Should You Drink Milk and Eat Dairy Products?

In this month's issue of the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition is a debate on whether milk causes cancer, heart attacks
and a shortened life span (March 25, 2009). Dr. Amy Lanou of the
University of North Carolina in Asheville, NC, writes that you don't
need milk to be healthy. There is little evidence that the calcium
in milk prevents osteoporosis. Osteoporotic bone fracture rates are
highest in countries that consume the most dairy products, and
most studies of fracture risk provide no evidence that dairy
products benefit bone. But Dr. Connie Weaver of Purdue
University claims that studies show that dairy products are
associated with reduced risk of stroke, metabolic syndrome, and
some cancers. She does admit that dairy products can elevate
blood levels of insulin-like growth factor (a cancer promoter),
and that the high calcium content of milk can reduce blood levels
of active 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D (a cancer preventer).

The issue is far from settled. Extensive theoretical
evidence shows that whole milk dairy products are full of
saturated fat and cholesterol that may increase risk for heart
attacks. We do not know if dairy products really increase cancer
risk.

Professor Ajit Varki, of U Cal/San Diego, proposes a
theory to explain why eating meat, which contains Neu5Gc,
increases risk for cancers, heart attacks and arthritis. If his
theory is correct, dairy products should also be linked to these
diseases because milk also contains Neu5Gc, although in much smaller
amounts (meat has seven times more Neu5Gc than dairy products).
More on this at http://www.drmirkin.com/public/ezine110908.html
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