Thais drink 4-7 times less milk than their neighbours and the rest of the world

[Thaddeus]

I thought that SE Asians didn't have the enzyme in their stomach enabling them to digest milk anyway, or is this a urban myth? Perhaps one of our medical exports could enlighten us on this?

And in the absence of any medical experts, wild, uninformed speculation will do nicely.

Around 95% of Asians are lactose intolerant, it won't harm them, but it doesn't do them any good.

The amount of sugar added to it here on the other hand.......

[FredNL]

Thai milk = fake milk

As a Dutchman I was complaining about the milk and its taste. I contacted the milk company in Holland and I had a reply from a Dutchman in Thailand.

I heard from Dutchman related to the Dutch company in Thailand that is manufacturing milk products.

Thai law prohibits the import of (fresh) milk. The only thing they may import is milk powder. They add terrible Thai water and more.. (yes, sugar is added too).

He told me that Thai milk is not healthy at all !!!

[heybruce]

Thai children to drink 2-3 glasses of milk per day while exercising and having enough sleep each day which will help increase their height.

More's the pity that consuming such an amount of milk will not increase intelligence in the good Health Department Director General. His statement is absolute nonsense. Cows milk is tasty but when it comes to goodness, it is good for calves. It would be interesting to know that if Thais drink so much less milk what percentage of the population in Thailand suffer from Osteoporosis. Consumption of high quantities ofCows Milk is now considered to be one of the main causes of Osteoporosis. That should be plain to measure in Thailand if milk consumption is so low, but to suggest it will effect your height is akin to saying a thousand boats in the Chao Phraya river will make flood waters disappear faster.

I don't suppose you can provide sources for your claims?

[heybruce]

There is so much wrong with this advice. Pasteurized milk and other dairy nutrition products (particularly those that are laced with sugar) are suitable only for those that like to be sick and want a diseased body. Dairy nutrition has been linked to so many health problems, too numerous to list and explain here.

The standard excuse for daily dairy consumption is we need the calcium so we have strong bones. Absolute BS. Researchers at Yale, Harvard, Penn State, and the National Institutes of Health found no evidence of this concerning dairy consumption nor does it prevent osteoporosis. In fact it causes it, as another poster said above.

The National Dairy Council (USA) itself revealed that the highly acidic altered proteins of dairy foods actually leach calcium from the body. Yale University looked at 34 studies done in 16 countries on osteoporosis rates. They found that countries that consume the most meat and dairy nutrition have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Another study found that 40 million women have osteoporosis and only 250,000 women that live in Africa have the disease. Matter of fact, of the 40 tribes that live in Kenya and Tanzania, only one, the Maasai have osteoporosis. The Maasai as it turns out are a cattle owning and dairy consuming tribe, the rest aren't.

You also get much higher levels of calcium and other minerals from fruits and vegetables. Consuming high amounts of dairy actually blocks iron absorption contributing to iron deficiency in women not to mention the calcium leaching effect on the bones. If the Health Department director is concerned about Thai children getting enough calcium consider eating high calcium foods. High calcium foods are kale, collard greens, mustard greens, cabbage, kelp, seaweed, watercress, chickpeas, broccoli, red beans, sesame seeds and raw nuts.

I'd like to see your sources for these claims. In particular I'd like more information regarding this:

"They found that countries that consume the most meat and dairy nutrition have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Another study found that 40 million women have osteoporosis and only 250,000 women that live in Africa have the disease. Matter of fact, of the 40 tribes that live in Kenya and Tanzania, only one, the Maasai have osteoporosis."

What is the life expectancy in these high meat and dairy countries, and what is it among the women studied in Africa? Remember that osteoporosis is a disease that primary affects old age. The best way to avoid it, along with cancer, heart disease and many other ailments, is to die young.

The claim that only 250,000 women in Africa have osteoporosis is suspect for another reason, health care is poor to non-existent in much of Africa. This means that there are no accurate studies encompassing the entire population, the data doesn't exist.

[Suradit69]

What's 4 times less than 5? or 3 times less than 7? Strange way to present statistics.... reminds me a bit of 'better then 50% off'

Yes, it should be 1/4 or 1/7 the average (assuming those amounts are accurate).

Not sure if that includes ice cream, yogurt, etc. Personally I drink 0 litres of milk per year so that means the average Thai drinks a bazillion times more than me. (Technical note 14 ÷ 0 = bazillion).

[bendejo]

All depends on what is considered milk. There is this stuff in Malaysia by a company called Dutch Lady (different from 'Dutch' products in Thailand) that is supposed to be milk, it tastes like a godawful chemical concoction.

Only milk that tastes like milk out here is Meiji.

[elgordo38]

What's 4 times less than 5? or 3 times less than 7? Strange way to present statistics.... reminds me a bit of 'better then 50% off'

Or like the Bank of Thailand Governor said the other day. "Thai exports are growing at the rate of minus 2%"

I am sure he got a pat on the head from the PM for throwing out a positive image. Well on the milk subject a Thai would have to have a cow in order to afford to drink the stuff. Its the fastest item to increase in price since I arrived and besides the taste sucks.

[lvr181]

Thai children to drink 2-3 glasses of milk per day while exercising and having enough sleep each day which will help increase their height.

More's the pity that consuming such an amount of milk will not increase intelligence in the good Health Department Director General. His statement is absolute nonsense. Cows milk is tasty but when it comes to goodness, it is good for calves. It would be interesting to know that if Thais drink so much less milk what percentage of the population in Thailand suffer from Osteoporosis. Consumption of high quantities ofCows Milk is now considered to be one of the main causes of Osteoporosis. That should be plain to measure in Thailand if milk consumption is so low, but to suggest it will effect your height is akin to saying a thousand boats in the Chao Phraya river will make flood waters disappear faster.

"Consumption of high quantities ofCows Milk is now considered to be one of the main causes of Osteoporosis." My italics.

And your peer reviewed evidence is from what reliable source?

[arithai12]

There is so much wrong with this advice. Pasteurized milk and other dairy nutrition products (particularly those that are laced with sugar) are suitable only for those that like to be sick and want a diseased body. Dairy nutrition has been linked to so many health problems, too numerous to list and explain here.

The standard excuse for daily dairy consumption is we need the calcium so we have strong bones. Absolute BS. Researchers at Yale, Harvard, Penn State, and the National Institutes of Health found no evidence of this concerning dairy consumption nor does it prevent osteoporosis. In fact it causes it, as another poster said above.

The National Dairy Council (USA) itself revealed that the highly acidic altered proteins of dairy foods actually leach calcium from the body. Yale University looked at 34 studies done in 16 countries on osteoporosis rates. They found that countries that consume the most meat and dairy nutrition have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Another study found that 40 million women have osteoporosis and only 250,000 women that live in Africa have the disease. Matter of fact, of the 40 tribes that live in Kenya and Tanzania, only one, the Maasai have osteoporosis. The Maasai as it turns out are a cattle owning and dairy consuming tribe, the rest aren't.

You also get much higher levels of calcium and other minerals from fruits and vegetables. Consuming high amounts of dairy actually blocks iron absorption contributing to iron deficiency in women not to mention the calcium leaching effect on the bones. If the Health Department director is concerned about Thai children getting enough calcium consider eating high calcium foods. High calcium foods are kale, collard greens, mustard greens, cabbage, kelp, seaweed, watercress, chickpeas, broccoli, red beans, sesame seeds and raw nuts.

I'd like to see your sources for these claims. In particular I'd like more information regarding this:

"They found that countries that consume the most meat and dairy nutrition have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Another study found that 40 million women have osteoporosis and only 250,000 women that live in Africa have the disease. Matter of fact, of the 40 tribes that live in Kenya and Tanzania, only one, the Maasai have osteoporosis."

What is the life expectancy in these high meat and dairy countries, and what is it among the women studied in Africa? Remember that osteoporosis is a disease that primary affects old age. The best way to avoid it, along with cancer, heart disease and many other ailments, is to die young.

The claim that only 250,000 women in Africa have osteoporosis is suspect for another reason, health care is poor to non-existent in much of Africa. This means that there are no accurate studies encompassing the entire population, the data doesn't exist.

heybruce, you seem to forget that this is TVF. Everyone is a leading expert and google is our God.

[arithai12]

I thought that SE Asians didn't have the enzyme in their stomach enabling them to digest milk anyway, or is this a urban myth? Perhaps one of our medical exports could enlighten us on this?

Sorry, they are all abroad

(forgive me I couldn't resist !)

[arithai12]

I hope we can mention brands?

I agree with those who like Meiji, I used to drink it too but it's also high on sugar.

I find Chockchai Farm (sp?) ok-ish, although still not up to what one might find in Europe.

As for yogurths, my favorite is now Yolida.

Grateful for other suggestions.

[arithai12]

Oh and not forgetting obesity. Notice how many more obese Thai kids there are around today than say 20 years ago?

Breast milk is designed to take you from a baby to a 24 pound toddler in very little time. It will be the quickest growth spurt in your entire life as you triple your birth weight in 1 to 2 years.

Care to check how much fast food and how many sodas Thai kids are consuming with respect to say 20 years ago?

[ujayujay]

Good to know: The calcium in lactose-free milk can not be absorbed by the human body.

[trogers]

And the reason? The milk industry here is highly protected from overseas competitors.

Check out the prices of powdered milk. That's the unsugared real stuff. Not those that are highly diluted with water.

[seahorse]

Thai children to drink 2-3 glasses of milk per day while exercising and having enough sleep each day which will help increase their height.

More's the pity that consuming such an amount of milk will not increase intelligence in the good Health Department Director General. His statement is absolute nonsense. Cows milk is tasty but when it comes to goodness, it is good for calves. It would be interesting to know that if Thais drink so much less milk what percentage of the population in Thailand suffer from Osteoporosis. Consumption of high quantities ofCows Milk is now considered to be one of the main causes of Osteoporosis. That should be plain to measure in Thailand if milk consumption is so low, but to suggest it will effect your height is akin to saying a thousand boats in the Chao Phraya river will make flood waters disappear faster.

I don't suppose you can provide sources for your claims?

World Osteoporosis Day fact sheet dispels the myths about dairy foods

http://www.iofbonehealth.org/news/world-osteoporosis-day-fact-sheet-dispels-myths-about-dairy-foods

[Travel2003]

I thought that SE Asians didn't have the enzyme in their stomach enabling them to digest milk anyway, or is this a urban myth? Perhaps one of our medical exports could enlighten us on this?

And in the absence of any medical experts, wild, uninformed speculation will do nicely.

Actually i have read and read and heard so many times about all the lactose intolerant people on this continent.

The entire family of my wife and many of my friends only consume the soy milk stuff.

of course, if this is not correct, please educate us.

:-)

[Lunchbob]

Bovine growth hormone is not necessary to humans, Thai or otherwise

[Prbkk]

Most of the 'milk' here has added sugar.

In addition to the fact that milk is naturally quite high in sugar, but a far better choice than the rubbish alternatives like cokes, colas, juices .

Singapore has had a drink more milk campaign for 40 years and in a generation they have gone from weedy little people to the tallest in the region. How much is attributable to milk and will there be adverse health consequences from the growth spurt, time will tell

Edited June 2, 2016 by Prbkk

[tomyummer]

This article sponsored by the dairy industry no doubt.

[phycokiller]

I thought that SE Asians didn't have the enzyme in their stomach enabling them to digest milk anyway, or is this a urban myth? Perhaps one of our medical exports could enlighten us on this?

And in the absence of any medical experts, wild, uninformed speculation will do nicely.

your uninformed speculation may have given you a thrill but the comment you were mocking is actually factually correct

[peterb17]

I thought that SE Asians didn't have the enzyme in their stomach enabling them to digest milk anyway, or is this a urban myth? Perhaps one of our medical exports could enlighten us on this?

Absolutely - certainly not an urban myth.

The sugar in milk is lactose- a disaccharide . To digest lactose to monosaccharides - glucose and galactose the enzyme lactase must be present- it is found embedded on the membranes of the villi ( folds) in the small intestine.

After weaning and early into childhood in something like half of the Thai population the gene responsible for synthesising lactase is switched off ( the correct term would be no longer expressed)

At some stage a mutation occurred that allowed this gene to keep functioning into adulthood , but many Thais do not carry this mutation.

So the lactose passes through the gut to the large intestine ( the vast numbers of bacteria living there say yippee lunch - not really a scientific term - and digest the lactose)

This causing bloating, pain, diarrhoea etc.

Hope that explains all- from your friendly molecular biologist

[Siamwhiteelephant]

What's 4 times less than 5? or 3 times less than 7? Strange way to present statistics.... reminds me a bit of 'better then 50% off'

As I read it, it makes sense. In other words, other countries in the Asean region drink 4 to 7 times as much milk: (14 x 4) to (14 x 7). Whereas the Thailand average is only 14 litres a year, other countries in the Asean region range from 56 to 98 litres of milk consumption per year.

[sugarcane24]

Thai children to drink 2-3 glasses of milk per day while exercising and having enough sleep each day which will help increase their height.

More's the pity that consuming such an amount of milk will not increase intelligence in the good Health Department Director General. His statement is absolute nonsense. Cows milk is tasty but when it comes to goodness, it is good for calves. It would be interesting to know that if Thais drink so much less milk what percentage of the population in Thailand suffer from Osteoporosis. Consumption of high quantities ofCows Milk is now considered to be one of the main causes of Osteoporosis. That should be plain to measure in Thailand if milk consumption is so low, but to suggest it will effect your height is akin to saying a thousand boats in the Chao Phraya river will make flood waters disappear faster.

I totally agree. To say that Thai drink less milk than people of other countries is about as idiotic as saying that Thai people eat less wheat or wheat products than people of other countries. I understand that a lot of Thai are also lactose intolerant, so they can't process cows' milk properly and commercial milk is in any case unfit for human consumption.

What concerns me especially is that it seems that in Thailand, the health authorities add fluoride to school milk; fluoride is highly toxic and carcinogenic and makes teeth and bones brittle, then chalky. Fluoride is also neurotoxic, meaning that it reduces IQ, and also promotes sterility by impiring the reproductive system. Not good.

[heybruce]

More's the pity that consuming such an amount of milk will not increase intelligence in the good Health Department Director General. His statement is absolute nonsense. Cows milk is tasty but when it comes to goodness, it is good for calves. It would be interesting to know that if Thais drink so much less milk what percentage of the population in Thailand suffer from Osteoporosis. Consumption of high quantities ofCows Milk is now considered to be one of the main causes of Osteoporosis. That should be plain to measure in Thailand if milk consumption is so low, but to suggest it will effect your height is akin to saying a thousand boats in the Chao Phraya river will make flood waters disappear faster.

I don't suppose you can provide sources for your claims?

World Osteoporosis Day fact sheet dispels the myths about dairy foods

http://www.iofbonehealth.org/news/world-osteoporosis-day-fact-sheet-dispels-myths-about-dairy-foods

For those who haven't bothered to click on the link, it strongly refutes all the claims about milk being bad for bones and strongly endorses consumption of dairy products.

[Cook my sock]

Far too much sugar in everything.

[heybruce]

Thai children to drink 2-3 glasses of milk per day while exercising and having enough sleep each day which will help increase their height.

More's the pity that consuming such an amount of milk will not increase intelligence in the good Health Department Director General. His statement is absolute nonsense. Cows milk is tasty but when it comes to goodness, it is good for calves. It would be interesting to know that if Thais drink so much less milk what percentage of the population in Thailand suffer from Osteoporosis. Consumption of high quantities ofCows Milk is now considered to be one of the main causes of Osteoporosis. That should be plain to measure in Thailand if milk consumption is so low, but to suggest it will effect your height is akin to saying a thousand boats in the Chao Phraya river will make flood waters disappear faster.

I totally agree. To say that Thai drink less milk than people of other countries is about as idiotic as saying that Thai people eat less wheat or wheat products than people of other countries. I understand that a lot of Thai are also lactose intolerant, so they can't process cows' milk properly and commercial milk is in any case unfit for human consumption.

What concerns me especially is that it seems that in Thailand, the health authorities add fluoride to school milk; fluoride is highly toxic and carcinogenic and makes teeth and bones brittle, then chalky. Fluoride is also neurotoxic, meaning that it reduces IQ, and also promotes sterility by impiring the reproductive system. Not good.

More nonsense. I have no doubt that fluoride in large quantities is dangerous, but so is water. In fact water has killed countless people throughout history.

Many people in the east and west become lactose intolerant with adulthood. Lactose intolerance in childhood is rare, and it is in childhood that milk and other dairy products, in intelligent quantities, provide maximum benefit.

There are no poisons, only poisonous doses.

[Lickey]

To test for good or interfered with milk you can try these simple tests.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/simple-home-tests-to-check-adulterated-milk/1/198595.html

Another test for a good cooking oil is also very easy, recently my german friend said that my bertolli EV lite oil was fake,so [google] i put a small glass of this in the fridge,along with some rice bran oil and coconut cooking oil, after 2 hours the olive & coconut oil were solid white like lard, proving they had been cold pressed, the expensive rice bran oil stayed liquid for many days,

This proved to me that the cold pressed oils had all the original healthy fats in them.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Lickey

[anotheruser]

But consume more alcohol than their neighbors.

No that would be Laos

[Andaman Al]

we can all go back and forward saying Milk is good milk is bad. Dairy products are a multi billion maybe even trillion dollar business and the last thing multi national corporations need are what they term, scare tactics that will reduce the profitability of the industry. In every country there are huge lobbying efforts to ensure milk is a major part of our diet, even giving free milk to kids to get them hooked early.

Whatever your stance it is easy, there is no point anyone labelling what others say as 'stupid', ridiculous' etc etc, you are what you eat. It is your body, your health (and of course the children that depend on you). There is enough information out there on the internet to allow you all to make informed choices. But remember NGO's and some 'non-profit organisations' are set up to provide the population with whatever message the big profit makers want to spread.

Google is your friend, you don't need the lazy way out of asking for references, we are not in a forum for academic papers. The food issue should concern you greatly. You can find information to tell you how to detect fake milk (lets face it whatever your health choice on milk it is invalid if you are not drinking real fresh milk), fake honey, fake meat (fake fillet steak! using meat glue!), On the markets of Thailand we even have from China now fake iceberg lettuce - true, just watch how to make it on youtube!

It is hard to know where to shop now.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Andaman Al

[heybruce]

we can all go back and forward saying Milk is good milk is bad. Dairy products are a multi billion maybe even trillion dollar business and the last thing multi national corporations need are what they term, scare tactics that will reduce the profitability of the industry. In every country there are huge lobbying efforts to ensure milk is a major part of our diet, even giving free milk to kids to get them hooked early.

Whatever your stance it is easy, there is no point anyone labelling what others say as 'stupid', ridiculous' etc etc, you are what you eat. It is your body, your health (and of course the children that depend on you). There is enough information out there on the internet to allow you all to make informed choices. But remember NGO's and some 'non-profit organisations' are set up to provide the population with whatever message the big profit makers want to spread.

Google is your friend, you don't need the lazy way out of asking for references, we are not in a forum for academic papers. The food issue should concern you greatly. You can find information to tell you how to detect fake milk (lets face it whatever your health choice on milk it is invalid if you are not drinking real fresh milk), fake honey, fake meat (fake fillet steak! using meat glue!), On the markets of Thailand we even have from China now fake iceberg lettuce - true, just watch how to make it on youtube!

It is hard to know where to shop now.

"you don't need the lazy way out of asking for references"

When an unsubstantiated claim contrary to accepted knowledge is offered it's reasonable to ask for credible references. If none are forthcoming one may assume the claim is nonsense.

I did check Google. I found credible references contrary to your earlier claim that "Consumption of high quantities ofCows Milk is now considered to be one of the main causes of Osteoporosis." I found no references to support it.