A Group Of Doctors Want A Warning Label Put On Cheese
Oh, that's not a happy headline to read, is it? We are definitely a cheese-adoring nation. Plus, many of us have grown up being taught that it's practically a necessity, along with other dairy products, to get the calcium we need and especially to avoid developing osteoporosis as we age. However, there's been data refuting that for awhile now.
Additionally, many of us have an intense love for cheese. There are so many varieties and ways to enjoy it. And truly, is there anything more tempting than melted cheese?
OK, moving on.
So, who are these doctors? Meet the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a group of 12,000 medical professionals. You can learn more about them, if you'd like, via their website. This group submitted a petition on October 3 to the FDA asking them to add warnings of links to breast cancer on the labels of cheese products. What on earth would cause them to do such a thing?
According to an article by Sarah D. Young, a writer for Consumer Affairs, "high-fat dairy product consumption has been linked to higher breast cancer mortality rates in women previously diagnosed with the disease, the doctors said, citing findings from a recent study."
The doctors are concerned because their research leads them to conclude that dairy cheese has reproductive hormones that could increases mortality risk when it comes to breast cancer--and there's concern about links to prostate cancer, as well.
The article goes on to report that "The Life After Cancer Epidemiology study found that women previously diagnosed with breast cancer had a 49 percent higher risk of dying from the disease if they consumed one or more servings of high-fat dairy products (such as cheese, ice cream, or whole milk) per day."
That is most sobering news. I'm sure, however, there will be some counter-argument coming in the near future try to debunk all of this. However, there is solid research that eating a bunch of full-fat dairy isn't great for us. Both plant-based and paleo folks at least agree on that.
If you want to delve further, here's the article for you.