[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Has Canada been cowed by the dairy lobby?” subhead=”Dairy’s decreasing role in Canada’s food guide” header_fullscreen=”on” _builder_version=”3.21″ title_font=”|700|||||||” content_font=”|700|||||||” subhead_font=”|700|||||||” background_image=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/catalyst\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Dairy-edited.jpg” parallax=”on” text_shadow_style=”preset1″ title_font_size=”50px” subhead_font_size=”24px”]<\/p>\n
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By Nicole Babb and Meghan Newman<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.21″ custom_padding=”0|0|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″]<\/p>\n \u00a0In Canada, milk has been as much a cultural norm as hockey. For decades, the drink has been marketed as an elixir of well-being here in Canada. Young and growing? Milk. Active and athletic? Milk. Aging and fragile? Milk.<\/span><\/p>\n That reign may be coming to an end as a result of the new Canada\u2019s Food Guide, being released in 2019. The snapshot of the new guide released in January has done away with the familiar four food groups and instead categorizes foods according to their nutrient content. Dairy is now included in the \u201cprotein foods\u201d category. Although dairy does provide some essential nutrients, it is not a health panacea\u2014some nutritionists worry about the high fat and sodium content in certain dairy products such as cheese.<\/span><\/p>\n So if the evidence of dairy\u2019s health value is mixed, why did it spend so many years as its own food group? Largely because the dairy industry and lobby groups have been influential in encouraging food policy makers to continue promoting dairy as a healthy food, said Dr. Walter Willett, a Harvard nutrition expert. Willett is among the group of nutritionists who hope future food guides will be free of industry influence. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|11px|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.21″ ab_subject=”on” ab_subject_id=”1″][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#d37400″]<\/p>\n For decades dairy was one of the four food groups on Canada\u2019s Food Guide. Dairy is naturally high in calcium and in Canada milk is fortified with vitamin D, making it a reliable source of two key nutrients. Milk products are not the only way people can get these nutrients, but they are an efficient option. According to Willett, the best dairy alternatives are plant-based sources of protein such as soy products and nuts. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy understanding of the best available evidence is that there is a small health benefit of consuming low-fat milk,\u201d said Bill Jeffery, Executive Director of the Centre for Health Science and Law in Ottawa. \u201cIt is a very good source of calcium.\u201d Many other foods have far less calcium per serving, meaning people have to eat more servings in order to meet the daily recommended calcium intake, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n The nutritional differences between milk products and other protein sources are worth noting, said Isabelle Neiderer, Director of Nutrition and Research at Dairy Farmers of Canada, Canada\u2019s largest dairy advocacy group. She points out that other high protein foods are not necessarily good sources of all the nutrients found in dairy products.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMilk products are an important source of calcium and vitamin D in the diet, and these are two nutrients that are missing in the diet of most Canadians,\u201d she added.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0In addition to the well-known nutritional benefits of milk products, Neiderer said that evidence shows dairy can be beneficial in preventing disease. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere is strong evidence that milk products are linked to better bone health\u2026The world cancer research fund\u2026 have concluded that there is <\/span>strong evidence for milk products in the prevention of colorectal cancer<\/span><\/a> ,\u201d said Neiderer. \u201c<\/span>Health Canada in their own evidence review<\/span><\/a> link milk products to reduction of risk for heart diseases, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This type of wholesale dairy promotion goes too far argues Jeffery. While he supports the promotion of low-fat milk, he disagrees with the dairy industry\u2019s blanket approach to product promotion.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.21″ ab_goal=”on”]The arguments for dairy<\/h3>\n