QUEBEC (PasseportSanté.net) 1er June 2005 – A sign of the times, researchers are looking more and more at the impact of dairy products on health. This is one of the elements that emerge from the annual conference of the Center for Research in Milk Science and Technology (STELA) which was held this week in Quebec.1. Indeed, among a host of very specialized presentations, ranging from new strains of flavoring bacteria for cheeses, to the study of bio-active milk molecules, it was also a question of disease prevention, obesity, immunity. or allergies.
According to Benoît Lamarche, director of the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (INAF) at Laval University, of which STELA is a part, ten years ago, we were primarily interested in manufacturing processes. dairy products (cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, etc.) and their characteristics. Today, researchers are increasingly concerned about the link between these products and health.
Moreover, during the opening conference, Professor Bruce German of the University of California, and scientific advisor to Nestlé, Switzerland, insisted that milk and dairy products should be considered as food. health and project an image in this direction. He considers that many foods, and milk in particular, are not only “fuel”, but also a fundamental support of health. He even believes that breast milk should be used as a model in our conception of a healthy diet. He suggests that we take inspiration from the composition of breast milk, which has properties promoting growth and immunity, to achieve a better balance in our diet and our metabolism.
Other researchers have presented studies which suggest that milk and its by-products could strengthen immunity and have properties, among others, against viruses, cancers and allergies. Professor German, however, insisted on the importance of maintaining a systemic rather than reductionist view of diet. So, even if we now know with extreme precision what nutrients are essential for our survival, this approach alone is not enough. We must take into account the overall picture and the many interactions between the multiple elements.
Regarding the effects of calcium in milk, for example, he pointed out that we should no longer study its action in isolation, but in conjunction with the other elements contained in milk. This could prevent that by solving one problem, one creates another.
Léon René de Cotret – PasseportSanté.net
1. The conference took place in Quebec, May 30 and 31, 2005. STELA website: http://stela.fsaa.ulaval.ca
