Show Doctor Doctorin in the Kitchens Kitchen 3 by Laurence M. M Hursh MD M.D. Consultant National Dairy Council NEW ENDORSEMENT FOR MILK The most scrutinized food in inthe inthe inthe the world is milk This probably is because it Is the first food a baby feaby has And then through childhood and adulthood milk has so much to offer Since we associate this food with health with essential nourishment nourishment nourish nourish- ment its it's no wonder milks milk's production production pro pro- production processing and distribution lion tion are more closely regulated than any other food The public Interest demands that it be carefully carefully care care- fully handled And so 0 it Is natural too that milk constantly Is under inspection lion tion In nutrition laboratories And it Is easy to make headlines with an attack on milk or some new hypothesis that suggests maybe it Is not as good for us as we had supposed Balance Needed But In a free society one hopes news balances itself that Itself that Is if 11 we are exposed to an attack we also hear a defense if a defense Is U proper Well the American Academy of Pediatrics decided recently to react to some sensational and alarmist articles that have suggested sug sug- suggested milk might be bad for older Infants The Academy's Committee on Nutrition published publish ed a statement in the medical Journal Pediatrics endorsing milk as s a wholesome and nutritious food With specific reference to some expressed concern about the fat at and nd cholesterol content of milk the Committee said acid There Is no evidence as yet that the prevalence prevalence preval preval- ence or severity of I osis can be diminished by limiting limiting limit limit- ing the Intake of cholesterol early in life As for saturated I fats rats a constituent of milk the Committee said dietary restriction I tion Oon should be imposed only on I children with a genetic predisposition predisposition predisposition to elevated blood choles choles- i terol This happens about once In every live births The ComI Com Com- I I n Uee also found no evidence that milk In itself contributes toI to I child obesity I Giving children skim milk as asa asa asa a general practice could deprive them of needed calories the Committee Committee Com I mUtee said and In ln infants and young oung children the use of or skimmed skim skim- med milk may provide an excess j I of protein and minerals in relation re- re lation to calories Will Review Calcium The Committee intends to review review review re re- view milks milk's role in meeting human human hu man mall calcium requirements to see If present recommendations are above what is U required for normal nor mal moat skeletal dental and general growth and development The three health problems for tor which the Committee feels restrictions re reo restrictions on milk intake are warranted warranted war war- ranted are 1 youngsters with wills nutritional iron deficiency this could occur It if a child drinks milk to the exclusion of other needed foods 2 children who ho wont eat this too could be too toe much milk instead of other foods and 3 children who tend toward constipation |