Do humans need dairy? Here’s the science

TheConversation: A lot of people will have already made up their mind about whether humans need dairy in their diet and will be thinking that the answer is obviously “yes” or obviously “no”. But nutrition is based on science not opinion – so, here’s the latest research on the matter. Milk is an interesting foodstuff. The sugar in it is called lactose and lactose requires a chemical or enzyme called lactase to allow it to pass across the walls of the gut into the blood stream. When we are babies, we all produce plenty of the lactase enzyme which allows us to absorb our mother’s milk. In populations where milk consumption has been historically low, such as Japan and China, most children will have stopped producing lactase soon after weaning and – producing almost entire populations that may be unable to absorb the lactose in milk – this we call “lactose intolerance”.

Adult breast milk drinkers aren’t just wasting their money – they’re endangering their health

TheConversation: “Breast is best”. So goes the message from the international and clinical guidance on what milk mothers should feed their babies. But it’s also more worryingly been adopted by a growing online community of adults wanting to buy and consume expressed breast milk for its perceived health benefits – or due to sexual fetishes. Some online forums suggest cancer patients should drink breast milk because it is supposedly easier to digest, better tolerated, and full of immune benefits, including immunoglobulin (a protein used by the immune system). Meanwhile, fitness and diet forums preach the nutritional, energy or recovery benefits of such milk, suggesting it can work as a supplement to workout or bulking regimes.

Milk and dairy 'good for the brain' claim unproven

NHS: "Three glasses of milk every day ‘helps prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's’," is the misleading headline in The Daily Telegraph. The study it reports on only found that a high-dairy diet was linked to increased levels of an antioxidant called glutathione. It is also unclear what, if any, protective effects higher levels of glutathione would have against Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

Online breast milk not a bargain

Scimex: The sale of human breast milk on the internet poses serious risks to infant health and needs urgent regulation, argue experts in The BMJ today. UK experts have highlighted the dangers of buying breast milk on the internet. They warn the sales are not regulated and the milk is often unpasteurised or not tested for contamination, pointing to previous research that showed only 9 out of 101 milk samples tested had no bacterial growth or that 25 per cent of samples were contaminated with drugs or other substances.

Formula or cow’s milk – what’s really best for toddlers?

A University of Queensland research team is seeking Brisbane toddlers for a study to find out if toddler formulas really offer improved health benefits. The Growing Up Milk “Lite” (GUMLi) study aims to determine if growing-up milk formulas can improve the body composition, nutrition, brain development and general health of toddlers, compared with normal cows’ milk.

‘Milk’ protein enables survival of mammals

Scimex: A Victorian research team has shown that a particular protein is critical for sustaining milk production in the breast. Without milk production, offspring cannot survive, making the protein essential for survival of mammalian species.