FW: Consumer reports dons the milk mustache

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FW: Consumer reports dons the milk mustacheThought you might be interested

in this:

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Consumer reports dons the milk mustache

CONSUMER REPORTS DONS THE MILK MUSTACHE

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

August 7th, 2001

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Dear Reader,

About a year ago, my husband and I bought a house. Our

first housewarming gift was from my mother -- a

subscription to Consumer Reports. And it wasn't too long

before it became the most useful gift we got. Within a few

months of moving in, the dryer decided it had had it. Soon

after, the dishwasher joined its fluff-n-fold friend.

So we pulled out the Consumer Reports and looked for the

brand that best suited our needs. (Well, actually, my

needs. My husband " needs " either the most expensive model

or the one with the most " space-age " features.)

So far, in at least four out of five major purchases in the

past year, we deferred to Consumer Reports. Like many of

you, the consumer in me has long thought of them as a

hype-free zone -- exposing the good, the bad and the ugly

-- to help us make more informed shopping decisions.

However, when I began reading the September issue, I did a

double-take when I got to page 62. After reading which SUV

in the big-mid-small class they recommend, I was floored:

What on earth are they doing writing an article about

whether or not milk " does a body good " ? It's one thing to

look to them to compare brands of air conditioners, but

since when do we turn to them for serious dietary

recommendations?

In a two-page " point-counterpoint " -style article, the

magazine " evaluates " the health pros and cons of milk.

Throughout the article, Consumer Reports quotes doctors and

scientists or their own consultants on the benefits of

milk. At the same time, it refers to the controversial

animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of

Animals (PETA) and the Physicians Committee for Responsible

Medicine (PCRM) as " Milk's Critics, " offering little

research or evidence to back up their points.

Conveniently, it seems any evidence that points against the

benefits of milk can be easily explained away.

In one particularly telling paragraph the results of a

12-year, 80,000-participant study conducted by Harvard were

completely discounted. According to the study, high milk

intake appeared to actually increase the risk of bone

fractures among 80,000 nurses. So how does the article

explain this proof that milk may actually be bad for your

bones? They turn to the lead author of the study, Diane

Feskanich, Sc.D., who believes, " ...the reason may lie in

the nurses' family histories. It may be that those who

drank the most milk did so because they faced the highest

risk -- 'but it was too little, too late.' "

But, did Consumer Reports explain how the researcher could

so quickly dismiss the results of such an expansive study?

Can they really be written off so easily?

The same happened when they reported on two large-scale

studies from Harvard that indicate a link between milk

consumption and prostate cancer. Though both studies

mentioned showed an increase in cancer for those who drank

milk, the magazine concludes: " Overall, however, the

evidence has been inconsistent, with several studies

failing to support that association. " (Note that they

didn't actually name those studies.)

Other concerns are quickly dismissed, as well. Those of you

with colicky children or grandchildren, take comfort.

According to the article, if an infant has a milk allergy

he will likely outgrow it by age three. Try to hold on

until then.

The authors even go so far as to recommend a strategy for

lactose-intolerant individuals to reintroduce dairy into

their diets!

Despite the heavily slanted treatment in the Consumer

Reports article, there's mounting evidence that milk may

lead to numerous serious health problems, including cancer,

rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, anemia, MS,

leukemia...the list goes on.

And, as the 80,000-nurse-study shows, milk isn't a

particularly good source of calcium for those hoping to

stave off osteoporosis. In fact, a study published more

than a decade ago showed that women who drank three glasses

of milk a day lost bone mass at twice the rate of the

control group.

As for whether or not you should drink milk...this issue

deserves much more than two pages in a magazine designed to

tell you which trash bag will hold the most.

The majority of studies we've seen indicate that milk is

not the health food the dairy industry would have you

believe. Most, if not all, of the doctors and researchers

in our network agree that, at the very least, the milk

readily available at your local store presents more risks

than benefits, as it is laden with hormones and steroids.

If you choose to drink milk, we at Health Sciences

Institute recommend you buy only milk from organic dairy

farms. But the decision on whether to include dairy in your

diet should be one you make after reviewing all the

research and talking to your doctor, not one that should be

influenced by propaganda and cute marketing slogans.

Yours in health,

Health Sciences Institute

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