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PCRM Review Paper on Milk Products and Bone Health in Pediatrics- Statement by the National Dairy Council and the International Dairy Foods Association

The review paper by PCRM in the March issue of Pediatrics is an opinion piece by three representatives of an animal rights organization that has only a 5 percent physician membership. When conducting their review, PCRM authors chose to ignore decades of comprehensive research endorsing dairy's role in bone health.

Consensus in the scientific and medical community is strong regarding the value of dairy foods in a healthy diet. In fact, for information on the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) current calcium policy statement, go to: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;104/5/1152. The U.S Surgeon General, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and many other reputable nutrition organizations confirm that milk and milk products are a good way for kids and teens to get the bone-building calcium they need.

In addition, the positive role of milk and milk products in the diet has been established through numerous clinical trials, which are considered the "gold standard" for evaluating cause-and-effect relationships.

Kids are in a calcium crisis - they need more milk more often. During the teen years, half of all bone is formed and about 15 percent of adult height is added. This is a critical time for calcium, and by far the most common source for calcium is milk and dairy products.

When it comes to nutrition, people should listen to health and nutrition experts, not animal rights activists.

We encourage consumers to learn more about sound science on calcium and bone health at these websites:

  • NICHD's extensive, publicly funded education program called "Milk Matters" explains why milk is so essential in the development of kids and teens. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/.
  • In 2004, the U.S. Surgeon General called for all Americans to take action to improve and maintain healthy bones. He urged people of all ages to meet daily requirements for calcium and Vitamin D with three glasses of lowfat milk each day to reach this goal. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth/
  • The CDC's longstanding National Bone Health Campaign(tm), "Powerful Girls, Powerful Bones," encourages teen girls to get the calcium they need for healthy bones. http://www.cdc.gov/powerfulbones/index_content.html.

International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is the Washington, DC-based organization representing the nation's dairy processing and manufacturing industries and their suppliers. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), National Cheese Institute (NCI) and International Ice Cream Association (IICA). Its 500+ members range from large multinational corporations to single-plant operations, and represent more than 85% of the total volume of milk, cultured products, cheese, and ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States - an estimated $70-billion a year industry. IDFA can be found online at www.idfa.org.

The National Dairy Council(r) (NDC) is managed by Dairy Management Inc., the nonprofit domestic and international marketing, planning and management organization for U.S.-produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy farmers. For more information, visit www.nationaldairycouncil.org.