THE TRUTH ABOUT MILK
1)8 1/2 cups of frozen broccoli.
Nineteen Ninety Two has been an interesting year for cow’s milk. First came the study linking cow’s milk to juvenile diabetes. Then, the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine—a group of health and animal rights activists based in Washington—suggested that milk from cows may not be a healthy choice for children. Even Dr. Benjamin Spock, venerated child care guru and respected pediatrician at Johns Hopkins University, got into the fray with his questions about the benefits of cow’s milk as food for children.
The diabetes research, reported in a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggested that drinking cow’s milk in infancy might promote juvenile diabetes in people who are genetically predisposed to the disease. The researchers speculated that children who have certain genetic characteristics produce high levels of antibodies to a protein in cow’s milk which is very similar to one found in the pancreas, which produces insulin. Researchers theorized that the children’s antibodies then mistakenly go about destroying the cells which produce insulin, leading to diabetes. Other studies had indicated that there may be some link between milk and iron deficiency in infants as well as colic, allergies, and digestive problems.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has responded to the “attack” on cow’s milk by denying that there is any “scientific proof” to back up conclusions of potential risks to children. Medical and nutritional experts point out that the research on diabetes is not conclusive and is therefore, not a “proven cause and effect study”. However, most experts say that it is best not to give cow’s milk to babies less than one year old. The American Academy of Pediatrics in Elk Grove Village, III., recommends that babies up to one year old should be breast-fed or given iron-enriched formula.
While the controversy continues, many respected medical experts say that for most people, drinking cow’s milk is the only way they can get enough calcium in their diets. That’s why such experts say that it isn’t necessary or wise to give up on milk completely. It is estimated that 70 percent to 75 percent of the average American calcium intake comes from dairy products including milk. Therefore, for many people in this country, eliminating milk from their diets would cause nutritional deficiencies.
One noted dietician recommends that cow’s milk not be eliminated from the diets of either children or adults, but that it be consumed in moderation as part of a varied diet. However, if you are determined to remove milk from the diet, you should check with a qualified dietician or pediatrician first.
How Kids Can Get Enough Calcium Without Milk
2) 4 1/2 cups of frozen kale. (90 milligrams of calcium in each cup.)
3) 14 ounces of canned salmon, with juice and bones.
4) 2 to 3 cans of sardines.
5) 16 oranges.
6) 4 1/2 cups of ice cream or 4 1/2 cups of frozen yogurt.
7) 5 to 6 slices of American cheese.
5 cups of 2 percent cottage cheese.
Cooked kale or broccoli, tofu (soybean curd), dried or cooked beans, and canned sardines, with the bones, are all good nondairy sources of calcium.
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