Dairy Products by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Dairy products are normally defined as foodstuffs produced from milk. Milk used for processing dairy products generally comes from cows, but at times from other mammals such as goats, sheep, or water buffalo.

Dairy and prostate cancer
Dr. Giovannucci is a professor in the departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He was recently awarded the 2005 DeWitt-Goodman Award for excellence in cancer research from the American Association for Cancer Research. At the symposium, Dr. Giovannucci spoke about evidence linking dairy products with risk for aggressive prostate cancer. Dr. Giovannucci’s research in the Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which followed more than 47,000 men for 16 years, found a twofold increased risk for high-grade prostate cancer in men with high calcium intake, mainly from dairy products, compared with those with low calcium intake. Some researchers believed the high-fat dairy products were to blame for this increased risk, but new evidence shows that low-fat dairy products might increase the risk for prostate cancer even more than high-fat products.

Dairy and weight loss
Adults who favor full-fat dairy gain less weight over time. Swedish researchers found that among more than 19,000 middle-aged women, those who had at least one serving of whole milk or cheese each day put on less weight over the next 9 years than women who consumed these foods less often. The potential role of dairy foods in weight control won much attention after some recent studies suggested that milk, yogurt and other dairy foods might help regulate body fat. However, the picture is far from clear, as other research has failed to find that dairy products benefit the waistline. The new findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, are unlikely to clear up the confusion. For one thing, only whole milk, and not low-fat milk, seemed to offer protection against weight gain. For another, the benefit was seen only among women who were normal-weight at the start of the study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2006.

Dairy product weight loss advertisement
U.S. dairy producers will have to stop promoting the idea that drinking more milk spurs weight loss, the Federal Trade Commission told a physician's advocacy group in May 2007. Calling it a "victory for consumers," the Physicians for Responsible Medicine said two national dairy advertising campaigns overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will stop claiming that dairy products cause weight loss because "such claims are not supported by existing scientific research." Greg Miller, senior vice president for the National Dairy Council, said the industry stands "behind our weight loss messages and the science supporting those messages.""Milk and cheese are more likely to pack on pounds than help people slim down," said Dan Kinburn, Physicians for Responsible Medicine general counsel. "This case calls into question other advertising claims made by the industry, especially the notion that milk builds strong bones. Evidence shows it does nothing of the kind."

Farm milk versus pasteurized milk
Drinking farm milk appears to reduce the risk of asthma and allergy. Children drinking unpasteurized farm milk and eating other farm-related dairy products show the same level of protection against asthma and allergies, regardless of whether they are living on a farm or not. The benefits are greatest when consumption of farm milk begins during the first year of life. However, consumption of raw or unboiled milk is not recommended since raw milk may contain (disease-causing microbes) such as salmonella or Escherichia coli. Farm milk consumption is tied to reduced risks of asthma and allergy. Further studies are needed to identify the properties of farm milk that confer protection against asthma and allergy. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, May 2007.

Raw milk risk
August 2007 - A survey of unpasteurized milk samples drawn from dairy farms across Wisconsin found a significant presence of Coxiella burnetii and Listeria monocytogenes, two different types of bacteria that can cause serious infection and even death in some people. These findings have particular relevance for consumers seeking raw milk products.