You have to give credit to the Dairy Council - no matter what the scientific research says about the adverse health effects of consuming dairy, the folks at the Dairy Council keep finding ways to promote their product.
The California Dairy Council recently issued guidelines on how to get lactose intolerant kids to consume dairy products. They have engaged the American Academy of Pediatrics in promoting dairy consumption to this population. The suggestions are designed to get lactose intolerant kids to consume 3 servings of dairy per day, and adolescents 4 servings per day, and include ideas such as eating swiss or cheddar cheese with whole grain crackers, combining plain yogurt with dry soup to make a dip, and consuming yogurt with cereal for breakfast.
Lactose intolerance is the absence of an enzyme in the small intestine that prevents the proper metabolism of lactose, a carbohydrate that is found in cow's milk. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, flatulence, and bloating. People who are lactose intolerant, which includes most Asians and African Americans, should not consume cow's milk products.
Additionally, research links consumption of dairy products to juvenile diabetes, chronic infections, autism, constipation, and breast and prostate cancer. In spite of all of this, the recommendation to eat dairy is standard in most doctor's offices throughout the U.S.
However, consider the source. These are the same physicians that prescribe prozac to relieve everyday unhappiness, birth control pills and dangerous drugs like accutane for acne, prophylactic mastectomy, and chemotherapy drugs which are only effective for 3% of cancer patients.
Fortunately, more and more people are realizing that dairy products are not health foods. Many have eliminated them even before exposure to our programming, and the dairy industry has experienced a drop in per capita consumption for the last several years. Hopefully this trend will continue.
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