From: abulsari@abo.fi (Abhay Bulsari VT)
Subject: Ten reasons to avoid dairy products
Organization: Abo Akademi University
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 06:42:21 GMT

This is also from Michael Traub.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH DAIRY PRODUCTS?

Here are ten reasons why it is a good idea to eliminate dairy products
from one's menu.

* One: Fat and Cholesterol
     Dairy  products  contribute  cholesterol and  fat  to one's diet.
Cheese  and ice  cream  are loaded with  fat and cholesterol.1 Studies
comparing  the  cardiovascular  status  of  ovo-lacto-vegetarians  and
vegans  have  proven  that while  both are healthier than meat-eaters,
vegans have better cardiovascular status than vegetarians who  consume
dairy products.2,3 Skim dairy products are  considerably lower in fat;
however, they retain the problems noted below.

* Two: Iron Deficiency
     Iron deficiency is  more likely on a dairy-rich diet.  Cows' milk
products are very low in  iron,1  thus, if they become a major part of
one's diet,  iron  deficiency is  more likely.  In  addition, clinical
studies have  shown  that infants  consuming  cows'  milk  lose  small
amounts of blood from their digestive tracts.

* Three: Diabetes
     Insulin-dependent diabetes (Type  I or childhood-onset) is linked
to dairy products. Epidemiological studies of various countries show a
strong correlation between the use of dairy products and the incidence
of  insulin-  dependent  diabetes.4 This  is  only an association, but
researchers  have  long  suspected that an autoimmune reaction is  the
cause of this disease. Some speculate that dairy protein may spark the
reaction.

* Four: Ovarian Cancer
     Ovarian  cancer is  linked  to dairy  products.  The  milk  sugar
lactose  is broken down in the body into another  sugar, galactose. In
turn,  galactose is  broken down  further by  enzymes. According  to a
study  by Dr. Daniel Cramer and his colleagues at Harvard,5 when dairy
product  consumption exceeds  the  enzymes'  capacity  to  break  down
galactose,  there is a  build-up of galactose in  the blood, which may
affect a  woman's ovaries. Some women have particularly  low levels of
these enzymes, and  when  they consume  dairy products  on  a  regular
basis, their risk of ovarian cancer can be triple that of other women.
The problem is the  milk  sugar, not the  milk fat, thus non-fat dairy
products  cannot solve this problem.  In  fact,  yoghurt  and  cottage
cheese seem to be of most concern because the bacteria  used  in their
manufacture increase the production of galactose from lactose.

* Five: Cataracts
     Cataracts are also linked to dairy products.6 The galactose  that
is a breakdown product of lactose  also  appears to damage the lens of
the  eye, leading to cataracts. There  are  other  factors which  also
contribute to cataracts, such as ultraviolet light.

* Six: Lactose Intolerance
     Many people,  particularly  Asians  and Africans, are  unable  to
digest the  milk  sugar, lactose. Diarrhea and gas can result. On  the
other hand, they may be the lucky  ones. Many Caucasians can  tolerate
lactose, only  to be unable to rapidly breakdown  the  galactose which
circulates  in their  blood, possibly contributing  to  cataracts  and
ovarian cancer, as  noted above.  Lactose intolerance  may be nature's
early warning system.

* Seven: Food Allergies
     Milk is  one  of  the most  common  food  allergies.  Respiratory
problems,  canker   sores,  skin  conditions,  and  other  subtle  and
not-so-subtle allergies can be caused by dairy products. The sad thing
is  that many people never  know  that they have a dairy  sensitivity;
they think that their problems are "normal." If they give themselves a
break from  dairy products,  they might get a very pleasant  surprise.
Asthmatics, in particular, should give themselves a long vacation from
dairy products to see whether their condition improves.

* Eight: Toxins
     Like  other  products from  animals,  breast  secretions  contain
frequent contaminants, from pesticides to drugs.  About a third of all
milk products  are  contaminated  with antibiotic  traces.  The  dairy
industry  slogan "something  for  every  body"  takes on  a  different
meaning doesn't it?

* Nine: Osteoporosis
     Dairy products, despite common  myths, do not stop  osteoporosis.
Evidence shows  that  the rate  of bone loss  is largely unaffected by
dairy products.7 Numerous studies have  shown that the countries  with
the highest intake  of dairy products also have the  highest incidence
of osteoporosis, and that  consuming  large amounts of  diary products
simply will not maintain bone density.

* Ten: Colic
     One  out of every five babies suffers from  colic.  Pediatricians
learned long ago that cows' milk  was often  the reason.  We  now know
that breast- feeding  mothers can have colicky  babies  if the mothers
are consuming cow's milk.  The cows'  antibodies  can pass through the
mother's blood stream into her breast milk and to the baby.8

* References:

1. Pennington JAT, Church HN. Food values of portions commonly used. New
York: Harper and Row, 1985.
2. Sacks FM, Ornish D, Rosner B, et al. Plasma lipoprotein levels in
vegetarians: the effect of ingestion of fats from dairy products. JAMA
1985;254(10):1337-41.

3. Kestin M, Rouse IL, Correll RA, Nestel PJ. Cardiovascular disease risk
factors in free-living men: comparison of two prudent diets, one based on
lactoovovegetarianism and the other allowing lean meat. Am J Clin Nutr
1989;50:280-87.
4. Scott FW. Cow milk and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: is there a
relationship? Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:489-91.
5. Cramer DW, et al. Galactose consumption and metabolism in relation to
the risk of ovarian cancer. Lancet 1989;2:66-71.
6. Simoons FJ. A geographic approach to senile cataracts: possible links
with milk consumption, lactase activity, and galactose metabolism.
Digestive Disease and Sciences 1982;27:257-64.
7. Kolata G. How important is dietary calcium in preventing osteoporosis?
Science 1986;233:519-20.
8. Clyne PS, Kulczycki A. Human breast milk contains bovine IgG.
Relationship to infant colic? PEDIATRICS 1991;87(4):439-444.

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
P.O. Box 6322
Washington, DC 20015
(202) 686-2210

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