Frank Armstrong wrong on dairy

RANK Armstrong’s article ‘Contrary

about Dairy’ [Village, June-July) contains

numerous inaccuracies. Dairy foods play

a signiﬁcant and important role in a healthy,

balanced diet and are included in dietary rec-

ommendations throughout the world.

Inaccurate information on dairy, or indeed

any food/nutrient, may lead to misconceptions

and adverse dietary implications.

Here in Ireland, dairy foods have been

enjoyed for generations. The taste and versa-

tility of these foods are greatly appreciated but,

moreover, they are an important feature of the

Department of Health’s Food Pyramid. The

Pyramid aims to provide guidance on achiev-

ing a healthy, balanced diet (for adults and

children over ﬁve years). Recommendations

advise three servings from the ‘milk, yogurt

and cheese’ food group each day as part of a

balanced diet, increasing to ﬁve daily servings

between the ages of - years of age due to the

importance of calcium during this life-stage.

Also, as mentioned previously, these foods are

acknowledged in dietary guidance throughout

the world.

It is true that lactose intolerance may impact

the intake of dairy foods. But, it is important to

realise that the frequency of lactase-nonpersist-

ence in Ireland is estimated at just % (lactase

is the enzyme which is responsible for lactose

digestion). This ﬁgure is very much at odds with

the impression portrayed in the article (i.e.

around %). Furthermore, variation in indi-

vidual tolerances to lactose among people with

lactose maldigestion is recognised and intoler-

ance does not necessarily mean the elimination

of dairy from the diet. Acknowledging some die-

tetic guidance can assist in the management of

lactose intolerance while maintaining some

level of dairy in the diet. For example, consum-

ing milk with other foods, spacing dairy intake

throughout the day, recognising the lower lac-

tose content of many cheeses and possible

increased tolerance of some yogurts.

The article also refers to saturated fat, but,

again, acknowledging up-to-date, scientiﬁc

thinking is vital. Scientiﬁc evidence is empha-

sising the importance of the ‘whole food’ and

the ‘whole diet’ in relation to health, as opposed

to focusing on single nutrients. For example in

relation to cardiovascular health, numerous

studies show no adverse eﬀects of regularly con-

suming milk and dairy foods. In fact, in some

cases, particularly for milk, a cardio-protective

eﬀect has been observed. The presence of spe-

ciﬁc nutrients and bioactive components in

milk, which may potentially beneﬁt various car-

diovascular health parameters, may, at least

partially, underpin such observations.

Since it is a very complex disease, many

factors are thought to inﬂuence cancer devel-

opment and progression, including genetics and

lifestyle choices. There are a number of meas-

ures you can take to help reduce your risk of

cancer. For example, the Irish Cancer Society

released a press release earlier this year stat-

ing that “Cutting smoking, reducing the amount

of alcohol you drink and maintaining a healthy

weight are key to cancer prevention”. Research

is continuing to strive to identify eﬀective diet

and lifestyle guidance for cancer prevention as

well as successful treatment approaches.

Calcium is probably the nutrient most com-

monly associated with dairy – this is due to the

fact that milk, yogurt and cheese provide a par-

ticularly important source of calcium. There are

other sources of calcium in the diet, however,

these foods should be considered in terms of cal-

cium content, bioavailability and the frequency

with which they are typically consumed.

National surveys demonstrate the impor-

tance of milk and milk products to the intake

of dietary calcium in the Irish diet – the recent

National Adult Nutrition Survey showed that

milk and yogurt were the highest contributor

to calcium intake in the diet of Irish adults, con-

tributing % in adults aged - years and a

similar level for adults aged  years and over.

Cheese contributed an additional % and %,

respectively.

Sustainable food production is certainly a

pertinent issue at present and research in this

area is very much evolving. Reports and analysis

often use diﬀerent and conﬂicting methodology

– often resulting is diﬀerent conclusions. One

key point to note is the nutritional consequences

of changing dietary patterns. Furthermore,

worldwide, the dairy industry (as well as many

other food sectors) is working to continue to

provide nutritious, tasty and aﬀordable, foods

whilst addressing the natural environment and

sustainability considerations.

Finally, farming practices described in the

article are by no means reﬂective of the high

quality of dairy farming that exists in Ireland

or the basic quality standards accepted for

quality and regulatory compliances. Ireland

is recognised globally for the high quality of

our pasture-based farming, with a number

of milk quality programmes being rolled out

by organisations such as Teagasc and Animal

Health Ireland to help farmers keep up to date

with the best available practices. •

Dr Catherine Logan is Nutrition Manager of the

National Dairy Council

Frank

Armstrong

wrong

on dairy

Dairy is part of balanced

diet and doesn’t cause

cancer or heart disease;

lactose intolerance

is rare.

By Dr Catherine Logan

Frank Armstrong

Dr Catherine Logan

CULTURE

STAND-OFF

VILLAGEAugust/September 