NEWS: Feature: Milk as the new 'Atkins?' - (United Press International)

[Guest guest]

Feature: Milk as the new 'Atkins?'

By K.L. Capozza

UPI Science Writer

San Francisco, CA, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A growing body of research has shown

foods rich in calcium -- yogurt, milk and cheese -- appear to charge up the

immune system, aid digestion and promote metabolic health.

This last benefit has milk producers giddy with excitement. If preliminary

research on milk's weight-loss benefits proves valid, their product could be

at the center of a new diet fad. Move over Atkins, here comes the dairy

diet.

" Milk evolved with selective Darwinian pressure to provide nourishment in

mammals, " said Bruce German, professor of Food Science and Technology at

University of California, . " We're now realizing that it's one food

that we can use to make healthy people even healthier. "

Part of the reason milk is so fascinating to nutrition scientists is because

it was designed by nature to nurture infants and protect them from

infectious agents during their most vulnerable years, German told United

Press International.

UC- researchers are studying how ingredients in milk dissolve other

molecules and maximize the body's ability to absorb minerals through a

specialized protein called lactoferrin. This multi-tasking protein enhances

iron absorption, reduces inflammation and produces a peptide that acts as an

antimicrobial agent, German said.

Across the Atlantic, Scandinavian researchers are exploring the

infection-preventing properties of probiotics, beneficial bacteria found in

dairy products. A Norwegian multi-center study is testing the ability of

probiotic supplements to prevent respiratory infections in pre-school

children.

Their ongoing research builds on a double-blind study published in 2000 in

the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study found elderly subjects

who supplemented their diet with twice daily doses of probiotics showed

signs of enhanced immune function.

The health benefit that has industry analysts and consumers abuzz is milk's

potential ability to trim Americans' ever-expanding waistlines.

There seems to be a strong relationship between calcium intake and weight

loss, according to Zemel at the University of Tennessee in

Knoxville. His research, which is funded by the dairy industry, suggests

that a high-calcium diet not only increases the rate at which dieters shed

pounds, but also helps them keep the weight off.

How dairy foods drive weight loss is not entirely understood, Zemel said,

and added his research suggests one explanation could lie in calcium's

ability to reduce circulation of a fat-promoting hormone called calcitriol.

" Calcitriol activates the genetic machinery to make more fat out of sugar, "

Zemel told UPI. " At the same time, it inhibits the biochemical machinery

involved in fat break down and burning. "

Zemel's provocative findings are supported by a 2004 University of Hawaii

study paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It found that dieting

adolescent girls who consumed more calcium through dairy products lost more

weight than those who did not. Interesting, the girls who lost weight on the

dairy diet, like Dr. Zemel's subjects, seemed to lose it from the most

desirable places, namely the waistline. Fat accumulation in the trunk region

is associated with an increased risk for heart disease.

The research explains why populations that eat a low-dairy diet tend to have

higher rates of obesity, German said.

The French and Danish, for example, eat a large amount of high-fat dairy

products such as cheese, butter and yogurt, yet few become obese, he noted.

So, how do lactose intolerant Asians stay slender?

" They tend to get their calcium through alternative sources like tofu, "

German said.

Epidemiological studies and a few clinical trials suggest German may be

right and the milk industry and International Dairy Foods Association are

already promoting milk's tummy-trimming talents. If more research backs up

the claim, the association is hoping it will help bring the now-passé drink

-- Americans' consumption of milk has declined steadily since 1945, reaching

a record low in 2001 -- back in style.

The jury is still out on calcium's relationship to weight loss, however.

For all its promise, nutritionists remain unconvinced a dairy-rich diet

necessarily spells good health. After all, cheese, milk, butter and other

dairy products also are high in saturated fats, which have been shown to

clog arteries and promote heart disease.

" The studies have shown that dairy intake makes a small difference in terms

of weight loss -- it's definitely not a panacea, " said Brandeis,

registered dietician and spokeswoman for American Dietetic Association.

Moreover, dairy products represent only a fraction of foods rich in calcium.

Before Americans start wolfing down lattes, ice cream and brie cheese, they

should consider other sources of calcium, such as beans, soy, nuts and

spinach -- healthful alternatives that will not compromise cardiovascular

health, Brandeis told UPI.

German and other researchers said their enthusiasm for milk's functions is

warranted, however. As genetic research reveals more about the

inner-workings of milk, the calcium-packed drink will be regarded as even

more healthful, he said.

" One after the other, we're finding out that milk contains these fantastic

health-promoting properties, " German said. " It's just ingenious. "

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20041230-012225-3885r.htm