From: root@cs.anu.edu.au (Operator)
Subject: Re: Interested in Calcium ?
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Australian National University
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 02:17:34 GMT

young@serum.kodak.com writes:
>In article <drew.716531872@cs.anu.edu.au> drew@cs.anu.edu.au (Drew Corrigan) writes:
>
>>[...]  ...the studies linking milk consumption to ovarian cancer, cataracts
>>and juvenile diabetes.
>
>	Do these studies implicate milk (I'm assuming non-human) specifically,
>	or simply as a part of a non-vegan diet?

My comments were based on a PCRM article ("Dairy") which included the 
following references.

  Scott FW. Cow milk and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: is there a
  relationship? Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:489-91.

  Cramer DW, et al. Galactose consumption and metabolism in relation to
  the risk of ovarian cancer. Lancet 1989;2:66-71.

  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.

Sorry, I have not read these studies. The point I was trying to get across
in my posting was along these lines. First we had a posting presenting 
certain information about calcium and osteoporosis and dispelling certain 
myths surrounding this subject (that you need heaps of calcium and milk is 
a good way to get it). Next we had your (re)posting dealing with the 
calcium/protein ratios of milk and dairy products. The way that you offered
your (re)posting gave me the impression that you were implying that there 
are no shortcomings with dairy products as a source of calcium. (I apologise 
if I misread the intent of your posting.)

The primary point of my posting was to point out that there are significant
shortcomings in consuming dairy products - shortcomings that ought to give 
one pause for reconsideration as to whether or not these things should be
consumed at all.

Personally, I am dismayed and alarmed at the way the various producers of
dairy products have aggressively marketed their products to the obvious
detriment of the health of many (not to mention ecological issues). In
Australia, while I was growing up and in school, free milk was supplied
by the government to every school child until about 1974. For most of my 
primary school years I, along with my peers, was given a 250-300ml carton 
of milk each day. I do not know how much was known about milk back then, 
but given my cows milk intolerance I should not have been receiving it.

What bugs me is that one can flip through different popular magazines and
see warnings about the need to "get enough calcium" in one's diet to avoid
osteoporosis. Suggested ways are milk and cheese, or calcium supplements.
Similarly one can see advertisements for laxatives, vitamin C and everything
else you care to name. None of these companies really care about the end
consumer in the slightest, because if they did they would be telling people
not to buy their products but instead adopt a healthy diet centred around
vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes.

Drew.
---
"It is impossible to be intelligent and smoke at the same time."
   - Dr John Tickell, leading Australian speaker of health and nutrition.
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg