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 New Study Shatters Milk Myth
For Strong Bones, Kids Need Exercise,Sunshine And A Dairy-Free Diet
Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine  3-8-5
 http://www.pcrm.org/cgi-bin/lists/mail.cgi?flavor=

WASHINGTON -- In a new scientific review scheduled to appear in the March
issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Pediatrics, Cornell-trained
nutritionist Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D., and co-authors show that dairy products
do not promote bone health in children and young adults. Physical activity
does have a positive impact on bone health, while evidence linking bone
health with dairy product consumption is weak, at best.

"Under scientific scrutiny, the support for the milk myth crumbles. This
analysis of 58 published studies shows that the evidence on which U.S.
dairy intake recommendations are based is scant," says Dr. Lanou, lead
author of the study. "A clear majority of the studies we examined for this
review found no relationship between dairy or dietary calcium intake and
measures of bone health. In the remaining reports, the evidence was
sketchy. In some, the effects on bone health were small, and in others, the
results were confounded by vitamin D intake from milk fortified with
vitamin D. To build strong bones and healthy bodies, children need
exercise, sunshine, and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that helps
them maintain a healthy body weight."

The level of dairy product consumption in the United States is among the
highest in the world, and yet osteoporosis and fracture rates are also
among the highest. This "calcium paradox" was an impetus for the current
investigation. "We found no evidence to support the notion that milk is a
preferred source of calcium," the authors conclude. Dr. Lanou is nutrition
director for the non-profit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
(PCRM), and her co-authors are Susan E. Berkow, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Neal D.
Barnard, M.D.

- Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a
nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially
good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical research studies, opposes
unethical human experimentation, and promotes alternatives to animal
research.

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