From: young@serum.kodak.com (Rich Young)
Subject: Re: PCRM and milk (revisited)
Originator: young@sasquatch
Reply-To: young@serum.kodak.com
Organization: Clinical Diagnostics Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 15:16:36 GMT

In article <By3vJ0.JH9@wpg.com> russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence) writes:

>From article <1992Nov20.155324.27337@pixel.kodak.com>, by young@serum.kodak.com (Rich Young):
>> The following is from THE TUFTS DIET AND NUTRITION LETTER: Vol. 10,
>> No. 10, December 1992, and is quoted without permission.  Note followup.
>> 
>> ...  For parents who remain nervous about serving milk, it's
>> worth keeping in mind that heeding the [PCRM's] dietary advice is
>> likely to do more harm than good; milk is one of the best sources
>> of calcium -- the bone building material many children, even many
>> milk drinkers, don't get enough of to begin with.
>> 
>> The [PCRM] says children can obtain all the calcium they need by
>> eating calcium-containing vegetables such as kale and broccoli.
>> But a child would have to eat four to six cups of such vegetables
>> daily to take in teh amount of calcium available in just two cups
>> of milk...
>
>Dean Ornish sheds some light on this topic in his book, _Reversing 
>Heart Disease_ :
>
>====================================================================
>"Question:  Will I get enough calcium on the [vegetarian] Reversal 
> Diet?
>
>"In brief, yes, you will get enough calcium on the Reversal Diet, 
>and a calcium supplement is unnecessary.  

[...quotes referring to calcium needs in ADULTS deleted...]

"Claim:  Other foods such as kale, broccoli or fish provide more calcium.

Fact: Vegetables like kale and broccoli contain calcium although they do not
contain the same available calcium as milk.  About 70% of dietary calcium comes
from dairy products.  Most calcium in vegetables is chemically bound to other
compounds and is less available for absorption.  Calcium from fish is generally
not eaten, as it is mostly in the fish bone.  Most calcium in milk is readily
absorbed.  It is important that growing children as well as women up through
the age of 25 to 30 consume sufficient calcium in an available form to decrease
the risk of bone abnormalities, ensure normal fetal development and decrease
risk of osteoporosis.  Children often refuse to eat broccoli, kale and fish
bones in sufficient quantities to match the high calcium density of milk."

>====================================================================
>"Milk rates second only to beef as the largest source of saturated
>fat in the American diet.  "Whole milk" is sometimes called '3.5
>percent fat', which doesn't sound too bad -- until you realize that
>it's 3.5 percent of the total weight, and most of the weight is
>water.  Almost 50 percent of the calories of whole milk are from
>fat."   p 261
>====================================================================

"Claim:  Milk has too much fat.

Fact:  Whole milk is 3.5% fat.  Skim milk contains very little fat.
Pediatricians recommend 2% milk for children because milk fat contains
essential nutrients needed for normal growth and development.  When fat in milk
is of concern, skim or part skim milk may be consumed so that other important
nutrients remain in the diet."

>References:
>
>Ornish, Dean.  _Reversing Heart Disease_.  Random House (Ballantine
>Books): NY, 1990.

Quoted statements written by:
  Dr. Ken Lee, Professor and Chair, and Dr. John Allred, Professor of Nutrition
  Food Science and Technology, Ohio State University.

Reviewed for accuracy by:
  Dr. Karla Roehrig, Associate Professor of Nutrition, and Dr. Grady Chism,
  Professor of Food Science and Technology, Ohio State University.


-Rich Young (These are not Kodak's opinions.)