Dairy foods and heart disease
A challenge to the dairy industry
It is widely accepted that saturated fats raise cholesterol and increase risk of heart disease. Official dietary guidelines across the world recommend that no more than 10% of calories should come from saturated fats. In the UK, dairy foods contribute about 20% of total fat intake and over a third of saturated fat; in the USA, dairy foods contribute about 15% of total fat and 30% of saturated fat. Saturated fat from dairy foods alone amounts to 5% of total calories - about half the recommended maximum intake.
The message to cut dairy fat to promote good health is clear, but rather than accepting and working with that recommendation the dairy industry has chosen to put profit above health and keep on pushing dairy fat into the food supply. When consumers voted with their wallets against milk fat by switching to lower-fat milks, the dairy industry responded by recycling the fat back into them by other routes (cheese, cream, ice-cream and convenience foods) and charging them twice for the privilege. The success of the dairy industry in recycling its unwanted fat is shown by fact that the amount of fat and protein supplied by dairy products other than butter has remained remarkably constant in both the UK and USA for the last four decades despite whole milk sales plummeting.
Based on a study of 80,000 women over a period of 14 years, Professor Walter Willett observes that "replacing 5% of calories from saturated fat with unsaturated fats would reduce the risk of heart attack or death from heart disease by 40%." In other words, if the 5% of total calories currently coming from dairy products as saturated fat were replaced by largely unsaturated fats such as olive oil and nuts and seeds, a very substantial decrease in heart disease would be expected.
The UK Dairy Council, however, makes a concerted attempt to undermine this health message with claims such as:
- "There is a growing body of evidence ... that milk itself does not raise blood cholesterol."
- "Compelling new research has confirmed that regular milk drinkers do not increase their risk of heart disease."
"Findings to date do not support blanket recommendations to preferentially decrease intake of animal fats such as milk fat to reduce the risk of heart disease or other major chronic diseases. Rather moderation in total fat intake, from both animal and vegetable sources, is recommended."
It is tempting to dismiss the dairy industry claims as mere wishful thinking, but in the interests of clarity as to the health implications of a dairy-free diet we have chosen to challenge these claims head-on. The Vegan Society, of course, would like to see the dairy industry disappear for animal welfare and environmental reasons as well as for health reasons, so in that sense we are not unbiased either. However, in the interests of exposing the truth about dairy foods and health we are offering the UK Dairy Council, and indeed its US counterpart, a right of reply on our website and in a future issue of our magazine. We will give them every opportunity to engage in an open debate - if they dare.
Claim No. 1: Dairy products are necessary to provide enough calcium to prevent osteoporosis, regardless of adverse effects.
Calcium is a very good thing, but increasing calcium intake from 500 mg per day to 1500 mg per day will add less than 90 mg per day to the calcium retained by most adults, and less than 50 mg per day for the 10% of adults with the lowest calcium absorption, who are at particular risk of osteoporosis.Other aspects of diet are equally significant. 10 g of salt per day will subtract about 70 mg per day from retained calcium by increasing calcium losses in urine whereas 4000 mg of extra potassium from a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and other unrefined plant foods will add 60 mg per day to retained calcium by reducing calcium losses.
Vitamin K is especially important in promoting healthy bones and reducing calcium losses, particularly in postmenopausal women.
In other words, relying on calcium alone to prevent osteoporosis is like fielding a football team with only strikers and no defenders.
Dairy products are not the best source of calcium as they cause calcium losses at the same time as providing calcium. A third of the calcium absorbed from milk and more than two thirds of the calcium absorbed from cheese is wasted in this way. In contrast, green leafy vegetables such as kale and spring greens provide plenty of well absorbed calcium while at the same time reducing calcium losses.
Our prehistoric ancestors obtained abundant calcium from plant foods while dairy products are a recent and unnecessary innovation. A diet based on Vegan Society recommendations will have abundant amounts of calcium and potassium along with plenty of vitamin K - a key nutrient for bone health which is notably missing from milk but plentiful in green leafy vegetables.
Dairy products are an exceptional source of calcium, but relative to recommended intakes they are an equally exceptional source of saturated fat. The recommended maximum daily saturated fat consumption on a 2000 kcal diet (typical for many women) is 22g. 1000 mg of calcium from dairy products comes with 17g of saturated fat somewhere in the food supply while a 1000 mg of calcium from cheddar cheese comes with a stunning 30 g of saturated fat. The dairy industry charges as much for reduced-fat milk as for any other milk creating a read more
