
insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) which then stimulates the glands
in the cow’s udders to produce more milk. Research shows that rBST use
on dairy cows can substantially increase the levels of IGF-1 in their
milk (Prosser et al., 1989). This raises concerns about the potential
biological action of IGF-1 from cow’s milk in humans especially
because IGF-1 from cows is identical to human IGF-1. Professor Samuel
Epstein, an international leading authority on the causes and
prevention of cancer, warns that converging lines of evidence
incriminate IGF-1 in rBST milk as a potential risk factor for both
breast and gastrointestinal cancers (Epstein, 1996).

So why should this concern us if we do not allow the use of rBST in
the UK? Well in terms of human health, the concern is that milk and
milk products imported from countries that permit the use of rBST may
lead to the consumption of foods that promote increased levels of
IGF-1 in humans. In 1999, the minister of state, Baroness Hayman,
referred to a report from the Veterinary Products Committee (VPC)
which stated that while the use of rBST does not increase the level of
BST found naturally in cow’s milk, there is a two-to-five fold
increase the level of IGF-1 in the milk, which she acknowledged may be
implicated in the occurrence of colonic cancer. However, Hayman
reiterated the VPC’s view that the risk to human health was likely to
be extremely small. Hayman also suggested that just 0.3 per cent of
total milk and milk products imported into the UK come from the US
where rBST is authorised for use (UK Parliament, 1999). (See IGF-1).

WHITE LIES part 5
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaig...report06.shtml

Colic
Colic was first mentioned in recorded history by the ancient Greeks
(Cirgin Ellett, 2003) yet in 2005 the cause remains unknown. Colic
occurs in around one in five newborn babies, it is characterised by
acute abdominal pain and the associated heart-wrenching crying that
any parent of a child with colic will recognise. An otherwise healthy
baby who cries excessively or inconsolably is often diagnosed as
suffering from colic. While the exact cause is unknown several factors
are thought to contribute including poor digestion, lactose
intolerance and wind. Colic tends to start at around two to four weeks
of age and has usually disappeared by around four months. In spite of
all the distress colic can cause to the baby and the parents, babies
with colic tend to feed and gain weight normally.

Since the 1970s, numerous studies have indicated that certain
components of cow’s milk may lead to colic. In a clinical trial to
test the effects of cow’s milk whey proteins, 24 out of 27 infants
with colic showed no symptoms of colic after whey protein was removed
from their diet. In fact crying hours per day dropped from 5.6 hours
to 0.7 hours (Lothe and Lindberg, 1989). In transient lactose
intolerance, the enzyme lactase is not produced while there is illness
in the gut, but is manufactured again once the gut has recovered. In a
review investigating transient lactose intolerance as a cause of
colic, a range of studies showed that crying time was reduced when
formula or breast milk was incubated with the enzyme lactase (Buckley,
2000). It has been suggested that infant colic has a multiple
aetiology; in other words, colic may be caused by a number of
different factors including whey proteins, lactose and others.

The fact that the incidence of colic is similar in formula fed and
breast fed infants has led scientists to investigate the role of the
maternal diet in this condition and many reports now link the maternal
intake of cow’s milk to the occurrence of colic in exclusively breast
fed infants. The breast milk of mothers who consume cow’s milk and
milk products has been shown to contain intact proteins from these
foods. To test the possible role of cow’s milk proteins in breast
milk, researchers have investigated the effects of eliminating all
dairy products from the mothers’ diet. An early report linking cow’s
milk proteins in human breast milk to infantile colic date back to a
letter published in the Lancet in the late 1970s (Jakobsson and
Lindberg, 1978). The letter described how the symptoms of colic
disappeared in 13 out of 19 infants whose mothers eliminated cow’s
milk from their diet. In a subsequent clinical trial designed by the
same researchers, 66 breast feeding mothers of infants with colic were
put on a diet free from cow’s milk. The colic disappeared in 35 of the
infants and subsequently reappeared in 23 of them when cow’s milk
protein was reintroduced to the mothers’ diet (Jakobsson and Lindberg,
1983). The authors suggest that a diet free of cow’s milk may be
useful as a first trial of treatment of infantile colic in breast fed
infants.

Researchers at the Washington School of Medicine in Missouri US found
that mothers of infants with colic had significantly higher levels of
the cow’s milk antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) in their breast milk
than mothers of infants without colic (Clyne and Kulczycki, 1991). The
authors of this study suggest that bovine IgG present in breast milk
may be involved in the development of colic. This link was confirmed
more recently and again it was suggested that the maternal avoidance
of milk and dairy products may be an effective treatment for colic in
some breast fed infants (Estep and Kulczycki, 2000).

In a substantial review of 27 controlled trials published in the
British Medical Journal, the elimination of cow’s milk protein was
deemed to be a highly effective treatment for infantile colic. The
reviewers remained uncertain about the effectiveness of low lactose
formula milks and the effectiveness of substitution with soya-based
formula milks (although no adverse events were reported) while
supporting the substitution of normal cow’s milk formula for whey or
casein protein hydrolysate (hypoallergenic) formulas, in which the
milk protein is partially broken down to ease digestion (Lucassen,
1998).

Interestingly, Dr Benjamin Spock, author of the hugely popular book
Baby and Child (over 50 million copies sold worldwide) warns that the
proteins in cow’s milk formulas can cause colic (Spock and Parker,
1998). Spock acknowledges that some infants that are allergic to cow’s
milk formula may be allergic to soya-based infant formula as well and
that these infants are often given expensive hydrolysate formulas.
However, he states that soya formulas have an important advantage over
cow’s milk formulas in that they contain none of the animal proteins
linked with colic (and type I diabetes) and are free of lactose.

This said, it should be emphasised to parents who breast feed, it is a
good idea to continue breast feeding as weaning on to formula milk may
make the colic worse. If eliminating cow’s milk and milk products from
the maternal diet does not help, cutting out other foods may help.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota tested a range of foods
including cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts and
broccoli) in an elimination diet in mothers of babies with colic.
While the results showed that cow’s milk had the strongest association
with colic, other foods more weakly associated included onions,
chocolate, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower (Lust et al., 1996).
Constipation
Constipation is a condition in which bowel movements are infrequent or
incomplete. While it is normal for some people to go to the toilet
several times a day, others go less frequently. A change in the normal
frequency of trips to the toilet can be an indicator of constipation.
Similarly if you are going as frequently but having trouble passing
stools, having to strain, this too may indicate constipation. Common
symptoms include stomach ache and cramps, feeling bloated, nausea, a
sense of fullness, headache, loss of appetite, fatigue and depression
(NHS Direct, 2005).

Constipation may be caused by a range of factors including
insufficient fluid in the diet, lack of fibre (fruit, vegetables and
cereals) in the diet, lack of physical exercise, certain drugs
(diuretics or painkillers, antidepressants and antacids that contain
iron, calcium or aluminium), too much calcium or iron in the diet,
pregnancy, an excessive intake of tea or coffee (this increases urine
production and so decreases the amount of fluid in the bowel). Other
factors include surgery, haemorrhoids (piles) and psychological
problems such as anxiety. Constipation may be a symptom of another
medical condition such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The link between constipation and milk intolerance was first made in
medical literature in 1954 (Clein, 1954). More recently there have
been several studies published confirming that this link exits.
Researchers at the University of Palermo in Italy studied 65 children
(aged from 11 to 72 months) suffering from chronic constipation
(Iacono et al., 1998). All of these children had been treated with
laxatives without success. After 15 days of observations (in a
double-blind crossover study) each child received either cow’s milk or
soya milk for two weeks, and then had a week off when they could eat
and drink anything they wanted. Then the feeding order was reversed,
so that the group that had previously drunk cow’s milk switched to
soya and vice versa. The researchers (and children) were unaware of
the order of treatment. Careful recordings of the bowel habits were
made and a response to the treatment was defined as eight or more
bowel movements during the two week treatment period. Results showed
that 44 of the 65 children (68 per cent) had a response while
receiving soya milk compared to none of the children receiving cow’s
milk. The results were most dramatic in children who had frequent
runny noses, eczema or wheezing, which may have been a symptom of milk
allergy in these children. Sometimes however, constipation can be the
only symptom of cow’s milk intolerance or allergy. More recently
further research has confirmed the link between the consumption of
cow’s milk and constipation (Daher et al., 2001; Andiran et al., 2003;
Turunen, 2004).

Cow’s milk may lead to constipation by two distinct modes of action:
cow’s milk intolerance or cow’s milk allergy. In either case, studies
suggest that cow’s milk intolerance or allergy should be considered as
a cause of constipation although the underlying mechanism still
requires further investigation. In general it should be noted that
dairy products supply children with unnecessary saturated fat while
providing no dietary fibre whatsoever. Fibre is essential in the diet
to maintain good bowel health through regular movements.

Coronary heart disease
Diseases of the heart and circulatory system are collectively called
cardiovascular disease (CVD) and are the main cause of death in the
UK, killing one in every three people. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is
one of the two main forms of CVD along with stroke. CHD is the most
common cause of death in the UK; around one in five men and one in six
women die from this disease (Petersen et al., 2005).

CHD occurs when there is a build up of fatty deposits (plaques) along
the walls of the arteries that supply the heart with oxygenated blood.
These plaques build up and clog the arteries making them narrower and
restricting the blood flow. Blood clots can form at the site of a
plaque in the coronary artery and cut off the blood supply to the
heart. This can result in heart attack and sudden death. The plaques
that block the arteries are made up of a fatty substance that contains
cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for cells but too much can lead
to CHD. Lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from the cells in the
blood. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) takes cholesterol from the liver
to the cells, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries excess
cholesterol back to the liver for excretion. HDL is known as the ‘good
fat’ while LDL (‘bad fat’) tends to build up on the walls of the
arteries increasing the risk of CHD.


Figure 7.0 Death rates from CHD for people aged under 65 from 1970 to
2002.
Source: BHF, 2005.

Figure 7.0 shows how the number of deaths from CHD has fallen markedly
since the 1970s. This may be because of improvements in treatment and
lifestyle. For example a vast improvement has been made in the speed
at which so-called clot-busting drugs are applied, which has had a
huge impact in preventing death. Furthermore, nearly two million
people receive drugs called statins that lower cholesterol levels and
reduce the risk of heart disease. Many people have given up smoking,
which has a significant effect on lowering the risk of heart disease.


Figure 8.0 Prevalence of CHD in England in 1994 and 2003.
Source: BHF, 2005a.

However, while fewer people are dying from CHD, the number of people
living with this disease is rising. Figure 8.0 shows that over ten
years, between 1994 and 2003, the number of women with CHD increased
from 4.1 per cent to 4.5 per cent, and the number of men with CHD
increased from 6.0 per cent to 7.4 per cent. There are now an
estimated 2.6 million people in the UK facing life with CHD (BHF,
2005a). Furthermore, concerns remain that the decline in deaths from
heart disease may be short lived due to the increasing levels of
inactivity, the rise in obesity, the increase in cholesterol levels
and the rise of type 2 diabetes.

The quest to identify the risk factors for CHD dates back over five
decades. In 1946 Los Angeles physician Dr Lester Morrison began a
study to determine the relationship of dietary fat intake to the
incidence of CHD (Morrison, 1960). He reduced the dietary fat intake
of 50 heart attack survivors and compared their health to 50 other
heart attack survivors whose fat intake was left unchanged. After
eight years, 38 of the control group had died compared to 22 of the
low-fat group. After 12 years, the entire control group had died but
19 of the low-fat diet group were still alive. Around the same time,
the residents of Framingham, just outside Boston Massachusetts in the
US, took part in a study to investigate the role of diet and lifestyle
in CHD. The study began in 1948, and by observing who suffered from
CHD and who did not, the Framingham Study established the concept of
risk factors such as cholesterol, high blood pressure (hypertension),
lack of physical exercise, smoking and obesity (Kannal et al., 1961).

In 1985, research published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association suggested that dairy products are a major source of
dietary saturated fat and cholesterol and that ingestion of high-fat
dairy products raises both total and LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol levels
(Sacks et al., 1985). It is now widely accepted that diets high in
animal fats are unhealthy and that reducing the saturated fat intake
is very important for reducing the risk of CHD. The UK Government
recommends avoiding or cutting down on fatty foods including egg
yolks, red meat, butter, whole milk, cheese, cakes and chips to reduce
the intake of saturated fat (NHS Direct, 2006).

Dietary risk factors for CVD do not just apply to adults. A review on
infant feeding practices published in the US journal Pediatrics
suggested that the consumption of whole milk should be discouraged in
infants because of its potential role in atherosclerotic heart disease
(Oski, 1985). More recently the WHO stated that the current evidence
indicates undesirable effects of formula milk on CVD risk factors;
this is consistent with the observations of increased mortality among
older adults who were fed formula as infants (WHO/FAO, 2002).

A number of risk factors are now firmly associated with CHD including
high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, family history of
heart disease, diabetes, obesity and smoking. Additionally, there is
much evidence linking CHD to poor dietary practices, including the
high consumption of saturated fats, salt and refined carbohydrates,
and the low consumption of fruits and vegetables (WHO/FAO, 2002).

A certain amount of cholesterol is essential for good health, but high
cholesterol levels in the blood are associated with an increased risk
of CHD (and stroke). This is because cholesterol contributes towards
the build up of fatty plaques on the artery walls which results in the
narrowing of the arteries and can lead to a blockage and subsequent
failure or death of the organ that the artery provides blood to. The
organs affected often include the heart (heart attack) and brain
(stroke), but may affect other organs such as the kidneys (kidney
failure). But what determines blood cholesterol levels? Contrary to
popular belief, most of our cholesterol does not come from the diet
but is produced within the body by the liver. Only a small amount of
our cholesterol (estimates vary from 15 to 20 per cent) comes from the
diet. Cholesterol is found only in animal foods and is particularly
concentrated in eggs and organ meats. Even high-fat plant foods, such
as avocados, nuts and seeds, contain no cholesterol whatsoever, so a
plant-based vegan diet is cholesterol-free. We have no actual dietary
requirement for cholesterol, in other words we do not need to eat
foods that contain cholesterol as the liver can manufacture as much as
is required. However, there is no mechanism limiting the amount of
cholesterol produced by the liver and cholesterol production can rise
to unhealthy levels.

So what causes high cholesterol production in the liver? The answer
lies in the types of foods we eat: diets high in animal protein and
saturated animal fats have been shown to increase cholesterol. In The
China Study, Campbell observes that animal protein intake correlates
directly with heart disease incidence, which he attributes to the
cholesterol-raising effect of animal protein. Conversely, Campbell
notes that eating plant protein lowers cholesterol (Campbell and
Campbell, 2005). Studies have shown that replacing animal protein
(casein) with soya protein reduces blood cholesterol, even when the
fat intake remains unchanged (Lovati et al., 1987; Sirtori et al.,
1999). Exactly how soya protein lowers cholesterol is uncertain,
although a range of theories have been proposed. One hypothesis
suggests that the amino acid composition of soya protein causes
changes in cholesterol metabolism (possibly via the endocrine system).
Others propose that non-protein components (such as saponins, fibre,
phytic acid, minerals and isoflavones) associated with soya protein
affect cholesterol metabolism either directly or indirectly (Potter,
1995). The most popular theory currently accepted is that soya protein
reduces cholesterol metabolism in the liver by increasing the removal
of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol. The precise mechanism is thought to involve
enhanced LDL-degradation and increased binding of LDL to receptors
(Sirtori et al., 1977).

The cholesterol-raising effects of saturated fat have received far
more attention than animal protein. In a review of the current
literature, researchers from the Department of Nutrition at the
Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, found
compelling evidence that the types of fat are more important than
total amount of fat in determining the risk of CHD (Hu et al., 2001).
Here the culprit is saturated fat, and controlled clinical trials have
shown that replacing this type of fat with polyunsaturated fat is more
effective in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of CHD than
reducing total fat consumption. Foods high in saturated fat include:
meat pies, sausages and fatty cuts of meat, butter, ghee, lard, cream,
hard cheese, cakes and biscuits and foods containing coconut or palm
oil (FSA, 2006). Like saturated fats, trans fats can also raise
cholesterol levels. Trans fats are found in foods that contain
hydrogenated fats, including processed foods such as biscuits, cakes,
fast food, pastry, margarines and spreads (FSA, 2006).

The good news is that there are foods that can reduce blood
cholesterol. Eating a diet that contains plenty of soluble fibre could
also help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Good
sources of soluble fibre include oats, beans, peas, lentils,
chickpeas, fruit and vegetables (FSA, 2006). Dr Dean Ornish, best
known for his Lifestyle Heart Trial, investigated the role of a
low-fat, high-fibre diet coupled to lifestyle changes in heart disease
patients. Ornish treated 28 heart disease patients with diet and
lifestyle changes alone. They followed a low-fat plant-based diet
including unrestricted amounts of fruits, vegetables and grains. They
also practised stress management techniques and exercised regularly.
After one year 82 per cent of the test group experienced regression of
their heart disease, including a 91 per cent reduction in the
frequency of heart pain compared to 165 per cent increase in the
control group (Ornish et al., 1990). No conventional drug or surgery
related therapies compare with these results (Campbell and Campbell,
2005).

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition
investigating the risk factors associated with CHD found that
African-American vegans exhibit a more favourable serum lipid profile
(a healthier balance of fats in the blood) compared to vegetarians who
ate milk, milk products and eggs (Toohey et al., 1998). This means
that the vegans had healthier levels of total cholesterol, LDL and HDL
in their blood compared to the vegetarians. The major factors
contributing to this result were thought to be the lower saturated fat
intake and higher fibre intake of vegans.

Examining the incidence of CHD in other cultures allows us to draw
conclusions about the role of diet in disease. Several studies have
shown that certified death rates from CHD are linked
country-by-country with milk consumption (Moss and Freed, 2003).

In The China Study, Campbell was astonished at the low rates of CHD in
the southwest Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Guizhou; between 1973
and 1975 not one single person died of CHD before the age of 64 among
246,000 men and 181,000 women (Campbell and Campbell, 2005). Campbell
suggests these figures reflect the important protective role of low
blood cholesterol levels observed in rural China.

A joint report between the Medical Research Council and the British
Heart Foundation states that the average blood total cholesterol level
for people aged 16 and above in the UK is about 5.5mmol/l. In China
(where there is much less heart disease), mean total cholesterol
levels in the cities are about 4.5mmol/l for men and women aged 35-64,
and levels in the countryside are even lower (MRC/BHF, 2006).
According to the WHO, about 56 per cent of global heart disease is
attributable to total cholesterol levels above 3.2mmol/l (WHO, 2006).
It could be argued that genetic differences between races may affect
the risk factors for CHD and other diseases. However, Campbell’s
observations that Japanese men in Hawaii and California have much
higher levels of blood cholesterol and incidence of CHD than Japanese
men in Japan confirms that some risk factors are environmental rather
than genetic.

Since the early 1990s the amino acid homocysteine has become the
subject of much interest among the scientific community. Evidence
suggests that homocysteine damages the lining of blood vessels and
enhances blood clotting. Elevated concentrations of homocysteine in
the blood have been linked to an increased risk for both heart disease
and stroke. Some studies suggest it may have an even more important
role in determining the health of individuals than cholesterol (Walsh,
2003). Homocysteine is converted into the amino acid methionine in the
presence of B12. In the same reaction, methyltetrahydrofolate is
converted to folate which is used in the synthesis of DNA. This entire
reaction relies on sufficient supplies of B12, B6 and folate. In B12
deficiency, the amount of homocysteine in the body can escalate to
potentially dangerous levels and has been linked to a range of
disorders including depression, dementia, damage to the inner lining
of the artery walls and may be a trigger for CHD. While increased
homocysteine levels have been observed in vegetarians and vegans they
do not occur in those ensuring an adequate B12 intake of three
micrograms per day, whereas elevated homocysteine levels are not
uncommon among meat-eaters due to a low folate intake (Walsh, 2003).
Additionally, elevated serum homocysteine levels tend to increase in
the elderly as incidence of B12 deficiency occurs more frequently.
Interestingly, a recent study showed how a daily serving of breakfast
cereal fortified with folic acid, B6 and B12 not only contributed to
the plasma status of these vitamins but significantly reduced
homocysteine concentrations in a randomly selected group of relatively
healthy 50-85-year-olds (Tucker et al., 2004).

The role of a vegetarian and vegan diet in nutrition and health was
examined among a large group of vegetarians in the Oxford Vegetarian
Study (Appleby et al., 1999). This was a prospective study of 6,000
vegetarians and 5,000 non-vegetarian controlled subjects recruited in
the UK between 1980 and 1984. In this study vegans had lower
cholesterol levels than meat-eaters (vegetarians and fish-eaters had
intermediate or similar values). Meat and cheese consumption were
positively associated, and dietary fibre intake was inversely
associated, with cholesterol levels. After 12 years of follow-up,
mortality from heart disease was positively associated with estimated
intakes of total animal fat, saturated animal fat and dietary
cholesterol. A subsequent review of the literature comparing the
health of Western vegetarians to non-vegetarians found that
vegetarians had lower cholesterol levels (by about 0.5mmol/l) and a
lower mortality from heart disease (by about 25 per cent). It was
suggested that widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet could prevent
approximately 40,000 deaths from heart disease in Britain each year
(Key et al., 1999).

Taken together, the evidence shows that a plant-based diet reduces the
risk of CHD. This may be for a range of reasons including the
cholesterol-lowering effect of fibre. It has been suggested that the
antioxidants (beta-carotene and vitamins C and E) contained in fruit
and vegetables and cereals prevent saturated fats from being converted
into cholesterol in your body (NHS Direct, 2006). Whatever the precise
mechanism, the evidence is clear: a plant-based diet containing plenty
of fruits and vegetables and whole grains reduces the risk of CHD.
There is much speculation about how the consumption of animal foods
increases the risk of CHD. Again, the precise mechanisms involved may
be unresolved, but it is clear that the more animal foods a person
eats, the higher their risk. In summary, animal protein and saturated
animals fats increase blood cholesterol and the risk of CHD while
plant protein and fibre lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk.
Therefore, to reduce the risk of CHD we should reduce the amount of
animal foods in the diet and eat more whole grain, plant-based foods.

There are of course other factors that can contribute to the risk of
CHD. Exercise is extremely important as it increases HDL cholesterol
levels, which in turn helps keep LDL cholesterol levels down. Exercise
also helps control weight. As stated, smoking is a major risk factor
of CHD as it hardens the arteries, causing them to narrow. Alcohol
consumption can increase the risk so it should be limited and binge
drinking avoided.

Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Its
symptoms are similar to other bowel conditions such as irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS) and another IBD ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s disease
commonly occurs in the ileum (the lower part of the small intestine),
but it can affect any part of the bowel. In fact it can occur anywhere
along the entire alimentary tract from the mouth to the anus. In most
cases though, Crohn’s disease occurs in sections of the bowel which
become inflamed, ulcerated and thickened. Symptoms include diarrhoea,
abdominal pain, weight loss and tiredness. According to the National
Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, the disease affects about
one in every 1,600 people in the UK. Other studies have reported
higher figures; up to one in 690 in one regional study. A reasonable
ballpark figure may be around one in every 1,000 people (FSA, 2002a).
Crohn’s disease affects men and women equally but occurs more commonly
in white than black people. It usually occurs in the age group between
15 and 40 although it can affect people of any age.

Although the cause of Crohn’s disease remains unclear, it may be due
to a combination of factors including a genetic predisposition, an
abnormal immune response and environmental factors, probably relating
to a response to microorganisms in the bowel but also possibly related
to other dietary factors (FSA, 2002a).

It has been proposed that an environmental factor leading to Crohn’s
disease is a pathogenic bacterium. The most popular candidate is the
infectious bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
(MAP). MAP infection is widespread in domestic livestock and is
present in commercial pasteurised cow’s milk in the UK. There are
concerns that water supplies may also be contaminated. MAP is a robust
and versatile pathogen which has been shown to cause chronic
inflammation in the intestines of many species of animal, including
primates. MAP causes a chronic gastrointestinal infection called
Johne’s disease in cattle and other ruminants. However, the link
between MAP and Crohn’s has remained somewhat controversial.

An increasing amount of evidence now supports the causal link between
MAP and Crohn’s disease. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin
used a range of modern molecular techniques to search for and confirm
the presence of MAP in patients with IBDs including Crohn’s (Collins
et al., 2000). The results showed MAP was present in around 20 per
cent of Crohn’s patients compared to less than seven per cent of
controls (without Crohn’s). Although these results may not have
provided the substantive evidence initially anticipated the
researchers concluded that MAP (or some similar species) infects a
subset of IBD patients.

More recently, Professor John Hermon-Taylor and colleagues at St
George’s Hospital Medical School in London tested a group of patients
with and without Crohn’s disease for MAP (Bull et al., 2003). Using
improved molecular methods that increased the sensitivity of the
tests, this time 92 per cent of patients with Crohn’s disease tested
positive compared to 26 per cent of the controls. These patients were
from the UK, Ireland, US, Germany and United Arab Emirates, suggesting
exposure to this pathogen occurs on an international basis. The
discovery that MAP is present in the majority of Crohn’s patients
would suggest a causal link between this bacterium and the condition.
Since then, additional reports have confirmed MAP as a predominant
feature of Crohn’s disease (Autschbach et al., 2005; Sechi et al.,
2005).

But how does MAP infection occur? The answer may lie under our very
noses, depending on what we are drinking. MAP can survive the
pasteurisation process, indeed an FSA-commissioned survey in 2002
found MAP in two per cent of pasteurised milk on sale in the UK (FSA,
2002a). However, researchers from the Department of Surgery at St
George’s Hospital Medical School in London detected MAP in 22 of 312
(seven per cent) of samples of whole pasteurised cow’s milk obtained
from retail outlets throughout central and southern England from
September 1991 to March 1993. Alarmingly this study revealed the
presence of peak periods in January to March and in September to
November, when up to 25 per cent of samples tested positive for MAP
(Millar et al., 1996). Taken together with data on the prevalence of
MAP infection in herds in the UK, the known secretion of MAP in milk
from infected animals, and the inability of laboratory conditions
simulating pasteurisation to ensure the killing of all these
slow-growing organisms, the authors of this study concluded that there
is a high risk, particularly at peak times, that residual MAP will be
present in retail pasteurised cow’s milk in England. In response to
concerns about the presence of MAP in retail milk, the FSA devised a
strategy to control MAP in milk at all stages of the food chain (FSA,
2003). This strategy aims to ensure hygienic milking practices and
effective pasteurisation of milk and reduce the level of MAP in dairy
herds. Of course the overall aim is to reduce the likelihood of
consumers being exposed to MAP. However, this strategy does not
consider alternative routes of exposure.

MAP is a robust organism which can survive for months or even years in
the environment which is a cause of much concern as infected animals
excrete huge numbers of MAP in their faeces. In South Wales,
researchers sampled river water from the Taff which runs off the hills
and through the city of Cardiff and detected MAP in 32.3 per cent of
the samples (Pickup et al., 2005). The hills are grazed by livestock
in which MAP is endemic. Previous research in Cardiff has shown a
steep increase in the incidence of Crohn’s disease. Given that
inhalation is a probable route of MAP infection in cattle, it was
suggested that the pattern of clustering of Crohn’s disease in Cardiff
may be due to people inhaling aerosols carrying MAP from the river.
Avoiding dairy products alone may not be enough to ensure avoiding
exposure to MAP (although if everyone reduced their intake of animal
products there would be fewer cattle and therefore less MAP present in
the environment).

For patients that have developed Crohn’s disease avoiding foods that
precipitate the symptoms has proved to be a successful way of avoiding
drug (corticosteroid) therapy. In the Lancet in 1993, researchers from
a Cambridge hospital reported that altering the diet was as effective
in producing remission of Crohn’s disease as corticosteroid treatment
thus providing an alternative therapeutic strategy to treating
Crohn’s. The research showed that the food intolerances were
predominantly to cereals, dairy products and yeast (Riordan et al.,
1993). Manipulating the diet rather than relying on drug therapy may
be particularly important as corticosteroid treatment in patients with
Crohn’s disease has been linked to osteoporosis (Dear et al., 2001).

WHITE LIES part6
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaig...report06.shtml

Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by too much sugar
(glucose) in the blood. Blood sugar levels rise when there is not
enough insulin in the blood or the insulin that is in the blood does
not work properly. Insulin is an important hormone secreted by the
beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. It regulates
blood sugar levels by, for example, promoting the uptake of glucose
into the cells. When things go wrong, high levels of glucose in the
blood can cause damage to the nerves and blood vessels. Without
treatment diabetes can lead to long-term health problems including
kidney failure, gangrene, sensory loss, ulceration, blindness,
cardiovascular disease and stroke.

There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 (insulin-dependent
diabetes) occurs when the body produces little or no insulin. People
who have type 1 diabetes must check the levels of glucose in their
blood regularly and will need treatment for the rest of their lives.
Type 1 diabetes is sometimes called juvenile-onset diabetes because it
tends to develop before the age of 40, often in the teenage years. The
peak age for diagnosis in the UK is between 10 and 14 years but is
becoming younger with a steep rise in the under fives (Williams and
Pickup, 2004). Symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate, extreme
thirst and hunger, weight loss, fatigue, irritability and nausea. The
cause of type 1 diabetes is poorly understood, but some evidence
suggests it involves a combination of genetic factors and
environmental triggers. Type 1 diabetes is usually treated with
regular injections of insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes occurs either when the body does not produce enough
insulin or when it cannot use the insulin produced. This type of
diabetes is linked with obesity. Over 80 per cent of people with type
2 diabetes are overweight (NHS Direct, 2005). Type 2 diabetes occurs
mostly in people over the age of 40, but is now increasingly affecting
people at a much younger age. Symptoms include tiredness,
irritability, nausea, hunger, weight loss, recurrent skin infections,
blurred vision, tingling sensations in the hands and feet and dry,
itchy skin. Not all symptoms occur and those that do might be subtle
and may go unnoticed for years. Blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes
can be controlled by lifestyle changes including regular exercise
coupled to diet control and weight loss. Type 2 diabetes accounts for
over 80 per cent of all cases of diabetes seen. While rising obesity
levels have contributed to the increase in the incidence of type 2
diabetes, the increase in obesity does not explain the threefold
increase in the number of cases of type 1 diabetes seen over the last
30 years. This is the most common form of the disease in children;
over 90 per cent of children under the age of 16 with diabetes have
type 1.

A third type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, develops in some women
during pregnancy but usually disappears after giving birth.

Diabetes affects over one million people in the UK but there may be as
many as a million others who have the disease but do not know it yet.
The WHO describes the global rise in diabetes as epidemic (WHO,
2006a). In 1985 an estimated 30 million people worldwide had diabetes;
a decade later this figure had increased to 135 million and by 2000 an
estimated 171 million people had diabetes. It is predicted that at
least 366 million people will have diabetes by 2030 (WHO, 2006a). The
increase in diabetes is attributed to a range of factors including
population growth, ageing, unhealthy diets that are high in saturated
fat and cholesterol, obesity and lack of physical exercise.

Diabetes has become one of the major causes of premature illness and
death in many, but not all, countries. Indeed, diabetes occurs much
more in some parts of the world, principally in developed countries.
Diabetes tends to occur more in cultures consuming diets high in
animal fats and less in cultures consuming diets high in complex
carbohydrates. As carbohydrate intake increases and saturated animal
fat intake decreases from country to country, the number of deaths
from type 2 diabetes plummets from 20.4 to 2.9 people per 100,000
(Campbell and Campbell, 2005).

In England and Wales, the rates of diabetes fell markedly between 1940
and 1950. This is because during the Second World War, and in the
period following it, people tended to eat less fat and sugar and more
plant foods, and therefore more fibre, antioxidants, complex
carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals (Trowell, 1974). All available
land was used; many people grew their own vegetables and vegetable
patches were cultivated all over the country. Gardens, flowerbeds and
parks were dug up and planted with vegetables; even the moat around
the Tower of London (drained in 1843) was used for growing vegetables.
Then as rationing came to an end and people moved away from whole
grains towards a more processed diet, rates of diabetes increased
again (Trowell, 1974). The conclusion must be that a
high-carbohydrate, low-fat plant-based diet offers some protection
against type 2 diabetes.

The risk factors for type 2 diabetes (obesity, poor diet and lack of
exercise) are well-documented and there are many steps people can take
to limit their chances of developing type 2 diabetes. One obvious step
is to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet, this means
cutting down on meat and dairy and increasing the intake of fruit,
vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds. Large,
population-based studies in China, Canada, USA and several European
countries suggest that even moderate reduction in weight and half an
hour of walking each day reduces the risk of diabetes considerably
(WHO, 2006a).

A study of the relationship between diet and chronic disease in a
cohort of 34,192 California Seventh-day Adventists revealed that the
vegetarian Adventists were much healthier than their meat-eating
counterparts: the meat-eaters were twice as likely as the vegetarians
to suffer from diabetes (Fraser, 1999). This study also revealed that
obesity increased as meat consumption increased; the difference
between vegetarian and non-vegetarian men and women was 6.4kg and
5.5kg respectively (Fraser, 1999).

The importance of high-fibre diets in diabetes has been studied
extensively since the 1970s by James Anderson, Professor of Medicine
at the University of Kentucky. Anderson used a high-fibre,
high-carbohydrate low-fat diet to treat 25 type 1 and 25 type 2
diabetics (Anderson, 1986). The experimental diet consisted mostly of
whole plant foods (although it did contain a small amount of meat).
After three weeks, Anderson measured blood sugar levels, weight and
cholesterol levels and calculated their medication requirements. The
results were astounding. Remember in type 1 diabetes no insulin is
produced so it seems unlikely that a change in diet would help.
However, Anderson’s patients required 40 per cent less insulin
medication than they had needed before the trial. In addition to this,
their cholesterol levels dropped by an average of 30 per cent too.
This is just as important in lowering the risk factors for secondary
outcomes of diabetes such as heart disease and stroke. Type 2 diabetes
is generally more treatable and the results among the type 2 patients
were even more impressive: 24 out of the 25 participants consuming the
high-fibre, low-fat diet were able to stop taking their insulin
medication completely! These benefits were not of a temporary nature,
indeed they were sustained over time in a group of 14 diabetic men
continuing on the high-carbohydrate, high-fibre diet for four years
(Story et al., 1985). The evidence is overwhelming: a
high-carbohydrate, high-fibre diet provides effective, positive and
safe treatment for diabetes and lowers the associated risk for
coronary artery disease (Anderson et al., 1990). Of course it should
be noted that this is not a special diet for diabetics; most people
would benefit from increasing their fibre intake while reducing the
amount of fat they consume.

In 2000 an extensive study of children from 40 different countries
confirmed a link between diet and incidence of type 1 diabetes
(Muntoni et al., 2000). The study set out to examine the relationship
between dietary energy from major food groups and incidence of type 1
diabetes. The total energy intake was not associated with type 1
diabetes incidence. However, energy from animal sources (meat and
dairy foods) was associated and energy from plant sources was
inversely associated with diabetes. This means that the more meat and
milk in the diet, the higher the incidence of diabetes and the more
plant-based food in the diet, the lower the incidence.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system’s
‘soldiers’, known as T-cells, destroy the body’s own insulin-producing
beta cells in the pancreas. This type of response is thought to
involve a genetic predisposition (diabetes in the family) coupled to
an environmental trigger. The trigger may be a virus or some component
of food. In the early 1990s a Canadian research group suggested that
cow’s milk proteins might be an important environmental trigger
providing specific peptides that share antigenic epitopes with host
cell proteins (Martin et al., 1991). This means that the proteins in
cow’s milk look the same as proteins in our own bodies; these
similarities can confuse our immune system and initiate an
inappropriate (autoimmune) response that can lead to diabetes.

The milk protein casein is similar in shape to the insulin-producing
cells in the pancreas. Because the body may perceive casein as a
foreign invader and attack it, it may also start to attack the
pancreas cells having confused them for casein, again leading to
diabetes (Cavallo et al., 1996). Some studies have suggested that
bovine serum albumin (BSA) is the milk protein responsible. In a study
of 142 children with type 1 diabetes, all the diabetic patients had
higher serum concentrations of anti-BSA antibodies compared to 79
healthy children (Karjalainen et al., 1992). These antibodies may
react with proteins on the surface of the beta cells of the pancreas
and so interfere with insulin production.

Other studies suggest it is the cow’s insulin present in formula milk
that increases the risk of type 1 diabetes in infants (Vaarala et al.,
1999). Research shows that some infants may be more vulnerable to type
1 diabetes later in life if exposed to cow’s milk formula while very
young. A Finnish study of children (with at least one close relative
with type 1 diabetes) examined whether early exposure to insulin in
cow’s milk formula increased the risk of type 1 diabetes. Results
showed that infants given cow’s milk formula at three-months-old had
immune systems which reacted far more strongly to cow’s insulin
(Paronen et al., 2000). This raises concerns that exposure to cow’s
insulin plays a role in the autoimmune process leading to type 1
diabetes.

A review of the clinical evidence suggests that the incidence of type
1 diabetes is related to the early consumption of cow’s milk; children
with type 1 diabetes are more likely to have been breast fed for less
than three months and to have been exposed to cow’s milk protein
before four months of age (Gerstein et al., 1994). The avoidance of
cow’s milk during the first few months of life may reduce the risk of
type 1 diabetes. Infants who cannot breast feed from their mothers may
benefit more from taking a plant-based formula such as soya-based
formula rather than one based on cow’s milk. Other studies support the
finding that both early and adolescent exposure to cow’s milk may be a
trigger for type 1 diabetes (Kimpimaki et al., 2001; Thorsdottir and
Ramel, 2003).

Taken together, the evidence suggests that avoiding milk and milk
products may offer protection from diabetes (types 1 and 2).

Dementia
Obesity is epidemic in Western societies and constitutes a major
public health concern. A recent study published in the British Journal
of Medicine reports that being obese during middle-age can increase
the risk of developing dementia later in life (Whitmer et al., 2005).
The research is based on data collected from detailed health checks
made on 10,276 men and women between 1964 and 1973 (when they were
aged 40 to 45). Dementia was diagnosed in seven per cent of
participants between 1994 and 2003. Results showed that being obese
increased the risk of dementia by 74 per cent while being overweight
increased it by 35 per cent. The link between obesity and dementia in
women was stronger than that in men. This is in agreement with a
Swedish study which found that the higher a woman’s body mass index
(BMI), the greater the risk of dementia (Gustafson et al., 2003). In
this study the relationship between BMI and dementia risk was
investigated in 392 Swedish adults who were assessed between the ages
of 70 and 88. During the 18-year study, 93 participants were diagnosed
as having dementia. Women who developed dementia had a higher average
BMI compared to women without dementia. For every one unit increase in
BMI at age 70 years, the risk of dementia increased by 36 per cent.
This raises concerns that the current obesity epidemic could lead to a
steep rise in the numbers of people suffering from dementia in the
future. The evidence suggests that leading a healthy lifestyle could
help to reduce the risk of dementia (See Overweight and obesity).

Ear infection
The most common type of ear infection (otitis media) affects the
middle ear, the space between the eardrum and the inner ear. The
middle ear is usually filled with air but it can fill up with fluid
(during a cold for example) and ear infections happen when bacteria,
viruses or fungi infect the fluid and cause swelling in the ear. Ear
infections are common in childhood and can be extremely painful,
causing a considerable amount of distress. Chronic otitis media is
when ear infections keep recurring, for example Glue ear is a type of
chronic otitis media. Ear infection is the most common health problem
doctors see in young children with around one in 10 children having an
ear infection by the time they are three months old (NHS Direct,
2005). It can be a serious problem; otitis media is the most common
cause of hearing loss in children today (Bernstein, 1993).

Ear infections are often linked to colds or other problems of the
respiratory system. However, recent reports link ear infections to
food allergies (Hurst, 1998; Aydogan et al., 2004; Doner et al.,
2004). Researchers from Georgetown University in the US examined the
role of food allergy in ear infection in 104 children with recurrent
ear problems (Nsouli et al., 1994). The children were tested for food
allergies and those who tested positive excluded that particular food
for 16 weeks, then reintroduced it. Results showed that 78 per cent of
the children with ear problems also had food allergies, the most
common allergenic foods were cow’s milk (38 per cent), wheat (33 per
cent), egg white (25 per cent), peanut (20 per cent) and soya (17 per
cent). 86 per cent of these children responded well to eliminating the
offending food, and of these, 94 per cent suffered a recurrence of ear
problems on reintroducing the offending food.

A different approach was taken in a Finnish study of 56 children with
cow’s milk allergy and 204 children without cow’s milk allergy. These
researchers examined the occurrence of ear infection in children known
to have cow’s milk allergy. Results showed that 27 per cent of those
with the allergy suffered from recurrent ear infections compared to
just 12 per cent of those who did not have the allergy (Juntti et al.,
1999). It was concluded that children with cow’s milk allergy
experience significantly more ear infections.

Dr John James of the Colorado Allergy and Asthma Centres in the US
suggests that food allergies can cause inflammation in the nasal
passages and lead to the build up of fluid in the middle ear, but he
acknowledges that the link between food allergy and ear infection may
be hard to prove (James, 2004). The possibility of cow’s milk allergy
should be considered in all cases of ear infection, particularly in
children.

Food poisoning
Food poisoning is a common, often mild, but sometimes deadly illness
(NHS, 2006). It is caused by the consumption of food or drink that is
contaminated with bacteria, parasites or viruses. Most cases result
from bacterial contamination. Food poisoning happens in one of two
ways: either in the food (for example in undercooked meat or
unpasteurised milk), or on the food (if it is prepared by someone who
has not washed their hands). The length of the incubation period (the
time between swallowing the bacteria and symptoms appearing) varies
from hours to days, depending on the type of bacteria and how many
were swallowed. The most common symptoms of food poisoning are
sickness, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. According to the
Food Standards Agency, it is estimated that over five million people
in the UK are affected by food poisoning each year (NHS Direct, 2006).
It usually lasts for less than three days, but can continue for up to
a week. The greatest danger lies in the loss of fluids and salts from
prolonged diarrhoea. The results can be deadly in infants and over
60s. Also, in these patients, the bacteria may enter the bloodstream
infecting other parts of the body and may cause death unless the
person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

Most cases of food poisoning are related to the consumption of animal
products (meat, poultry, eggs, fish and dairy) as plants tend not to
harbour the types of bacteria capable of causing food poisoning in
humans. Intensive animal husbandry technologies, introduced to
minimise production costs, have led to the emergence of new zoonotic
diseases – animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans (WHO,
2006b). Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157 was identified for the first
time in 1979 and has since caused illness and deaths (especially among
children) owing to its presence (in several countries) in minced beef,
unpasteurised cider, cow’s milk, manure-contaminated lettuce and
alfalfa and manure-contaminated drinking-water (WHO, 2006b). In a
joint report between the FSA Scotland and the Scottish Executive it
was noted that the main source of E. coli O157 is from cattle and
sheep, but that more cases of E. coli O157 are now associated with
environmental contamination, including contact with animal faeces or
contamination by faeces of water supplies, than with food (FSA/SE,
2001). If plants do cause food poisoning it is generally because they
have been contaminated with animal excreta, human sewerage or handled
with dirty hands during preparation. Safe disposal of manure from
large-scale animal and poultry production facilities is a growing food
safety problem in much of the world (WHO, 2006b).

The most common cause of food poisoning in the UK is the bacterium
Campylobacter, which has been found in poultry, unpasteurised milk,
red meat and untreated water. The next most common cause is
Salmonella, which has been found in unpasteurised milk, eggs, meat and
poultry (NHS Direct, 2005). Salmonella causes the greatest number of
deaths: 119 deaths England and Wales in 2000 (POST, 2003). In a small
number of cases, people infected with Salmonella will go on to develop
pains in their joints, irritation of the eyes and painful urination;
this is called Reiter’s syndrome and can last for months or years and
may lead to chronic arthritis (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2006). Listeria, sometimes found in soft cheeses and
pates, can cause severe illness (listeriosis) in vulnerable groups
such as pregnant women, babies, the elderly and people with reduced
immunity. The Government advises pregnant women to avoid soft
mould-ripened cheese, such as Camembert and Brie, blue cheese and all
types of meat pté. Other bacteria that can cause food poisoning
include species of Staphylococcus and Clostridium. Certain strains of
otherwise normal intestinal bacteria can cause food poisoning. For
example, E. coli is usually harmless but the strain E. coli O157 can
cause kidney failure and death.

The majority of food poisoning cases in the UK are caused by consuming
contaminated meat or dairy products. For example, of the
Staphylococcal food poisonings reported in the UK between 1969 and
1990, 53 per cent were due to meat products (especially ham), 22 per
cent were due to poultry, eight per cent were due to milk products,
seven per cent to fish and shellfish and 3.5 per cent to eggs (Wieneke
et al., 1993).

While most cases of food poisoning are associated with meat and
poultry, the link between milk products and food poisoning should not
be discounted: 20 separate outbreaks of food poisoning in England and
Wales associated with the consumption of milk and dairy products were
reported to the Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease
Surveillance Centre between 1992 and 1996 (Djuretic et al., 1997). 600
people were affected and over 45 were admitted to hospital. Salmonella
species were responsible for 11 of the outbreaks, Campylobacter
species for five, E. coli O157 for three and Cryptosporidium parvum
for one. Outbreaks were associated with hotels, a psychogeriatric
hospital, schools, a Royal Air Force base, a farm visit, an outdoor
festival and milk supplied directly from farms. Milk was implicated in
16 of the outbreaks, 10 of which were associated with unpasteurised
milk. Two outbreaks were associated with eating contaminated ice-cream
and two with eating contaminated cheese.

Food poisoning may result from milk and milk products if they have not
been properly heated (pasteurised) or if they have become contaminated
following pasteurisation. A report published in the New England
Journal of Medicine reported how 142 cases of listeriosis in Los
Angeles in 1985 led to 48 deaths (Linnan, 1988). An extensive
investigation traced the source to a cheese factory where it was found
that a Mexican-style soft cheese had been contaminated with
unpasteurised milk.

Bacteria are too small to see and they do not taste or smell of
anything so it is difficult to detect their presence. The risk of food
poisoning can be minimised by following some basic hygiene rules. This
means washing hands before handling food, washing salads thoroughly
(to remove contaminating bacteria from manure for example), making
sure all food is covered and chilled. If meat is to be consumed it
must be thawed and cooked properly to kill harmful bacteria. It is
important to keep raw meat (and its juices) away from other foods.
Avoiding unpasteurised milk, raw eggs and undercooked meat further
reduces the risk of food poisoning. Of course the safest option is to
follow a plant-based diet free of red meat, poultry, fish, milk and
eggs. Excluding animal foods from the diet will dramatically decrease
the risk of food poisoning.

Gallstones
Gallstones are solid pieces of stone-like material that form in the
gall bladder, which is a small organ on the right hand side of the
body, below the liver. It stores a green liquid called bile, which is
produced by the liver to help the body digest fats. As we eat, bile is
released from the gall bladder into the intestines through a thin tube
called the bile duct.

Gallstones are formed when some of the chemicals stored in the gall
bladder harden into a solid mass. They may be as small as a grain of
sand or as large as a golf ball. Some people may have one large stone
while others may have many small ones. About one in 10 people over 50
in the UK have gallstones.

Gallstones are made up from a mixture of water, cholesterol and other
fats, bile salts and the pigment bilirubin. They occur when the
composition of the bile is abnormal, the outlet from the gall bladder
is blocked (perhaps by infection), or if there is a family history of
gallstones. Gallstones can cause inflammation of the gall bladder
(cholecystitis), which may then block the bile duct leading to
obstructive jaundice. The passage of a gallstone along the bile duct
to the duodenum can be extremely painful.

Obesity is a major risk factor for gallstones, especially in women,
who are twice as likely as men to develop gallstones. Risk increases
with age; people over 60 are at a higher risk. Diet is also a causal
factor. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 1985
reported that meat-eaters are twice as likely to develop gallstones as
vegetarians (Pixley et al., 1985). Since then the low incidence of
gallstones in vegetarians compared to meat-eaters has been well
documented (Key et al., 1999). Indeed vegetarian diets have been shown
to be beneficial for both the prevention and treatment of gallstones
(Leitzmann, 2005). The main risk factors appear to be low fibre
intake, high saturated fat and cholesterol intake and obesity. A
recent Australian study reported an inverse association between
dietary fibre and gallstones (Segasothy and Phillips, 2000). In other
words, the more fibre in the diet, the lower the risk of gallstones.
Polish researchers examined the diets of patients suffering from
gallstones and found that they were characterised by their low fibre
diet (Ostrowska et al., 2005). Patients with gallstones ate less
wholemeal products, fruit and vegetables and pulses. Furthermore,
obese women with gallstones ate significantly more milk, yogurt, meat
and meat products.

It is important is to eat as healthily as possible. If you are
overweight, losing some weight may help. A well-balanced diet, which
includes vegetables, fruit, and whole wheat cereals including bread
and is low in animal fat, is considered the best for most people
(British Liver Trust, 2005).
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a hormone produced in the
liver and body tissues of mammals. One important role for IGF-1 is to
promote cell growth and division, this is important for normal growth
and development. IGF-1 from cows is identical to human IGF-1 in that
the amino acid sequence of both molecules is the same (Honegger and
Humbel, 1986). Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and
there are 20 different amino acids. All proteins consist of amino
acids joined together like beads on a string and the nature of the
protein (how it behaves) is determined by the order in which the amino
acids occur along the string. In both human and bovine IGF-1 the same
70 amino acids occur in exactly the same order, which would suggest
that bovine IGF-1 behaves the same way in humans as it does in cows.
As previously stated, the use of recombinant bovine somatotrophin
(rBST) in cows increases levels of IGF-1 in their milk, however, it
should be noted that cow’s milk from cows that are not treated with
rBST also contains IGF-1.

It has been suggested that IGF-1 is not destroyed during
pasteurisation. Furthermore it has also been suggested that it is not
completely broken down in the gut and that it may cross the intestinal
wall in the same way that another hormone, epidermal growth factor
(EGF), has been shown to do. EGF is protected from being broken down
when food proteins (such as the milk protein casein) block the active
sites of the digestive enzymes (Playford et al., 1993). This allows
the molecule to stay intact and cross the intestinal wall and enter
the blood. This raises concerns that IGF-1 from cow’s milk could
increase normal blood IGF-1 levels and so increase the risk of certain
cancers linked to IGF-1.

As stated, IGF-1 regulates cell growth, development and division; it
can stimulate growth in both normal and cancerous cells. Even small
increases in serum levels of IGF-1 in humans are associated with
increased risk for several common cancers including cancers of the
breast, prostate, lung and colon (Wu et al., 2002). The link between
IGF-1 and cancer is becoming increasingly apparent in the scientific
literature.

In the first prospective study to investigate the relationship between
the risk of breast cancer and circulating IGF-1 levels, researchers at
Harvard Medical School analysed blood samples originally collected
from 32,826 women aged between 43 and 69 years during 1989 and 1990.
From this group, 397 women were later diagnosed with breast cancer.
Analysis of IGF-1 levels in samples collected from these women
compared to samples from 620 controls (without breast cancer) revealed
a positive relationship between circulating IGF-1 levels and the risk
of breast cancer among premenopausal (but not postmenopausal) women.
It was concluded that plasma IGF-1 concentrations may be useful in the
identification of women at high risk of breast cancer (Hankinson et
al., 1998a).
To investigate the link between prostate cancer risk and plasma IGF-1
levels, a study was conducted on 152 men with prostate cancer and 152
men without the disease. Analysis revealed a strong positive
association between IGF-1 levels and prostate cancer risk (Chan et
al., 1998). In agreement, a Swedish study compared IGF-1 levels in 210
prostate cancer patients with those in 224 men without the disease and
found that there was a strong positive correlation between the risk of
prostate cancer and raised serum levels of IGF-1. It was concluded
that high levels of IGF-1 may be an important predictor for risk of
prostate cancer (Wolk et al., 1998).

In a study into the link between the risk of lung cancer and IGF-1,
serum IGF-1 levels were measured in 204 lung cancer patients
registered at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre and
compared to those in 218 people without lung cancer. Results showed
that high levels of IGF-1 were associated with an increased risk of
lung cancer (Yu et al., 1999).

In order to assess colorectal cancer risk in relation to IGF-1, a
research group at Harvard Medical School analysed blood plasma samples
originally collected from a pool of 14,916 men. In a 14-year follow-up
of these men, 193 had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Analysis
of IGF-1 levels in samples taken from these men and 318 controls
revealed an increased risk for colorectal cancer among the men who had
the highest levels of circulating IGF-1 and it was concluded that
circulating IGF-1 is related to future risk of colorectal cancer (Ma
et al., 1999).

In summary, the literature strongly supports a link between high
circulating IGF-1 levels and cancer, but what has this to do with the
consumption of cow’s milk and dairy products? The answer is a lot:
circulating IGF-1 levels are higher in people who consume milk and
dairy products. Researchers at Bristol University investigating the
association of diet with IGF-1 in 344 disease-free men found that
raised levels of IGF-1 were associated with higher intakes of milk,
dairy products and calcium while lower levels of IGF-1 were associated
with high vegetable consumption, particularly tomatoes. In their
study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, it was concluded
that IGF-1 may mediate some diet-cancer associations (Gunnell et al.,
2003).

US researchers from Harvard Medical School and Bringham and Women’s
Hospital in Boston also investigated the link between IGF-1 levels and
diet. They examined circulating IGF-1 levels in 1,037 healthy women.
The most consistent finding was a positive association between
circulating IGF-1 and protein intake; this was largely attributable to
cow’s milk intake (Holmes et al., 2002). In another study, researchers
at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Washington
investigated the link between plasma levels of IGF-1 and lifestyle
factors in 333 people thought to be representative of the general
population. They too found that milk consumption was linked to IGF-1
levels (Morimoto et al., 2005). One study actually quantified the
effect of cow’s milk on circulating IGF-1 levels in 54 Danish boys
aged 2.5 years. In this study an increase in cow’s milk intake from
200 to 600ml per day corresponded to a massive 30 per cent increase in
circulating IGF-1. It was concluded that milk contains certain
compounds that stimulate IGF-1 concentrations (Hoppe et al., 2004).
Cow’s milk contains many other bioactive compounds such as hormones
and cytokines, growth factors, and many bioactive peptides (Playford
et al, 2000), which may also affect IGF-1 levels.

In conclusion, the research shows that nutrition has an important role
in determining serum IGF-1 levels (Yaker et al., 2005). Whether the
increase in IGF-1 caused by cow’s milk occurs directly (by IGF-1
crossing the gut wall), or indirectly (as a result of the action of
other factors), the research is clear. The consumption of cow’s milk
and milk products is linked to increased levels of IGF-1, which in
turn are linked to various cancers.

WHITE LIES part 7
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaig...report06.shtml

Kidney disease
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located in the lower back.
Kidneys filter the blood to remove unwanted waste products broken down
from our food and drink. They also remove excess liquid to help
maintain correct fluid balance in the body.

There are many diseases and conditions that can affect the kidney
function: kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis); kidney infection
(such as pyelonephritis); genetic disorders (such as polycystic kidney
disease); hardening of the kidney due to a disease of the arteries
(nephrosclerosis); kidney failure due to atherosclerosis (plaques
forming in the arteries supplying the kidneys); autoimmune diseases
(such as systemic lupus erythematosus); malaria; yellow fever; certain
medicines; mechanical blockages (kidney stones) and physical injury.

Surveys have revealed that mild forms of kidney disease are
surprisingly common among the general population. The global epidemic
of type 2 diabetes has led to an alarming increase in the number of
people with chronic kidney disease. Global estimates of people
suffering with chronic kidney disease lie at over 50 million, of which
one million experience kidney failure every year (Dirks et al., 2005).
There may be no apparent symptoms, although small amounts of blood or
protein may pass through the damaged filters in the kidneys into the
urine. Such small amounts of blood and protein in the urine are not
visible but can be detected by certain medical tests.

Normally protein is filtered out by the kidneys and no protein is
excreted into the urine. However, when the kidneys are damaged,
protein may pass into the urine. Other symptoms include retention of
water in the body, called nephrotic syndrome. In some cases the damage
to the kidney can be so severe that it leads to a build up of waste in
the body and ultimately kidney failure. The symptoms of kidney failure
include tiredness, sickness and vomiting.

Certain kidney disorders can lead to the formation of a kidney stone
(renal calculi), a small hard mass in the kidney that forms from
mineral deposits in the urine. Stones may form when there is a high
level of calcium, oxalate or uric acid in the urine; a lack of citrate
in the urine; or insufficient water in the kidneys to dissolve waste
products.

Traditionally, a low-calcium diet has been recommended to reduce the
strain on the kidneys in kidney stone patients. However, over time a
low-calcium diet can cause problems in terms of bone health. In the
last decade, attention has switched to the effects of animal protein
on kidney stone formation. Several studies now suggest that a diet
characterised by normal-calcium, low-animal protein and low-salt
levels is more effective than the traditional low-calcium diet for the
prevention of kidney stones in some people.

The relationship between an animal protein-rich diet and kidney stone
formation was investigated by researchers at the Centre in Mineral
Metabolism and Clinical Research at the Department of Internal
Medicine in Dallas, Texas (Breslau, 1988). In this study, 15 young
healthy participants were studied for three 12-day dietary periods
during which their diet contained vegetable protein, vegetable and egg
protein, or animal protein. While all three diets were constant with
respect to sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and the
total quantity of protein, they had progressively higher sulphur
contents (due to the increased sulphur content of animal proteins
compared to that of plant proteins). As the sulphur content of the
diet increased, urinary calcium excretion increased from 103mg per day
on the vegetarian diet to 150mg per day on the animal protein diet.
The animal protein-rich diet was associated with the highest excretion
of uric acid and therefore conferred an increased risk for uric acid
stones (but not for calcium oxalate stones). The link between animal
protein and kidney stone formation has since been demonstrated in both
men (Curhan et al., 1993; Taylor et al., 2004) and women (Curhan et
al., 1997).

Dr Neil Barnard, president of the PCRM, states that animal protein is
the worst kind of enemy of people with a tendency towards kidney
stones or any kidney disease (Barnard, 1998). The animal protein in
red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and milk tend to overwork the kidneys
causing their filtering abilities to decline. This may make matters
worse in a person who already has kidney disease. Additionally, animal
protein causes calcium to be leached from the bones and excreted in
the urine, adding further to the burden on the overworked kidney.

A report published in the Lancet in 1992 suggested that soya products
may be beneficial in kidney disease. Kidney disease patients with
protein in the urine and high cholesterol levels were placed on a
cholesterol-free, low-protein, low-fat, high-fibre vegetarian (vegan)
diet containing soya products. The amount of protein excreted in the
urine dropped considerably as did their blood cholesterol levels
(D’Amico et al., 1992). It was uncertain whether these results
reflected the reduction in dietary protein and fat or if the
favourable results arose from a change in the nature of the food
consumed. Either way, switching from a diet containing meat and dairy
products to a plant-based diet containing less fat and protein and
more fibre was beneficial to patients with kidney disease.

In addition to avoiding animal protein in the diet, increasing the
potassium intake has been shown to yield benefits as potassium reduces
calcium excretion, which can decrease the risk of stone formation.
Additionally, the beneficial effect of increasing the fluid intake and
the subsequent dilution of urine is well known (Curhan et al., 1993).

Lactose intolerance
Most people in the world are unable to consume cow’s milk and milk
products after weaning because they are unable to digest the sugar in
milk called lactose. This sugar only exists in mammals’ milk,
including human breast milk. In order for lactose to be digested it
must be broken down (to glucose and galactose) in the small intestine
by the enzyme lactase. Most infants possess the enzyme lactase and can
therefore digest lactose, but this ability is lost in many people
after weaning, commonly after the age of two. This makes sense as no
other mammal consumes milk after weaning. In the absence of lactase,
lactose is fermented by bacteria in the large intestine, which leads
to a build up of gas. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include nausea,
cramps, bloating, wind and diarrhoea and usually appear within two
hours of consuming food containing lactose. The symptoms of lactose
intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are very similar, so
misdiagnosis between the two conditions can occur.

Most infants are born with the ability to digest lactose but over time
this ability decreases. There are other, more uncommon, causes of
lactose intolerance including injury to the mucus membrane of the
small intestine and digestive diseases of the small intestine such as
ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Lactose intolerance varies widely between different ethnic groups:
95 per cent of Asian people
75 per cent of Afro-Caribbean people
50 per cent of Mediterranean people
10 per cent of northern European people
Source NHS Direct, 2005.

Lactose intolerance occurs in as few as just two per cent of some
northern European populations and as many as 100 per cent of adult
Asian populations (Swagerty et al., 2002). This widespread variation
suggests that lactase deficiency is the normal or natural state and
that the ability to digest lactose originates from a genetic mutation
that provided a selective advantage to populations using dairy
products (Swagerty et al., 2002). This idea is supported by William
Durham in his book Coevolution (Durham, 1991). Durham describes milk
as baby food not ‘intended’ for adult consumption. He describes how
the ability to digest lactose is the exception to the norm and can
originally be traced back to a minority of pastoral tribes: the Tutsi
and Hutu of Rwanda; the Fulani of West Africa; the Sindhi of North
India; the Tuareg of West Africa and some European tribes. People who
have retained the normal intolerance of lactose include: Chinese,
Japanese, Inuit, native Americans, Australian Aborigines, Iranians,
Lebanese and many African tribes including the Zulus, Xhosas and
Swazis. These people, generally, do not have a history of pastoralism.

In conclusion, drinking cow’s milk is neither normal nor natural. The
health implications of being the only mammal to consume milk as adults
(and not just that, milk from another species too) are becoming
clearer in the scientific literature as levels of the so-called
diseases of affluence soar.

The treatment for lactose intolerance is straightforward: avoid
lactose. This means cutting out all dairy foods and checking labels
for lactose in bread, chocolate and other processed foods.

Migraine
A migraine is much more than a bad headache; unless you suffer from
them it is difficult to appreciate just how debilitating a migraine
can be. Often people with a migraine can do nothing but lie quietly in
a darkened room waiting for the pain to pass. The pain is
excruciating, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and an increased
sensitivity to light and sound. A migraine can last for a few hours or
a few days. Migraines occur more commonly in women than men and
usually affect people in their teenage years up to around 40 years of
age, although they do sometimes occur in children. It is estimated
that almost six million people in the UK are affected by migraine.

A range of common factors that can cause migraines in some people have
been identified. Foods are frequently identified as triggers and the
most common culprits include dairy products (particularly cheese),
chocolate, alcohol (particularly red wine), caffeine, citrus fruits,
nuts, fried foods and foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG) such
as Chinese food, processed meats and frozen pizzas (NHS Direct, 2005).
Other triggers include cigarette smoke, bright lights, hunger, certain
drugs (such as sleeping tablets and the combined oral contraceptive
pill), loud noises, strong smells, neck and back pain, stress and
tiredness (NHS Direct, 2005). All these and others can lead to a
migraine, and some people may experience a migraine following any one
or a combination of these factors.

The national medical charity Allergy UK lists cheese (particularly
Stilton, Brie, Camembert and Emmenthal) as the third commonest cause
of food-induced migraine after alcohol and chocolate. They suggest
that 29 per cent of food-induced migraines are caused by alcohol, 19
per cent by chocolate, 18 per cent by cheese and 11 per cent by citrus
foods. Other foods thought to trigger migraine include fried and fatty
foods, onions, pork, pickled herring and yeast extract (Allergy UK,
2005).

In a study at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, 88
children with severe and frequent migraines were treated with a diet
that eliminated many foods linked to migraine, 93 per cent of the
children responded well to the diet and were free of headaches (Egger
et al., 1983). Foods were gradually reintroduced to identify those
most likely to provoke a migraine. Top of the list was cow’s milk,
followed by chocolate (containing cow’s milk), the food preservative
benzoic acid, eggs, the synthetic yellow food colouring agent
tartrazine, wheat, cheese, citrus, coffee and fish. Interestingly,
children who had initially developed a migraine in response to factors
other than food (for example flashing lights or exercise) no longer
responded to these triggers while on the special elimination diet.

The relationship between food allergy or intolerance and migraine is
difficult to prove and, despite the evidence, remains a controversial
subject. However, the possibility of cow’s milk allergy or intolerance
should be considered in all cases of migraine.

Multiple sclerosis and autoimmunity
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common disease of the central
nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) affecting young adults in
the UK. MS currently affects around 85,000 people in the UK and twice
as many women as men have MS. Although it usually occurs in young
adults in their twenties and thirties, MS can occur in older people.
It is rarely diagnosed in children and teenagers.

Sclerosis means scarring and multiple refers to the different sites at
which the scarring can occur throughout the brain and spinal cord. In
MS the protective sheath (myelin) that surrounds the nerve fibres of
the central nervous system becomes damaged. When myelin is damaged
(demyelination) the messages between the brain and other parts of the
body become disrupted. Myelin protects the nerve fibres in much the
same way that household electrical wires are protected by an
insulating cover. If this cover becomes damaged the normal signalling
route becomes disrupted and may result in a short-circuit. The
severity of the symptoms depends on how much damage has occurred to
the central nervous system. For some people there may be periods of
relapse where there are few symptoms, then times when the symptoms
become more severe including blurred vision, paralysis, slurred
speech, lack of coordination and incontinence.

The cause of MS is not yet fully understood but is thought to be an
autoimmune disease whereby the body’s immune system attacks its own
tissues. As with other autoimmune diseases, it is thought that a
combination of genetic factors and environmental triggers cause the
disease. Environmental triggers may include viruses, components of the
diet or stress. Interestingly, the incidence of MS increases the
further you get from the equator, whether going north or south. For
example, MS is five times more common in temperate zones than in the
tropics (NHS Direct, 2005). Campbell suggests that MS is over 100
times more prevalent in the far north than at the equator (Campbell
and Campbell, 2005). In Australia the incidence of MS decreases
seven-fold as you move towards the equator from the south to the north
(Campbell and Campbell, 2005). This geographical distribution pattern
applies to other autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes and
rheumatoid arthritis (Campbell and Campbell, 2005).

Indeed, this phenomenon has been noted since 1922 (Davenport, 1922).
Campbell suggests in his book The China Study that autoimmune diseases
should be considered as a group rather than as individual diseases as
they share similar clinical backgrounds and sometimes occur in the
same person or among the same populations (Campbell and Campbell,
2005).

The research investigating the links between diet and MS date back
over 50 years to Dr Roy Swank’s work first at the Montreal
Neurological Institute in Norway, then at the Division of Neurology at
the University of Oregon Medical School in the US. Swank was intrigued
by the geographical distribution of MS and thought it may be due to
dietary practices. Swank suspected animal foods high in saturated fats
may be responsible as MS seemed to occur most among inland
dairy-consuming populations and less among coastal fish-eating
populations. Perhaps his best known trial was that published in the
Lancet in 1990. In this study Swank followed 144 MS patients for a
total of 34 years. Swank prescribed a low-saturated fat diet to all
the participants but the degree of adherence to the diet varied
widely. He observed how their conditions progressed. Results showed
that for the group of patients who began the low-saturated fat diet
during the earlier stages of MS, 95 per cent survived and remained
physically active for approximately 30 years. In contrast, 80 per cent
of the patients with early-stage MS who did not adhere to the diet
died of MS (Swank and Dugan, 1990). It was concluded that saturated
animal fats increase the risk of MS.

More recent studies have extended Swank’s findings and revealed a
positive correlation between the consumption of cow’s milk and the
incidence of MS. This later research suggests that there could be a
combination of predisposing or precipitating factors involved in the
aetiology of MS, and that environmental factors, such as the
consumption of cow’s milk, play a part (Agranoff et al., 1974;
Butcher, 1976). These and more recent studies suggest that cow’s milk
may contain some component other than saturated fat that influences
the incidence of MS. For example, it has been suggested that this
factor or environmental trigger may be a virus (Malosse et al., 1992).

You are more likely to get MS if other people in your family have it
(especially a brother or sister). This shows that there is an element
of genetic predisposition in this disease. However, twin studies have
shown that only about a quarter of identical twins with MS have a twin
with the disease (Willer et al., 2003). In other words for every four
genetically identical sets of twins (one of whom has MS) one other
twin will have the disease and three will not. If genes were solely
responsible for MS, the genes that cause MS in one twin would also
cause it in the other. When considering the role of genetics in a
disease, it is useful to look at what happens to the risk of that
disease in migrating populations. As for cancer, heart disease and
type 2 diabetes, people tend to acquire the MS risk of the population
to which they move, especially if they move early in life. This shows
that MS is more strongly related to environmental factors and diet
than genes.

While the benefits of excluding milk from the diet may not have been
directly proven for MS sufferers, there is evidence that a high intake
of saturated fat increases the incidence of this disease. Others
studies suggest that increasing the intake of unsaturated fatty acids
(such as linoleic acid), vitamin D and antioxidants may be helpful
(Schwartz et al., 2005). The overall message is clear: a plant-based
diet low in fat, salt and sugar (and processed foods) and high in
fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds can
provide all the nutrients required for good health and reduce some of
the risk factors for MS or prevent making an already existing
condition worse.

As the incidence of most autoimmune diseases correlates directly to
the consumption of animal foods, this approach could help prevent
other autoimmune conditions that occur increasingly among populations
that consume high levels of dairy and meat products.

Overweight and obesity
Most people know what the term obesity means: an increased body weight
caused by the excessive accumulation of fat. Overweight and obesity
occur when more calories are taken into the body than are burnt up
over time. In other words, if you don’t burn up the energy you consume
it will be stored as fat, and over time this may lead to excessive
weight gain and obesity. So someone who works in a very physically
demanding job, such as a building-site labourer, may need between
4,000 and 5,000 calories per day to maintain their normal weight.
Whereas an office worker who drives to work and does not take any
exercise may only need 1,500 calories per day (NHS Direct, 2005).

Another way of defining obesity is to measure your body mass index
(BMI). This is your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your
height in metres. There are many websites that can do conversions and
calculations for you (see Appendix II). In England, people with a body
mass index between 25 and 30 are categorised as overweight, and those
with an index above 30 are categorised as obese. The Food Standards
Agency’s BMI calculator describes 18.5 to 25 as healthy and suggests
that a BMI of less than 18.5 is underweight (FSA, 2006). The average
BMI of an adult in Africa and Asia falls between 22 and 23, whereas in
North America and Europe the average BMI is much higher ranging from
25 to 27 (WHO, 2006d). In 2004 the FSA reported that the number of
obese adults in the UK has risen considerably since the last survey in
1987; numbers of obese men have risen from eight per cent to 25 per
cent and women from 12 per cent to 20 per cent (FSA, 2004). This
survey showed that the level of obesity in men has risen faster than
those of women. In addition, the FSA survey reported that 41 per cent
of men and 33 per cent of women were found to be overweight.

The main causes of obesity include an excessive intake of food coupled
to a lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle. Other much less
frequent causes include a genetic predisposition or an underlying
illness (such as hypothyroidism). The British Medical Association
(BMA) warns that childhood obesity levels have soared in the UK over
recent years. In 2002 in the UK, 22 per cent of boys and 28 per cent
of girls aged between two and 15 were either overweight or obese (BMA,
2005). The BMA attribute this rise to the fact that children are
eating too much for the amount of physical activity they undertake.
This is very worrying as early childhood obesity tends to indicate
adult obesity which can lead to serious health risks later in life.
Obesity is a known risk factor for many illnesses including type 2
diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, gall bladder disease
and certain forms of cancer especially the hormonally related and
large-bowel cancers.

The WHO suggests that as the degree of affluence increases, diets high
in complex carbohydrates give way to diets high in saturated fats and
sugars (WHO, 2006d). This combined with a shift towards less
physically demanding work, an increasing use of automated transport,
technology in the home and more passive leisure pursuits means that we
are less active than our parents and our grandparents.

The WHO suggests several ways to lose weight including eating more
fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole grains; engaging in daily moderate
physical activity for at least 30 minutes; cutting the amount of
fatty, sugary foods in the diet and moving from saturated animal-based
fats to unsaturated vegetable-oil based fats (WHO, 2006d). Whole milk,
cheese, cream, butter, ice-cream and most other dairy products, apart
from skimmed and non-fat products, contain significant amounts of
saturated fat and cholesterol. While we do need a certain amount of
fat in the diet there is no nutritional requirement for saturated fat.
Cow’s milk is high in the unhealthy saturated fats and low in the
healthy polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, which are required in
the diet for good health. Most people eat much more fat than they
need, and making minor changes to the diet (cutting down on fat) can
make a big difference over time.

A number of small-scale studies (of less than 35 obese adults) have
suggested that the consumption of dairy products may actually help
people lose weight (Zemel et al., 2004; Zemel et al., 2005). In these
studies Professor Zemel, who has received a considerable amount of
funding from the National Dairy Council (COS, 2005), suggests that
diets containing calcium from dairy foods might affect fat cell
metabolism in such a way that greater weight loss can occur despite an
identical calorie intake with a control group not consuming so much
dairy. Interestingly, a subsequent study (by a research group
including Zemel but not as the first named author) found no evidence
that a diet high in dairy products enhances weight loss (Thompson et
al., 2005).

Dr Amy Joy Lanou, the nutrition director of the PCRM, warns that care
should be taken when interpreting the findings from Zemel’s trials.
Furthermore, Lanou suggested that the US National Dairy Council’s
claims promoting dairy consumption for weight loss went well beyond
Zemel’s findings. Lanou suggests that it was likely that calorie
restriction, not dairy consumption, caused the weight loss reported in
these studies (Lanou, 2005).

In June 2005 the PCRM decided enough was enough and filed two separate
lawsuits to stop the multimillion-dollar advertising campaign claiming
that milk facilitates weight loss. The PCRM filed one lawsuit to the
US Food and Drugs Administration and the other to the US Federal Trade
Commission. In the lawsuit the PCRM charged the National Dairy
Council, the International Dairy Foods Association, Dairy Management
Incorporated, Dannon Company, Kraft Foods and other dairy
manufacturers with purposefully misleading customers (PCRM, 2005).

Despite the dairy industry’s claims, scientific studies show that
adding dairy products to the diet does not help control weight; in
fact the research confirms that in many cases the reverse is true,
consuming milk and dairy foods can lead to weight gain. Some studies
designed to test the effects of dairy consumption on weight found no
difference in weight between groups consuming relatively large amounts
of dairy foods compared to groups consuming little (Lappe et al.,
2004; Gunther et al., 2005). Another study, this time of the effects
of just calcium supplementation on weight loss in women who had
recently given birth, found no relationship between calcium
supplementation and weight loss (Wosje, 2004). Researchers at the
University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, who reviewed the
scientific literature on the effects of dairy products or calcium
supplements on body weight found that out of nine studies on dairy
products, seven showed no significant difference while two studies
linked weight gain to dairy consumption (Barr et al., 2003).
Furthermore, out of 17 studies on calcium supplementation, just one
reported weight loss.

A recent large scale study that followed over 12,000 children for
three years concluded that the children who drank the most milk gained
the most weight (Berkey et al., 2005). The analyses showed that out of
milk, calcium, dairy fat and total energy intake, it was energy intake
that was the most important predictor of weight gain. The authors
attribute this weight to… you’ve guessed it, the added calories! To
most people it is just common sense, a calorie is a calorie and weight
gain or weight loss is a case of mathematics. If you take in more
energy (calories) than you use, you will gain weight. If you use up
more energy than you consume, you will lose weight. There is no magic
bullet, and if there were it seems very unlikely that it would be
cow’s milk.

Osteoporosis
Bones consist of a thick outer shell and a strong inner mesh filled
with a protein called collagen, calcium salts and other minerals.
Osteoporosis (meaning porous bones) occurs when calcium is lost from
the bones and they become more fragile and prone to fracture. This
debilitating condition tends to occur mostly in postmenopausal women
due to a lack of the hormone oestrogen, which helps to regulate the
incorporation of calcium into the bones. Osteoporosis tends to occur
mostly among postmenopausal women aged between 51 and 75. It can occur
earlier or later and not all women are at equal risk of developing
osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is sometimes called the silent disease as there are often
no symptoms until a fracture occurs. Although the whole skeleton is
usually affected, fractures mostly occur in the wrist, spine and hip.
One in two women and one in five men in the UK will suffer a fracture
after the age of 50; in fact every three minutes someone has a
fracture due to osteoporosis (National Osteoporosis Society, 2005).
However, osteoporosis has been diagnosed in people as young as 20. The
dairy industry has responded to this health scare by promoting the
consumption of milk, cheese and yogurt directly to teenage girls in a
campaign run by the Milk Development Council (MDC, 2005a).

It is deeply entrenched in the British psyche that calcium from dairy
sources is essential for good bone health. However, a recent review on
dairy products and bone health published in the official journal of
the American Academy of Pediatrics challenged this misleading notion
by concluding that there is very little evidence to support increasing
the consumption of dairy products in children and young adults in
order to promote bone health (Lanou et al., 2005). This review
examined the effects of dairy products and total dietary calcium on
bone integrity in children and young adults and found that out of 37
studies, 27 showed no relationship between dairy or dietary calcium
intake and measures of bone health. In the remaining studies the
effects on bone health were either small or results were confounded by
the fortification of milk with vitamin D.

American women are among the biggest consumers of calcium in the
world, yet they have one of the highest levels of osteoporosis
(Frassetto et al., 2000). African Bantu women, on the other hand, eat
almost no dairy products at all; they have a relatively low calcium
intake, mainly from vegetable sources, and typically have up to 10
children each. Yet osteoporosis is virtually unknown among Bantu women
(Walker et al., 1972).

It seems that the more dairy produce we consume, the higher our risk
of fracture. The Harvard Nurses Health study examined whether higher
intakes of milk can reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures. The
study observed over 75,000 women for 12 years and concluded that
increasing milk consumption did not confer a protective effect against
hip or forearm fracture (Feskanich et al., 1997). In fact the report
suggested that an increased calcium intake from dairy foods was
associated with a higher risk of fracture.

It has been suggested that calcium loss from the bone is promoted by a
high intake of animal protein. One study of 1,600 older women examined
the level of bone loss and found vegetarians had only 18 per cent less
bone mineral compared to omnivores who had lost 35 per cent bone
mineral by the age of 80 (Marsh et al., 1988). Another study of 1,035
elderly women found that women with a high ratio of animal to
vegetable protein intake had a greater risk of hip fracture than those
with a low ratio (Sellmeyer et al., 2001). In a similar study that
analysed the incidence of hip fracture in relation to the consumption
of animal and vegetable protein in 33 countries, it was concluded that
moderating the consumption of animal food might protect against hip
fracture (Frassetto et al., 2000). Cross-cultural studies summarising
data on protein intake and fracture rates from 16 countries compared
industrialised and non-industrialised lifestyles and revealed strong
links between a high animal protein diet, bone degeneration and the
occurrence of hip fractures (Abelow et al., 1992). In the book The
China Study, Campbell observed that in rural communities where animal
protein made up just 10 per cent of the total protein intake (the
other 90 per cent coming from plant-based sources) the bone fracture
rate was one-fifth of that in the US where 50 per cent or more of
total protein is made up of animal protein (Campbell and Campbell,
2005), again indicating a link between animal protein and bone
degeneration.

But what is the mechanism for this process? As food is digested acids
are released into the blood, and the body attempts to neutralise the
acid by drawing calcium from the bones. This calcium is then excreted
in the urine (the calciuric response). Animal protein from cow’s milk
and dairy products as well as meat, fish and eggs has a particularly
bad effect because of the greater amount of sulphur-containing amino
acids it contains compared to plant protein. As the sulphur content of
the diet increases so does the level of calcium in the urine. Studies
reveal that an animal protein diet (with the same total quantity of
protein as a vegetarian diet) confers an increased risk for uric acid
stones (Breslau et al., 1988). Furthermore the animal-protein induced
calciuric response may be a risk factor for the development of
osteoporosis. The traditional Inuit (or Eskimo) diet is made up almost
entirely of animal protein. Inuits potentially have one of the highest
calcium intakes in the world (up to 2,500 milligrams per day)
depending on whether they eat whole fish, including the bones, or not.
They also have a high rate of osteoporosis, even higher than white
Americans (Mazess et al., 1974; Mazess et al., 1975; Pratt et al.,
2001).

There are many factors linked to bone health that may even be more
important than calcium. For example, when the bone density of 80 young
women was monitored over a 10-year period, it showed that exercise was
more important than calcium intake (Lloyd et al., 2004). In older
people, a 15-year investigation into whether low calcium intake was a
risk factor for hip fractures concluded that cutting back on dairy did
not increase the risk and that physical activity provided better
protection (Wickham et al., 1989). The discovery of 18th-century human
bones under a London church revealed that today’s women lose far more
calcium than our ancestors (Lees et al., 1993). This may be attributed
to a lower degree of physical activity. This research supports an
increasing amount of evidence that physical activity is a key factor
in reducing osteoporosis risk.

An increasing amount of evidence now shows that milk is not the best
source of calcium at all and suggests that our bone health would
benefit enormously if we switched to plant-based sources.
Interestingly, a large share of the calcium in our diets (over 50 per
cent) comes from sources other than dairy foods (FSA, 2003b). This is
not surprising as most people in the world (over 70 per cent) obtain
their calcium from plant-based sources rather than dairy products.
Good plant-based sources of calcium include non-oxalate (eg spinach)
dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spring greens,
cabbage, bok choy and watercress. Also rich in calcium are dried
fruits, such as figs and dates, nuts, particularly almonds and brazil
nuts, and seeds including sesame seeds and tahini (sesame seed paste)
which contains a massive 680mg of calcium per 100g. Pulses including
soya beans, kidney beans, chick peas, baked beans, broad beans,
lentils, peas and calcium-set tofu (soya bean curd) provide a good
source of calcium. A good additional source is calcium-enriched soya
milk. Interestingly, the calcium in dairy products is not as well
absorbed as that in many dark green leafy vegetables, for example, in
one study calcium absorbability from kale was demonstrated to be
considerably higher than that from cow’s milk (Heaney and Weaver,
1990).

In summary, research suggests that physical (especially
weight-bearing) exercise is the most critical factor for maintaining
healthy bones, followed by improving the diet and lifestyle; this
means eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and cutting down on
caffeine and avoiding alcohol and smoking.

WHITE LIES part 8
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaig...report06.shtml

CONCLUSION
The realisation is growing that changing our diet can have an enormous
impact on health – for better or worse. But what constitutes healthy
food – and unhealthy – is not universally agreed. Cow’s milk is
vigorously defended by the dairy industry and they have managed to
turn it into a national icon. Woe-betide anyone who challenges their
sacred cow. Not surprisingly, the resulting controversy is confusing.
On one hand consumers are told that milk is essential for good bone
health while on the other, that it causes allergies, illness and
disease.

Of course we need calcium for bones and teeth as well as blood
clotting, muscle function and regulating the heart’s rhythm. But no
matter how loudly the dairy industry shouts, an increasing body of
evidence begs the question: is cow’s milk really the best source of
calcium? It certainly is not for most of the world’s people. Claims
that dairy is best carry strong overtones of cultural imperialism and
simply ignore the 70 per cent of the global population who obtain
their calcium from other sources – people such as the Japanese who
traditionally have consumed no dairy yet have far better health than
British people and live considerably longer.

Milk has been part of the human diet for less than 6,000 years –
recent in evolutionary terms. It is not just that most people don’t
drink it – they cannot because their bodies will not tolerate it. Up
to 100 per cent of some ethnic groups are lactose intolerant. It is
obvious that the claims made for milk ignore the research and owe more
to marketing hype than science.

The dairy industry has spent many years and many millions promoting
the notion that cow’s milk is good for us through expensive
advertising campaigns such as the ‘White Stuff’– fronted by the
milk-moustachioed celebrity, Nell McAndrew. Now, because of an
increasing body of evidence, there are signs of a growing realisation
that milk is neither natural nor healthy.

The very people who are most aggressively targeted by the dairy
industry – the young – are those most at risk of being damaged by
milk. It is not just the two per cent under the age of one who will
develop allergies but those likely to develop type 1 diabetes from
cow’s milk infant formula. The evidence is convincing even though the
mechanism is not yet fully understood.

Author of the world-famous book, Baby and Child Care, Dr Benjamin
Spock, withdrew his support for cow’s milk in 1998. In 1999, a study
published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery reported that
gastrointestinal bleeding caused by an allergic response to milk was a
major cause of rectal bleeding in infancy, leading to iron-deficiency
anaemia. This is now universally accepted. The World Health
Organisation recommends that infants should be exclusively breast fed
for the first six months of life in preference to being given cow’s
milk or soya formulas.

But it’s not all about infants; in 2005, cow’s milk was linked to
teenage acne in a study published in the Journal of the American
Academy of Dermatology. In the same year, the journal Pediatrics
published a review article concluding that there is scant evidence
that consuming more milk and dairy products promotes better bone
health in either children or adolescents.

T. Colin Campbell, professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at
Cornell University, culminated a lifetime of research with The China
Study, one of the most comprehensive nutritional studies ever
undertaken. Campbell agrees there is little evidence to show that
increasing calcium intake will prevent fractures. In fact, research is
moving in the opposite direction, showing that the more dairy and
animal protein that is consumed, the higher the incidence of
osteoporosis.

Cow’s milk is clearly implicated in disease in both the young and old.
Both UK arthritis charities, Arthritis Care and the Arthritis Research
Campaign, agree that moving away from fatty foods such as meat and
dairy and towards a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains
can help people with arthritis.

The rate at which some cancers are increasing is also a matter of
concern. When Professor Jane Plant wrote Your Life in Your Hands, an
account of how she overcame breast cancer by eliminating dairy, one in
10 UK women were affected by the disease. That was in 2000 and now, in
2006, one in nine women will develop breast cancer at some point in
their lives!

In fact, since 1971, the incidence of breast cancer in the UK has
increased by 80 per cent. In rural China, on the other hand, where
very little if any dairy is consumed, just one in 10,000 women gets
breast cancer. These figures should be shouted from the rooftops as a
basis for action. Plant and Campbell – and many others for that matter
– are in no doubt that cow’s milk and dairy foods are responsible.

A point that is consistently overlooked is that two-thirds of the UK’s
milk comes from pregnant cows and as every mum knows, hormone levels
during pregnancy can rise dramatically. This is no laughing matter as
prostate, ovarian and colorectal cancer are all implicated. These
cancers and the so-called diseases of affluence, such as diabetes,
obesity, heart disease and even osteoporosis, occur increasingly in
the countries that consume the most dairy products. It is not rocket
science… cow’s milk and dairy products cause disease.

The conclusions of this report are drawn from a huge body of research
from academic institutions all around the world. While the majority
was done in an academic environment involving clinical trials or
statistical analysis, some is of a more personal nature. Professor
Jane Plant’s spirit and courage in overcoming breast cancer through
the elimination of all dairy could not fail to inspire the increasing
number of women who are affected by this type of cancer.

Plant did not set out to promote one type of diet above another but as
a scientist (geochemist) she took an analytical approach to the
problem of cancer and ultimately found the solution: a dairy-free
diet. Similarly, what initiated Campbell’s extensive China study was
not an attempt to justify or promote vegetarianism. In fact, Campbell
grew up on a farm in northern Virginia and for much of his life ate
the typical North American diet high in meat, eggs, whole milk and
butter. He began his academic life trying to increase animal protein
production. It was evidence from his own laboratory research that
pointed an accusing finger at animal protein as a trigger for many
diseases and he set out to confirm it through epidemiological
research. For health reasons, he and his family now eat a plant-based
diet.

The World Health Organisation believes that the only way people can
improve their health is through informed opinion and their own, active
co-operation. We agree! As a science-based health charity, the VVF
provides unbiased information on which people can make informed
choices. We monitor and interpret scientific research on diet and
health and communicate those findings to the public, health
professionals, schools and food manufacturers. Importantly, we have no
commercial or vested interests and offer a vital – and what sometimes
feels like a solitary – source of accurate and unbiased information.
This report combines the findings of over 250 scientific papers from
reputable peer-reviewed journals such as the British Medical Journal
and the Lancet. The research is clear – the consumption of cow’s milk
and dairy products is linked to the development of teenage acne,
allergies, arthritis, some cancers, colic, constipation, coronary
heart disease, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, dementia, ear infection,
food poisoning, gallstones, kidney disease, migraine, autoimmune
conditions, including multiple sclerosis, overweight, obesity and
osteoporosis.

As a species, we do not need saturated animal fat, animal protein or
cholesterol. We do not need the trans fatty acids in processed foods.
We do not need salt and sugar in their current quantities. We do need
to move towards a plant-based, whole grain diet containing a wide
range of fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, nuts and seeds for the
nutrients that will promote a long and healthy life.

These, of course, are the same foods which contain protection against
disease in the form of antioxidants and fibre. What is killing the
Western world are the degenerative diseases associated with affluence.
It is clear that the same diet that is good for preventing cancer is
also good for preventing heart disease, obesity, diabetes and so on.

The official approach to the causes of all these diseases remains
extremely equivocal and dietary advice seems to be based far more on
not upsetting particular vested interests than improving the public’s
health. As a consequence, no matter how much money is thrown at the
NHS, the incidence of all these diseases goes on increasing
remorselessly because public health policy is geared almost
exclusively towards cure rather than prevention.

Only when prevention assumes the pre-eminence it should have will the
avoidance of dairy and other animal products be seen as central to
improving the public’s health. Meanwhile, it is left to individuals to
discover what they can about diet and heath while Government health
policy continues to kill us and sows the seeds for the destruction of
our own children’s health, most of which will germinate in early
adulthood. It is a national disgrace and an evolutionary disaster.

WHITE LIES part 9
http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaig...report06.shtml

APPENDIX I
THE SAFETY OF SOYA
Soya milk, made from soya beans, contains the same amount of protein
as dairy milk. It also provides all eight of the essential amino acids
which the human body requires. Soya milk is rich in polyunsaturated
fatty acids including omega-3, and is free of cholesterol. Compared to
cow’s milk, soya milk contains lower levels of saturated fat and
higher levels of unsaturated essential fatty acids which can lower
cholesterol levels in the body. Soya products provide an excellent
source of B vitamins, calcium, iron and zinc. Soya also contains fibre
which is important for good bowel health and can also lower
cholesterol.

In recent years, soya milk and soya-based products have received much
attention because of the phytoestrogens that they contain.
Phytoestrogens are plant-made substances that can act in a similar way
to the hormone oestrogen, although they are far less potent (Coldham
et al., 1997). They are found in many fruits, vegetables, dried beans,
peas, and whole grains. Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen found
in soya beans and include genistein and daidzein. In general, much of
the data indicates that isoflavones are beneficial to health. For
example, isoflavones may have a protective role against heart disease.
The UK’s Joint Health Claims Initiative (JHCI) offers pre-market
advice and a code of practice for the food industry, enforcers and
consumers, to ensure that health claims on foods are both
scientifically truthful and legally acceptable. In 2002 the JHCI
concluded its deliberations on a generic health claim for soya protein
and blood cholesterol. The claim approved states that “the inclusion
of at least 25 grams soya protein per day as part of a diet low in
saturated fat can help reduce blood cholesterol” (JHCI, 2005). In
addition to the benefits to heart health, isoflavones have been shown
to offer other health benefits. For example, they may have a role in
reducing menopausal symptoms; dietary soya supplementation has been
shown to substantially reduce the frequency of hot flushes in some
postmenopausal women (Albertazzi et al, 1998). While only a few
clinical studies have examined the influence of phytoestrogens on bone
health, a review of the current research states that the collective
data suggests that diets rich in phytoestrogens have bone-sparing
effects in the long term, in other words the data indicates that
phytoestrogens may be beneficial to bone health (Setchell and
Lydeking-Olsen, 2003).

Conversely, research focusing on the hormonal content of cow’s milk
has not been widely discussed and surprisingly very little research
has been published on this topic. Cow’s milk contains the hormones
oestrogen, progesterone and a range of hormone precursors
(androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate, and 5ª-reduced
steroids like 5ª-androstanedione, 5ª-pregnanedione, and
dihydrotestosterone). Some researchers are particularly concerned
about the oestrogen content of cow’s milk (Ganmaa and Sato, 2005),
suggesting that cow’s milk is one of the important routes of human
exposure to oestrogens. What concerns them is that the nature of cow’s
milk has changed drastically over the last hundred years, in that for
most of the time that a cow is milked, she is also pregnant and
therefore secreting hormones into the milk. The levels of these
hormones in cow’s milk increases markedly during pregnancy and has
been linked to a wide range of illnesses and diseases including
certain hormone-dependent cancers such as ovarian and breast cancer.

Consistent levels of soya isoflavones have been a component of the
diet of many populations for centuries and the consumption of soya is
generally regarded as beneficial for health with a potentially
protective effect against a number of chronic diseases because of
their oestrogenic activity. A recent review of the current literature
concluded that when viewed in its entirety, the current literature
supports the safety of isoflavones as typically consumed in diets
based on soya or containing soya products (Munro et al., 2003).
Soya-based infant formula
Because soya-based infant formula is such a popular alternative to
cow’s milk formula, it was decided to include a separate section on it
here. Soya protein-based nutrition during infancy has a long history
of safe use around the world dating back centuries. The first report
of soya-based infant formula in the West was recorded in 1909 (Ruhrah,
1909) and soya-based infant formula was used in cases of infantile
eczema as early as in the 1920s (Hill and Stuart, 1929). Since these
early days soya-based infant formula has come a long way; it now
contains all the nutrients needed by an infant and can be used as a
safe alternative or supplement to breast milk if necessary.

Soya-based infant formulas have been more widely used in the UK since
the 1960s and are currently fed to approximately one per cent of
non-breast fed infants aged four to 10 weeks rising to approximately
two per cent of infants aged 10-14 weeks (Hamlyn et al., 2002).
However, the UK Foods Standards Agency advises that you should only
give your baby soya-based infant formula if your GP or health visitor
advises you to (FSA, 2005). They also state that in almost all cases,
breast feeding or another type of formula will be a better choice, and
suggest that if you are giving your baby soya-based infant formula at
the moment, you should talk to your GP or health visitor about
changing to a different formula (FSA, 2005). This reflects concerns
about the use of soya-based infant formulas. Based largely on
anecdotal and animal-based experimental evidence, these concerns have
focused on the nutritional adequacy of soya-based infant formula, the
effect of phytoestrogens, genetically modified soya and the effects of
glucose syrup (which is used in place of lactose). These concerns are
addressed below.

Nutritional adequacy
Soya-based infant formulas are formulated to meet all of the nutrient
requirements of the growing infant. A number of studies have
documented normal growth and development in infants fed soya-based
infant formulas. One study compared weight, length and head
circumference of healthy term infants to one year of age, fed either
soya-based formula, or exclusively breast fed for at least two months
then weaned on to cow’s milk formula. Results demonstrated similar
growth in the first year of life between groups (Lasekan et al.,
1999). Another, more recent study compared the nutritional status and
growth of 168 infants who were allergic to cow’s milk and were fed
either soya-based infant formula or extensively hydrolysed whey
formula. Results showed that in both groups, nutrient intake and
growth were within reference values confirming the safety and
effectiveness of the soya-based formula (Seppo et al., 2005).

There is currently only one vegan infant soya formula on the market:
Farley’s Soya Formula, produced by Heinz. This dairy-free infant
formula is nutritionally complete and can be used from birth. It
contains no animal products, so it is suitable for both vegetarians
and vegans. It is also suitable for infants who require a diet free
from lactose.

Phytoestrogens
The role of phytoestrogens in the diet has become a somewhat
controversial area with warnings focusing particularly on the safety
of soya-based infant formulas. Various animal experiments (primarily
using rodents and primates) have suggested that phytoestrogens can
elicit oestrogenic effects with respect to sexual development and
reproductive function. However, it is widely acknowledged that the
results of animal experiments should not form the basis of a public
health policy as significant differences in biological function
between rodents, primates and humans make the interpretation of these
types of experimental studies extremely difficult. Just one single
human study has specifically examined the effect of soya formula
feeding on sexual development and fertility (Strom et al., 2001). This
study examined the association between exposure to soya formula in
infancy and reproductive health in adulthood. The results provided no
evidence of adverse clinical effects on sexual development or
reproductive health of males and females. Indeed the authors of this
study stated that their findings were reassuring about the safety of
infant soya formula.

In 1998 a review on isoflavones, soya-based infant formulas and
hormone function reported that growth was normal and no changes in
timing of puberty or in infertility rates were reported in humans who
consumed soya formulas as infants (Klein, 1998). The author concluded
that soya-based infant formulas continue to be a safe, nutritionally
complete feeding option for most infants.

However in 2003, in response to concerns about the oestrogenic
properties of phytoestrogens the UK Department of Health’s committee
of independent experts, the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in
Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) reviewed the health
aspects of phytoestrogens as part of an ongoing programme of reviews
on naturally-occurring chemicals (COT, 2003). This report attempted to
assess, on the basis of current evidence, if ingestion of soya-based
infant formulas poses any risk for human infants.

The report compared estimated dietary isoflavone intakes in Western
and Eastern populations and found that Eastern populations have a
significantly higher intake of phytoestrogens. While in the UK, the
US, Australia and New Zealand isoflavone intakes tend to range from
around 0.8 milligrams per day to 17.0 milligrams per day, intakes in
Japan, China and Korea range from 18.0 milligrams per day to 200
milligrams per day. These figures do not include data collected from
one group of vegans in New Zealand whose intake was found to be 140.0
milligrams per day (COT, 2003). The COT estimated that the daily
isoflavone intake of a soya formula fed infant is approximately 40
milligrams per day (COT, 2003), above the average Western intake but
well within the range of intakes seen in Eastern countries.

In a cautionary statement the COT warned that isoflavones may lower
free thyroxine concentrations and advised that physicians and other
health care workers be aware of possible interactions between
isoflavones in soya-based infant formulas and thyroid function,
particularly in infants with congenital hypothyroidism. That said, the
report concluded that the findings from a wide range of studies did
not provide direct evidence that phytoestrogens present in soya-based
infant formulas can adversely affect the health of infants. However,
they said that the findings did provide evidence of potential risks.
For this reason, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)
considered there to be no substantive medical need for, nor health
benefit arising from, the use of soya-based infant formulas and
together with the COT recommended that the Department of Health
reviewed current advice on the use of soya-based infant formulas.

The report did acknowledge that there is no evidence that populations
which habitually ingest high quantities of soya (such as the Chinese
or Japanese) have impaired fertility or altered sexual development.
Despite this, they recommended that research should be undertaken as a
matter of high priority to determine whether ingestion of soya-based
formulas can affect infant reproductive development in any way.
Interestingly, the United Kingdom and New Zealand are the only
countries to have issued such advice with specific reference to
phytoestrogens and soya-based infant formulas.

This is a controversial issue which has yet to be resolved. The FSA
advise that, until a full review of the evidence both supporting and
opposing soya formula has been completed, there is no reason to stop
your baby having a soya formula if it has been suggested by a health
professional. This it would seem is erring of the side of extreme
caution given that thousands of babies have been raised on soya-based
infant formula.
Genetically modified soya
It is relatively recently that the genetic modification (GM) of
organisms (plants and animals) has developed as a technology. However,
GM technology has not been welcomed by the British public; many people
are deeply suspicious and mistrustful of the science. We have been
reassured in the past that certain foods are quite safe to eat only to
find that they are not. Many of us will remember in 1990, just before
the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis, John Gummer feeding
his daughter a beef burger and saying that beef was perfectly safe, it
was not.

The mistrust remains and many questions have gone unanswered. For
example, have the transgenic plants grown so far met expectations?
Evidence suggests that in many cases they have not met the high yields
expected. What is the real risk of transgenic contamination between
genetically modified (GM) and unmodified plants? This question refers
to the contamination of an unmodified crop with pollen from a GM
plant. The pollen of the GM plant will carry copies of the foreign
genes that were used confer some additional characteristic to the
plant. These may encode pesticide resistance for example along with
antibiotic resistance marker genes that were used to identify the
successfully modified plants when they were first produced. The
question of contamination is difficult to answer as it may be years or
even decades before we can assess the full extent of transgenic
contamination, but so far evidence suggests widespread contamination
has occurred in some parts of the world.

Another concern is that the genetic material (DNA or genes) may be
transferred from GM foods to bacteria in the human gut and from there
into human tissue. There is experimental evidence that DNA from GM
soya has been taken up by bacteria in the small intestines of human
volunteers (Netherwood et al., 2004). This raises concerns that
bacteria in the gut (for example Lactobacillus) might then transfer
that DNA into our intestinal epithelial cells. What effect this may
have on human health will largely depend on what the gene does; it may
do nothing but is that a risk worth taking? Finally, as a result of a
lack of funding, scientists are sometimes forced to adopt the
corporate agenda, which is not necessarily the same as the public
good. For example, Monsanto has used genetic engineering to produce
herbicide resistance crops thus increasing sales of its herbicide
Roundup.

GM products, especially soya and maize, are now in so many foods,
including baby milks, that it can be difficult to avoid them. We do
not yet know enough about this technology to confidently say what the
long term effects of it will be but consumers appear to be voting with
their shopping baskets by avoiding GM foods as far as possible. The
good news for vegan babies is that Heinz state that no GM ingredients
at all are used in Farley’s Soya Formula (Heinz, 2005). In addition,
SMA Nutrition and Cow and Gate also state that no GM soya is used in
their soya-based infant formulas (SMA Nutrition, 2006; Cow and Gate,
2006).

Glucose syrup and tooth decay
Another concern with infant soya formula is that the glucose syrup
content may harm teeth. All infant formulas must comply with standards
laid down by UK regulations which specify minimum and maximum amounts
of carbohydrate (the body’s main form of energy). The carbohydrate in
cow’s milk is the sugar lactose, in soya-based infant formula an
alternative carbohydrate is used: glucose syrup. Glucose syrup is
often confused with sugars but in fact is derived from corn starch and
is not the same as glucose or syrup. It is mainly made up of
beneficial complex carbohydrates (starches) rather than simple
carbohydrates (sugars) which are known to be harmful to teeth.
Research has shown that soya infant formulas are no more likely to
cause tooth decay than other infant formulas (Moynihan, 1996).

Tooth decay can be the result of many factors, not only the presence
of sugars in a food and drink but how they are consumed. It has been
shown that prolonged contact of sugary foods and drinks with teeth
increases the risk of tooth decay significantly. Children should be
encouraged to drink water if they are thirsty as it quenches the
thirst, maintains body fluid levels, does not spoil the appetite and
is safe for teeth. Fresh fruit juice provides a good source of vitamin
C and can be given with meals to help the absorption of iron. However,
fresh fruit juices are acidic so may be harmful to teeth and should be
diluted with water. Furthermore, juice should be served in a cup
rather than a bottle to minimise the risk of tooth decay. Children
should be discouraged from consuming sugary carbonated drinks and
squashes as these contribute to dental problems, are a poor source of
nutrients and tend to displace other more nutritious foods. If normal
weaning practices are adopted, soya infant formulas should not cause
harm to teeth (Moynihan, 1996).

In summary, soya-based infant formulas continue to provide a safe
feeding option for most infants. They meet all the nutritional
requirements of the infant with none of the detrimental effects
associated with the consumption of cow’s milk formulas.

"VolksVegan" spewed <snip>

Be gone spammer

On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 02:26:04 -0800, Dutch wrote:

> "VolksVegan" spewed <snip>
>
> Be gone spammer

Well, having KF'd the moron I wouldn't have seen anything had you not fed
the troll.

On Dec 7, 5:55*pm, Derek Turner > wrote:
> On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 02:26:04 -0800, Dutch wrote:
> > "VolksVegan" spewed <snip>
>
> > Be gone spammer
>
> Well, having KF'd the moron I wouldn't have seen anything had you not fed
> the troll.

I have to admit not reading all that stuff, actually, none of it
really;

that said, there's an interesting article within a very recent New
Scientist edition. It's just a very small snippet about how lack of
biodiversity and increased illnesses have been link. Not a conclusive
report, but it seems that weeds are probably the harbingers of disease
because they have evolved to grow to reproductive maturity in a very
short time.. at the cost of investing in greater immunity.
Mind you, I thought they might be included in biodiversity; Darn it, I
all confused now.