Is this Dr. a quack?

[UMaineTeach]

Neal Barnard, MD(@drnealbarnard)?

I just got an email from the benefits division of the teacher's union with an "article" that read like totally ridiculous "science." I googled the doctor who wrote it and found him to be one of those bestselling doctor authors who just wants you to buy his stuff, but I only found a little bit about him being a quack.

I know that there is milk controversy out there and that growth hormones in milk is seen by some as a huge problem, but I feel like this isn't the type of article I want to read from the people who (in part) supply my health insurance.



The Most Danerous Item in your Breakfast Bowl, it's not the Sugary Cereal.

From Neal Barnard, MD(@drnealbarnard)

A recent report from the Environmental Working Group highlights the top sugar-laden cereals. Honey Smacks dominated the list with 15 grams of sugar per serving. While it's fashionable these days to attack sugary cereals, sugar is hardly the most dangerous thing in your breakfast bowl. That dubious distinction goes to the milk.
For starters, milk itself is high in sugar. While the top five cereals on EWG's list all had between 14 and 15 grams of sugar per serving, milk was nearly as high with 12 grams of sugar in a cup of skim milk. One cup of chocolate milk has almost 24 grams of sugar.

What is considerably more worrisome is the fact that milk is linked with cancer-particularly prostate cancer. In international comparisons and in several prospective studies, men consuming the most milk had a substantially higher risk of prostate cancer, apparently due to milk's effects on male hormones.

You don't need milk. Studies show that milk does not actually help build strong bones, and the protein in milk can easily be obtained from other sources. One cup of oatmeal has 5.5 grams of protein-as well as 4 grams of fiber. Quinoa also makes an excellent breakfast, and one cup of quinoa contains has 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Making a few servings of quinoa or a pot of oatmeal, and then sticking them in the refrigerator, makes them as easy as cold cereal on a frenzied morning.

And you can sweeten them both with fruit and a little bit of agave if you're so inclined. Ditch the milk, and we'll all be better off in the long run.

[Deleted]

I would be very upset to get this from my union. I would complain.

[debatethis]

Sources say: www.quackwatch.com/11Ind/ Yes.

[msmerymac]

He's pro-vegan. Like Colin Campbell (the China Study), John McDougall, etc. It's an agenda, sure.

ETA: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a group that is against animal products, FYI. John McDougall is a doctor with the Cleveland Clinic who is a proponent of low-fat, no-oil vegan diets. 

I will say that I recently saw something about Harvard not including dairy in their version of the MyPlate thing that the government uses to push things that lobbyists like (oh hey, I'm looking at you, meat, dairy and corn). Not sure how true that is. But I'd be interested to know in what capacity this email was sent. As an official union email or was it sent to her list of friends, or did she send it to the wrong list accidentally? I don't drink cow's milk, but I do eat cow, sheep and goat cheese, and while I'm totally down with people giving up dairy for health an environmental reasons, I would find this wholly inappropriate coming from the union itself.

[nsl]

Jul 31, 2014 17:07:01 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

I would be very upset to get this from my union. I would complain.

Agreed x3.

[UMaineTeach]

Jul 31, 2014 17:11:16 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

He's pro-vegan. Like Colin Campbell (the China Study), John McDougall, etc. It's an agenda, sure.

ETA: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a group that is against animal products, FYI. John McDougall is a doctor with the Cleveland Clinic who is a proponent of low-fat, no-oil vegan diets. 

I will say that I recently saw something about Harvard not including dairy in their version of the MyPlate thing that the government uses to push things that lobbyists like (oh hey, I'm looking at you, meat, dairy and corn). Not sure how true that is. But I'd be interested to know in what capacity this email was sent. As an official union email or was it sent to her list of friends, or did she send it to the wrong list accidentally? I don't drink cow's milk, but I do eat cow, sheep and goat cheese, and while I'm totally down with people giving up dairy for health an environmental reasons, I would find this wholly inappropriate coming from the union itself.

It was included in the official Maine Education Association Benefits Trust Health E-Notes Newsletter.

[epphd]

Jul 31, 2014 18:03:41 GMT -5 UMaineTeach said:

Jul 31, 2014 17:11:16 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

He's pro-vegan. Like Colin Campbell (the China Study), John McDougall, etc. It's an agenda, sure.

ETA: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a group that is against animal products, FYI. John McDougall is a doctor with the Cleveland Clinic who is a proponent of low-fat, no-oil vegan diets. 

I will say that I recently saw something about Harvard not including dairy in their version of the MyPlate thing that the government uses to push things that lobbyists like (oh hey, I'm looking at you, meat, dairy and corn). Not sure how true that is. But I'd be interested to know in what capacity this email was sent. As an official union email or was it sent to her list of friends, or did she send it to the wrong list accidentally? I don't drink cow's milk, but I do eat cow, sheep and goat cheese, and while I'm totally down with people giving up dairy for health an environmental reasons, I would find this wholly inappropriate coming from the union itself.

It was included in the official Maine Education Association Benefits Trust Health E-Notes Newsletter.

Well that's disconcerting.

Looking at any retrospective analysis and drawing causative conclusions is stupid. What if men who drink the most milk also take in the most saturated fat? What if they tend to be heavier? What if (and it seems it may be) calcium, in fact, that is a risk factor?  What about increased milk consumption and lower risk of other cancers such as colon and bladder?

Here is a link to a review written by an epidemiologist I know and trust. It's just a review but it shines the light on how asinine a conclusion this "doctor" has come to - your benefits office should be ashamed since what they send CONSTITUTES medical advice.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22081693