Health Impacts of Dairy
Significant efforts have been made by the dairy industry to create educational campaigns about the benefits of consuming dairy produce and to encourage daily consumption of dairy with various proposed health benefits1. The Australian Dietary Guidelines2 recommend Australians consume 2-3 serves of dairy products each day for a balanced and healthy diet. However, research has found correlations between dairy consumption and various forms of ill health.
In one of the largest observational studies to be conducted, the Harvard Nurses Study, those who consumed the most dairy also had the most number of bone fractures3. This is further supported by studies which show that countries that have the highest rates of dairy consumption have the highest rates of osteoporosis and hip fractures1,4.
A study by Abelow, Holford and Insogna5 studied fracture rates among females in 16 countries and found an association between bone fracture rates and increased animal protein intake. Sellmeyer et al.6 found a higher animal protein to vegetable protein ration had an increased risk of hip fracture as well as more rapid deterioration of the femoral neck bone.
Barnard7 observed that nearly all studies that found a positive association between milk consumption and bone strength also used calcium supplements. Therefore these studies did not find a calcium loss, but rather bone integrity because of their participant’s reliance on calcium supplements rather than dairy-sourced calcium7. Lanou1 suggests that calcium is absorbed more highly from beans (40-64%) than milk (32%).
Also, individuals who consume three serves of dairy per day have a twofold increased risk of serous carcinoma, the most common type of ovarian cancer8. Larsson, Bergkvist and Wolk9 found that females who consumed one glass of milk each day doubled their risk of serous ovarian cancer compared to those who seldom or never drank milk.
Consuming dairy at the recommended level has also been suggested to increase the risk of other health problems such as prostate cancer1. Chan et al.10 examined the association between dairy-based calcium intake and prostate cancer risk. Results revealed that participants who had higher calcium intake from dairy had a greater risk of prostate cancer. Further, countries with higher dairy intake have higher incidence of prostate cancer10.
Parkinson’s disease has also been found to be strongly associated with dairy consumption, particularly for men11. A study by Chen, Zhang, Hernan, Willett, and Ascherio12 found that males who consumed large amounts of dairy had a 50-80% increased risk of developing Parkinson disease compared to men who rarely or never drank cow’s milk.
In a review of 30 studies analysing the link between type 1 diabetes and cow milk consumption, 26 of these studies found a significant link13. The relative risk of developing type 1 diabetes for genetically susceptible infants introduced to cow milk formula is RR= 13.1. As Hammond-McKibben and Dosch13 point out, this is one of the largest effects documented in epidemiological research, much larger than well-known risks such as the effect of smoking on heart disease (RR= 2) and larger even than the tenfold risk (RR=10) for smokers of developing lung cancer.
Australian Food Standards14 recognise that the following bacteria may not be killed by pasteurisation; Bacillus Cereus (this bacteria can be life threatening and is the main paralytic used in Botox), and Clostridium Perfringens. The former may come from the faeces found in milk. Faeces enter milk through various avenues. The two most likely are through faecal soiling of the udder, or by fallen milking suction cups that may detach from udders (sometimes kicked off by the cow during milking) and suck significant amounts of faeces from the ground into the milk.
While dairy is a source of calcium, calcium is also found in plant sources with the added benefits of fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals1 and without the negative health effects of dairy products. Given these healthier alternatives, and the mounting evidence of its association with chronic disease, dairy should no longer be recommended as part of a healthy diet.
The question that remains is why would dairy be so unhealthy for us?
Cows produce milk for their young, the same way all mammals do. We are the only species to breast feed from another species and we are the only species to continue breast feeding as adults. Dairy is simply not natural.
Additional reading: “Cornell-Oxford-China Study – The China Report” – 2005 – Professor T. Colin Campbell, “White Lies” – 2006 – Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation, “The Devil In Milk” – 2007 – Professor Keith Woodford, Nurses Health Study – Harvard University, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000 – University of California., Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine., nutrionfacts.org.
In one of the largest observational studies to be conducted, the Harvard Nurses Study, those who consumed the most dairy also had the most number of bone fractures3. This is further supported by studies which show that countries that have the highest rates of dairy consumption have the highest rates of osteoporosis and hip fractures1,4.
A study by Abelow, Holford and Insogna5 studied fracture rates among females in 16 countries and found an association between bone fracture rates and increased animal protein intake. Sellmeyer et al.6 found a higher animal protein to vegetable protein ration had an increased risk of hip fracture as well as more rapid deterioration of the femoral neck bone.
Barnard7 observed that nearly all studies that found a positive association between milk consumption and bone strength also used calcium supplements. Therefore these studies did not find a calcium loss, but rather bone integrity because of their participant’s reliance on calcium supplements rather than dairy-sourced calcium7. Lanou1 suggests that calcium is absorbed more highly from beans (40-64%) than milk (32%).
Also, individuals who consume three serves of dairy per day have a twofold increased risk of serous carcinoma, the most common type of ovarian cancer8. Larsson, Bergkvist and Wolk9 found that females who consumed one glass of milk each day doubled their risk of serous ovarian cancer compared to those who seldom or never drank milk.
Consuming dairy at the recommended level has also been suggested to increase the risk of other health problems such as prostate cancer1. Chan et al.10 examined the association between dairy-based calcium intake and prostate cancer risk. Results revealed that participants who had higher calcium intake from dairy had a greater risk of prostate cancer. Further, countries with higher dairy intake have higher incidence of prostate cancer10.
Parkinson’s disease has also been found to be strongly associated with dairy consumption, particularly for men11. A study by Chen, Zhang, Hernan, Willett, and Ascherio12 found that males who consumed large amounts of dairy had a 50-80% increased risk of developing Parkinson disease compared to men who rarely or never drank cow’s milk.
In a review of 30 studies analysing the link between type 1 diabetes and cow milk consumption, 26 of these studies found a significant link13. The relative risk of developing type 1 diabetes for genetically susceptible infants introduced to cow milk formula is RR= 13.1. As Hammond-McKibben and Dosch13 point out, this is one of the largest effects documented in epidemiological research, much larger than well-known risks such as the effect of smoking on heart disease (RR= 2) and larger even than the tenfold risk (RR=10) for smokers of developing lung cancer.
Australian Food Standards14 recognise that the following bacteria may not be killed by pasteurisation; Bacillus Cereus (this bacteria can be life threatening and is the main paralytic used in Botox), and Clostridium Perfringens. The former may come from the faeces found in milk. Faeces enter milk through various avenues. The two most likely are through faecal soiling of the udder, or by fallen milking suction cups that may detach from udders (sometimes kicked off by the cow during milking) and suck significant amounts of faeces from the ground into the milk.
While dairy is a source of calcium, calcium is also found in plant sources with the added benefits of fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals1 and without the negative health effects of dairy products. Given these healthier alternatives, and the mounting evidence of its association with chronic disease, dairy should no longer be recommended as part of a healthy diet.
The question that remains is why would dairy be so unhealthy for us?
Cows produce milk for their young, the same way all mammals do. We are the only species to breast feed from another species and we are the only species to continue breast feeding as adults. Dairy is simply not natural.
Additional reading: “Cornell-Oxford-China Study – The China Report” – 2005 – Professor T. Colin Campbell, “White Lies” – 2006 – Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation, “The Devil In Milk” – 2007 – Professor Keith Woodford, Nurses Health Study – Harvard University, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000 – University of California., Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine., nutrionfacts.org.