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IN THIS ISSUE
Milk and Death
EWG App
Yellow Food
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Issue: #46
November 3, 2014



Volume 4, Letter 46
 

November 3, 2014

  

Children's cow milk consumption has long been a concern of mine regarding the negative health effects of excess intake and sensitivities. We have seen an unbelievable rise over the past decade in cow milk protein intolerance in infants fed formula or human breast milk containing bovine milk protein. 

 

These children present in the first few weeks of life with eczema, reflux, colic, green diarrhea and colitis(inflammation of the colon). Removal of the cow milk protein from the child's diet rapidly resolves the disease. This disorder commonly was called colic syndrome and parents were told that the child will outgrow the illness and that NO intervention was needed. This was the party line during my training at the University of Virginia Medical School. Hard to swallow all of the bad advice given in my early career. 

 

I bring this up purely as a discussion point of potential issues with food and disease that is pushed under the rug by the current nutrition and medical experts. 

 

In the British Medical Journal from October 2014, a group of researchers from Sweden looked at the correlation between cow milk consumption and mortality in a large cohort population.(editorial) They found that women and men had an increased risk of mortality if they consumed three or more glasses of milk daily. Higher milk intake also correlated with increased fracture incidence in women (contradicting the current milk dogma). The authors also looked at inflammatory biomarkers of oxidative stress and found significant elevations.

 

(Scientific hypothesis: unpasteurized or pasteurized milk contains D-galactose, a sugar molecule that in animal studies has been found to induce inflammation, gene expression alterations and oxidative damage the culmination of which is advanced aging.)

 

This study is by no means conclusive of milk = death earlier than expected, however, it raises many questions about our current recommendations of milk consumption according to the ADA. I have long contended that milk is not all that good for us in volume and we are still the only animals that consume it after we wean from our mother. If the research is correct, then we have a lot to be concerned with from the current ADA guidelines. 

 

The biggest argument that people make for milk consumption is to benefit our bones. Bone health is related to vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and other minor minerals. These are well sourced from fish, greens and nuts. Milk is unnecessary to fulfill this goal. To date there is no evidence that a diet high in these foods is bad for us (except maybe large mercury laden fish). As we have witnessed in children of our clinic who are sensitive to and avoid dairy while consuming these other foods, their health is positively impacted by reduced illness, improved bowel function and excellent bone health. 

 

I had a 3 year old patient once that presented with profound anemia that was caused by the ingestion of 50 ounces of milk daily. I initially thought that he had leukemia until the history answered the question. The excessive milk intake caused malabsorption of iron in his body leaving him fatigued and pale. Milk has a well known negative influence on iron stores when taken in large volumes. 1 or 2 - 8 ounces glasses of milk has minimal negative effects on iron absorption. 

 

I currently favor the argument that milk in large volumes as directed by the ADA is not necessary and that humans would do well to consume lots of vegetables, fruits, fish and other anti-inflammatory foods to improve their health. The studies showing negative health effects of milk seem to be related to excessive consumption. Further research will prove whether this belief is right or wrong. As always read the article and editorial. Make your own conclusions knowing that this is just my opinion based on my readings to date. 

 

My wife and I do not recommend cow milk for our children. High quality organic cheese and yogurt are consumed in moderation. 

 

With great respect for the calves that are better served by the milk that we consume,

 

Dr. M

 

 

EWG Food App

The Environmental Working Group has developed a new food app. Its principle design is to help consumers have transparency into a grocery store's food ingredients and quality. In a world where labeling country of origin and GMO ingredients is frowned upon by our corporate and federal leaders, this app may help level the playing field to some extent. 

 

The team at EWG has produced a product that we can all use to delineate quality in our grocery purchased foods based on three principles: 1) Nutrition , 2) Ingredients, 3) Processing. 

 

The Nutrition category will look at a foods macro and micronutrient makeup and give a rating on how it is utilized by the body in a positive and negative break down. I.e. does it contain adequate fiber, vegetables, fruits, etc...

 

The Ingredients category takes a look at additives, antibiotics, contaminants, hormones, pesticides, GMO and others. This is an extremely important category for preventing epigenetic changes that will cause future disease in our kids. Avoiding chemicals is the main focus of EWG and the epigenetic research is proving that we need to pay significant attention to this category. 

 

Processing has always been a concern for humans when it comes to obesity and metabolic derangement. The more highly processed a food is the more likely it has lost beneficial ingredients and now has added ingredients that are less desirable.This is a straight forward category where increased processing means decreased benefit for us. 

 

Check out the website. It is well laid out and easy to follow. 

 

Spend some time plugging in commonly used items especially kids cereals. They are profoundly poor in quality. You will be amazed at what our kids are exposed to on a daily basis. 

 

 

 

Dr. M

 

 

 



From the Detox Challenge, Dr. Diana Minich has been discussing how yellow foods can be beneficial for us. Here is her advice:

Yellow Foods

Yellow foods are beneficial because they contain compounds that have anticancer and anti-inflammatory effect. They also may protect the brain, heart and vasculature, eyes, and skin.

 

The Food List

As with the other categories, it is recommended that you get a variety of yellow foods. Note that some of the yellow foods like banana and Yukon potatoes are starchy and so should only be eaten in a mixed meal to blunt any blood sugar responses.

 

Yellow fruits you can choose from include Golden Delicious apples, Asian pears, lemons, pineapple, and starfruit. Pineapple is particularly high in the enzyme bromelain, which can be helpful in breaking down foods. Lemons are a wonderful addition to water to give you more bioflavonoids. The yellow vegetables include yellow bell peppers, corn, and potatoes. You'll also find ginger root on this list. Ginger contains many anti-inflammatory compounds. You can grate fresh ginger into tea or into a stir-fry. You can also use the powdered ginger spice in baked products like (gluten-free) spice bread.

 

Ways to get more yellow foods:

  • Slice a banana onto your warm oatmeal cereal
  • Have slices of a Golden Delicious apple or an Asian pear as a mid-morning or afternoon snack, spread with a thin layer of nut butter (e.g., almond butter or cashew nut butter)
  • Add diced yellow bell pepper to a vegetable stir-fry
  • Choose Yukon Gold and French fingerling potatoes rather than a starchy, white Russet potato
  • Grate ginger into a stir-fry of Asian vegetables such as snap peas, cabbage, and carrots
  • Make ginger tea (caffeine-free) into which you squeeze fresh lemon
  • Have pineapple slices as a dessert

Nutrients in Yellow Foods

 

Lutein & Zeaxanthin

Similar to lycopene and beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids. These two carotenoids are not just found in yellow foods. Green foods like kale and spinach also contain these important carotenoids.





Dr. M
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Copyright � 2010-2014 Christopher J. Magryta, MD. Readers, please note: The information provided in this newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for advice and treatment provided by your physician or other healthcare professional and is not to be used to diagnose or treat a health issue.


 


Chris Magryta
Salisbury Pediatric Associates
Touchstone Pediatrics