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Busting the Dairy Myth ? The Truth About our Health and DairyMillions of people around the UK consume dairy products on a daily basis. Our huge

consumption of dairy is due not only to the convenience it brings to cooking and the habit of

cooking with and eating dairy for the majority of our lives but more alarmingly because of the

mantra that we are fed by government and the dairy industry that it is beneficial to our health

that somehow you need dairy to ensure you consume enough calcium to maintain strong and

healthy bones.

The stories we are told about why we should consume dairy are based almost entirely upon

half-truths and are driven, not for the benefit of the nation's health, but to ensure the

continued profits of the dairy industry.

The Myths Surrounding Why We Should Drink Milk

We Need the Calcium Provided by Dairy for Strong Bones

Dairy UK advocates the promotion of three portions of dairy products per day. They claim

that research results show that dairy is 'even more favourable (in terms of blood pressure,

cholesterol, weight control, certain cancers, bones and teeth) than fruit and vegetables'.

This has been the golden ticket of the dairy industry for many, many years ? regardless of

the fact that it simply is not true. Literally hundreds of highly respected research studies

conducted over many years and with a huge cross section of participants have shown that

increased dairy intake does not correlate with improved bone strength (Cumming and

Klineberg, 1994; Huang and Himes, 1996; Cummings, Nevitt and Browner et al, 1995;

Nordin, 1997). In several studies, dairy calcium has been shown to actually increase the risk

of osteoporosis and decrease the strength of bones!

How the dairy industry is still allowed to promote their products on the basis of the benefits of

dairy calcium is beyond comprehension. Research has proven beyond doubt that bone

strength is not related to calcium intake.

Bone strength is increased through exercise (Lloyd, Petit et al, 2004), increased intake of

vegetables and fruit (Tucker, Hannan et al, 1999) and a reduction of animal protein and

sodium (Finn, 1998).

3 Servings of Dairy Helps Weight Loss

'Dairy Management Inc. (responsible for the 3-a-day campaign) is the non-profit domestic

and international planning and management organization responsible for increasing demand

for U.S.-produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy farmers.' ? So clearly our

welfare is more important than sales and profits then?.

The UK and US dairy industries are allocating more and more of their marketing spend to the

message that three servings of dairy can actually help people to lose weight.

This campaign has clear commercial, rather than health goals as the dairy industry looks to

ensure that dieters are given a reason to continue consuming dairy. In the US, the $180-

million milk-moustache ad campaign during early 2005 was spearheaded by celebrities such

as Dr. Phil, giving consumers very little information, but sending the message that it is ok to

consume dairy on a regular basis. This campaign has been met with mixed reviews in health

circles, but the bottom line is that it has boosted sales of milk in the US through the

publicising of just one research study, funded by the dairy industry and with very

questionable data. Is this legal?

The basis of their argument is that dairy contains calcium (stronger bones argument again),

plus potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins D, A and B12, riboflavin and niacin. However,

nowhere on throughout the 3-a-day literature are quantities of these nutrients or daily

requirements discussed ? nor the fact that you can get each of these nutrients in abundance

from fruit and vegetables without having to consume the cholesterol, calories, saturated fats

and sugars contained in dairy produce.

There is simply no way that dairy can help support weight loss. Even skimmed milk is over

50% sugar (as a percentage of calories) and of the thousands of research studies conducted

on dairy and its role in health, only one researcher claims that milk aids in weight loss. And

his research is funded by the dairy industry.

The Facts about Dairy

The increase in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma that has occurred in the

Western world over the past century directly correlates with the increase in dairy

consumption.

In fact, a Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, Colin Campbell, has

undertaken the largest study of diet and disease in medical history. His findings are

incredible - high animal calcium and animal protein intake is the primary cause of

degenerative disease.

Granted, dairy may contain certain useful nutrients in varying proportions. However, similarly

to how we often hear that coffee, red wine and dark chocolate are 'good for us', it doesn't

mean we should ignore the negatives or start on a diet of red wine and chocolate for

breakfast, lunch and dinner. As with all life choices, we have to weigh up the pro's and the

cons ? and with dairy, the cons far outweigh the pros .

Twelve pounds of milk are required to manufacture one pint of Ben's very rich ice cream.

Reasons to Kick the Dairy Habit:

1. Trans Fats, Sugar, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Chemicals, Calories

Dairy products are riddled with dangerously high levels of bad, saturated fats, cholesterol and

sugars which all contribute significantly to degenerative disease. For example, butter is 100%

fat, Cheddar cheese 74% fat, whole milk 49% fat and even '2% milk' is 35% fat .

High fat diets are, without doubt, strongly linked to the alarming obesity levels in the US and

UK, with research showing that 59% of American men and 49% of American women now

being overweight. In relation to dairy, this may have something to do with the fact that the

average American consumes approximately 600 pounds of dairy products every year ? that

is five times more dairy than fruit!

2. Cancer

Dairy products are directly related to an increased risk of prostate cancer , ovarian cancer ,

prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and testicular cancer

The American Cancer Society states that "about one-third of the 500,000 cancer deaths that

occur in the United States each year is due to dietary factors?Although the committee

recognizes that no diet can guarantee full protection against any disease, we believe that our

recommendations offer the best nutrition information currently available to help Americans

reduce their risk of cancer."

Furthermore, their two highest recommendations are: "1. Choose most of the foods you eat

from plant sources"; and "2. Limit your intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal

sources."

3. Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

CVD is the number one cause of death in the UK and the US with research suggesting that

over 3,000 Americans suffer a heart attack every day ? and over the past 40 years, research

from highly respected journals such as, the International Journal of Cardiology , European

Journal of Epidemiology and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have all found a direct

correlation between regular dairy consumption and a massive increase in CVD.

This increased risk of CVD is not just a result of the cholesterol and fat contained in dairy

produce , but also the animal protein, milk carbohydrates and milk sugar lactose which play

havoc with our bodies health.

4. Osteoporosis

For many years milk has been marketed for its supposed ability to prevent osteoporosis ?

however, research has shown this to be untrue . According to the 12-year Harvard Nurses'

Health Study, milk intake had absolutely benefit with regards to bone fracture risk and that

increased dairy calcium could actually have the reverse effect and lead to a decrease in bone

strength!

Studies into the factors that effect bone strength in young adults have highlighted that

exercise is actually the predominant determinant of bone strength. Another research

exploration which examined over 58 studies into nutrition and bone health found very little

evidence to suggest that increasing milk or other dairy intake improved the bone strength of

young adults .

5. Diabetes

Medical science has proven, beyond doubt that there is a direct relationship between

frequent dairy consumption and an increased risk of diabetes. For instance, a cross-cultural

study conducted with children from 40 different countries identified that the higher the

consumption of dairy and other animal products, the more likely the child was of developing

diabetes. The study also found that those children who had a largely vegetarian diet has a

highly decreased risk .

Diabetes UK claim that 'over 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight at

diagnosis. The more overweight you are, the greater your risk of diabetes.' They also add

that those with cardiovascular illness and those with high blood pressure are also highly at

risk of diabetes. As it is clear that a diet high in dairy dramatically increases the likelihood of

being overweight and of suffering from cardiovascular problems, the chances of suffering

from diabetes are also increased.

Life After Dairy

Transitioning to a dairy-free diet or reducing the amount of dairy you consume is not as

difficult as you would think ? and the benefits are well worth the sacrifices. However, many

people retain dairy in their diet due to the belief that you need dairy to ensure you give your

body certain nutrients. This is certainly not true as a diet that is rich in leafy, green vegetables

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and fruits offers you far more nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants:

Sources of Calcium: Green vegetables, such as kale and broccoli, and almonds are far

better than milk as calcium sources.

Iron: Milk is actually very low in iron and also causes blood loss from the intestinal tract,

which even depletes the iron stores from the body. Dried beans and dark leafy green

vegetables are excellent sources of iron, and are even reported to be a more efficient

source of iron on a per calorie basis than meat or any other animal produce.

Protein: It is a common misconception that vegetarians or those who do not consume dairy

regularly are somehow going to be deficient in protein. This could not be further from the

truth. Although animal products often contain more protein than certain vegetables, the

important fact to note is actually how much protein the body needs on a daily basis. The

RDA of protein is only 47g for women and 54g for men. This is easily consumed on a varied

dairy-free diet ? in fact, over consumption of protein can have a very negative impact upon

the body inlcuding reduced kidney function and potentially the onset of osteoperosis.

Non dairy sources of protein include cereals and grains; leafy green vegetables; Legumes -

beans, lentils, peas, peanuts; Nuts; Spirulina; Seeds; Soy products; Sprouts; Wheatgrass

and other grasses/ green powders;

Wheatgrass juice is actually a complete protein and contains, amongst others, the following

amino acids: arginine, serine, absenisic, lysine, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, methionine,

leucine, tryptophane, phenylalanine, valine and valine.

There is actually no health related reason why one should consume dairy on a regular basis.

For the nutrients that it does contain, the sacrifices and damage it causes to the body far

outweighs any potential benefit.Energise for Life aims to bring you all of the information you need to make the most informeddecisions about your diet and lifestyle - as well as all of the benefits you would associate withthe ideal online shopping experience: exceptional choice, effortless ordering, speedy deliveryand excellent customer service.