Milk and Health

Milk, cheese, yogurt and their many variations are a big part of the standard American diet. Most of us have grown up believing dairy is an essential part of a healthy diet. Americans have been told by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that adults or kids over 9 years old should enjoy three 8-oz servings per day of milk or equivalent portions of cheese and yogurt for calcium to reduce the risk of bone fractures. But is this really necessary or even true?

In a recently published review article, The New England Journal of Medicine summarized the research related to one of America’s favorite foods. According to research this is what we know today:

What milk does: 

• If breast milk is not available, cow’s milk can be an important nutrient component of infant formula.

• Milk consumption while growing can increase height. The consequences of this accelerated growth is complex. Taller stature is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease but with higher risks of many cancers and hip fractures.

What milk does NOT do:

• Dairy is NOT associated with better bone health and decreased fracture risk. Research shows that countries with the highest intakes of milk and calcium tend to have the highest rates of hip fractures. This correlation may not be causal and might be due to confounding factors, but low dairy consumption is clearly compatible with low rates of hip fracture. In fact, a study found that milk during adolescence was associated with a 9% greater risk of hip fracture later in life for men for every additional glass they consumed per day.

• Dairy does NOT promote weight loss. A meta-analysis of 29 randomized trials showed no overall effects of dairy on body weight. Contrary to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advice to choose reduced-fat dairy, findings in studies showed that low-fat milk does not appear to have advantages over whole milk for weight control — and in children, available evidence suggests greater long-term weight gain with reduced-fat milk than with full-fat milk. 

• Dairy does NOT help blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. The relatively high potassium content of milk has led to the suggestion that greater milk intake may reduce blood pressure. Randomized trials of low-fat milk have shown inconsistent results with respect to reduction of blood pressure.

Risks associated with milk:

• Milk contains hormones. To increase milk production, cows have been bred to produce higher levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and they are pregnant for most of the time they are milked, which greatly increases levels of progestins, estrogens, and other hormones in milk.

• Dairy increases cancer risk such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and others because of the effects of milk consumption on human plasma IGF-I.

• Milk consumption predisposes to asthma, eczema, and food allergies.

• Foods may influence health both directly and indirectly through the environmental effects of their production. Greenhouse gas production, climate changes, pollution and antibiotic resistance are associated with the milk industry, particularly industrial-scale production.

Consensus: 

This article concludes that the health benefits of dairy products have not been established and concerns exist about the risks of regular consumption. When we evaluate the research, it is important to note that the reported health effects of dairy depend on the foods or beverages to which they are compared. In many studies, dairy foods are better when compared to processed red meat or sugar-sweetened beverages but less beneficial when compared to plant-protein sources such as nuts. The bottom line is to enjoy dairy responsibly and in small quantities, if at all.

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Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMra1903547?articleTools=true