Dairy Council an industry proxy

AR from citing ‘numerous inaccuracies’

Catherine Logan does not identify a single

inaccuracy in the article I wrote on cows’

milk products.

I quoted extensively from the website of The

Harvard School of Public Health which is a free

online resource which does not bow to vested

interests. On the other hand, Catherine Logan

promotes dairy consumption on behalf of the

National Dairy Council and her argu-

ments are tainted by that association,

a reality that her scientiﬁc qualiﬁ-

cation should not mask. This is PR

spin.

As regards lactose intolerance

which is a reality for % of human

beings, this may be lower in Ireland

than elsewhere but simply because

dairy is tolerated does not mean that

it is beneﬁcial.

By way of analogy, unlike many

Asians, most Europeans have evolved

an enzyme to digest alcohol. That does

not mean alcohol is either a healthy or

necessary part of our diets. Humans

have been consuming dairy from cat-

tle for less than ten thousand years.

It is neither necessary nor desirable

where we have ample alternatives

available, unlike our ancestors who had access

to far fewer foodstuﬀs.

It is worthwhile setting out exactly what the

website of The Harvard School of Public Health

states on the subject of dairy and calcium:

“It’s not a news ﬂash that calcium is key

for healthy bones. Getting enough calcium

from childhood through adulthood helps

build bones up and then helps slow the loss

of bone as we age. It’s not clear, though, that

we need as much calcium as is generally rec-

ommended, and it’s also not clear that dairy

products are really the best source of calcium

for most people.

While calcium and dairy can lower the risk

of osteoporosis and colon cancer, high intake

can increase the risk of prostate cancer and

possibly ovarian cancer.

Furthermore, dairy products can be high

in saturated fat as well as retinol (vitamin

A), which at high levels can paradoxically

weaken bones.

Good, non-dairy sources of calcium include

collards, bok choy, fortiﬁed soy milk, baked

beans, and supplements that contain both

calcium and vitamin D (a better choice than

taking calcium alone)”.

If the Harvard School of Public Health is to be

trusted, then the state through its dietary advice

to consume between three and ﬁve portions

of dairy per day is imposing a terrible burden

of disease. And this is ultimately costing the

exchequer a great deal in additional expenditure

on disease treatment.

Again, dairy consumption is also linked to

infant obesity, something which Logan does

not challenge.

Logan plays down the role of saturated fat in

heart disease which puts her at odds with the

vast majority of health professionals in the ﬁeld.

In fact a plant-based diet excluding all dairy

products has been shown in studies conducted

by Dean Ornish and others to even

reverse heart disease. That is why

Bill Clinton cut out dairy produce

when he developed heart disease.

Logan bemoans the focus I give

to individual nutrients though my

article in fact belies her misrepre-

sentation. I merely quoted from the

Harvard School. Logan argues for a

whole-food approach, but contra-

dicts herself two paragraphs latter

when she refers to dairy produce

being a source of calcium: a single,

isolated, nutrient. She can’t have it

both ways.

Naturally there is no opinion

expressed on the merit of other

sources of calcium or a response to

the contention made by the Harvard

School that dairy produce actually

weakens bones.

Her response to the issue of sustainability is

simply waﬄe, and she can oﬀer no re-assurances

on the standard of animal welfare in Ireland,

which is as cruel as anywhere else.

This communication bangs of a pro forma

response that is sent to any publication that

dares to challenge a powerful industry. One may

speculate as to how the National Dairy Council

wields its inﬂuence in the media through direct

sponsorship of programmes like ‘Countrywide’

on RTÉ Radio  and through prominent adver-

tisements in the Irish Times Health Supplement

which has, to my knowledge, never printed an

article criticising the state’s dietary advice on

the subject, despite the evidence.

Lobbying by the dairy industry is implicated

in the appalling suﬀering that people endure

after a lifetime consuming dairy produce, and

Logan gives apparent scientiﬁc credibility to

spurious health claims through her academic

qualiﬁcation. The economic interests of multi-

national dairy companies and a small number of

wealthy dairy farmers are being aﬀorded prec-

edence over the health of the population.

There are numerous alternatives to dairy pro-

duce which oﬀer more bio-available sources of

calcium and can even replicate the taste with-

out imposing the disease burden. White meats

should be avoided by all true vegetarians and

anyone else who is keen to maintain good health,

and consume in a way not facilitating of cruelty

and environmental damage. •

The state

through its

dietary advice

to consume

between

three and ﬁve

portions of

dairy per day

is imposing a

terrible burden

of disease.

“

Dairy

Council an

industry

proxy

Dairy causes heart

disease and infant

obesity and weakens

bones; calcium best

sourced elsewhere.

By Frank Armstrong

August/September VILLAGE