The endocrine and epigenetic impact of persistent cow milk consumption on prostate carcinogenesis

This review analyzes the potential impact of milk-induced signal transduction on the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa). Articles in PubMed until November 2021 reporting on milk intake and PCa were reviewed. Epidemiological studies identified commercial cow milk consumption as a potential risk factor of PCa. The potential impact of cow milk consumption on the pathogenesis of PCa may already begin during fetal and pubertal prostate growth, critical windows with increased vulnerability. Milk is a promotor of growth and anabolism via activating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)/phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. Estrogens, major steroid hormone components of commercial milk of persistently pregnant dairy cows, activate IGF-1 and mTORC1. Milk-derived signaling synergizes with common driver mutations of the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway that intersect with androgen receptor, MFG-E8, MAPK, RUNX2, MDM4, TP53, and WNT signaling, respectively. Potential exogenously induced drivers of PCa are milk-induced elevations of growth hormone, IGF-1, MFG-E8, estrogens, phytanic acid, and aflatoxins, as well as milk exosome-derived oncogenic microRNAs including miR-148a, miR-21, and miR-29b. Commercial cow milk intake, especially the consumption of pasteurized milk, which represents the closest replica of native milk, activates PI3K-AKT-mTORC1 signaling via cow milk’s endocrine and epigenetic modes of action. Vulnerable periods for adverse nutrigenomic impacts on prostate health appear to be the fetal and pubertal growth periods, potentially priming the initiation of PCa. Cow milk-mediated overactivation of PI3K-AKT-mTORC1 signaling synergizes with the most common genetic deviations in PCa, promoting PCa initiation, progression, and early recurrence.

REVIEW OF PLANT-BASED MILK UTILIZATION AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ANIMAL MILK

In general, milk is a white liquid secreted by animal’s mammary gland and contained lactose. Problems occured when some people have an allergy to lactose thus an alternative is created in the form of dairy products with plants as the basic ingredient. This study aims to determine the nutritional value and the advantage of plant-based milk on health and nutrition fulfillment so it can be used as a substitute of animal milk for people with lactose intolerance. In this study, the milk in plant-based milk refers to extracts of various plants. Plant-based milk has a distinctive odor depending on the plant-based ingredients used. In this article, the study was carried on the physical characteristics, nutritional values and benefits of plant-based milk consumption for health and a comparison with animal milk (cow’s milk) was also done. The literature indicated that nutritional value of plant-based milk is comparable to animal milk. Despite no observable physical differences between plant-based milk and animal milk, there was still a need for improvements in the way to add flavour to plant-based milk to attract consumer’s interest. Plant-based milk has its benefits for heart health due to its lack of cholesterol levels in it. There are five types of plant-based milk studied within the scope of this article; these are soy, almond, oat, mung beans, and cashew.

Livestock Holding and Time Spent by Farm Women in Dairying Activities in Andhra Pradesh

A study was conducted to investigate the involvement of women in dairying activities in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. The study involved a total of 225 respondents covering 75 villages. The result revealed that small farm women possessed significantly (P≤0.05) more graded Murrah buffaloes (3.68±0.28), whereas women under medium farm category possessed significantly (P≤0.05) more number of local cows (0.28±0.07), Murrah buffaloes (0.45±0.21) as well as more (P≤0.01) buffalo heifers (1.22±0.14). The milk production (litres per day) (13.25±0.80), consumption (1.48±0.06) and milk consumption by women (0.16±0.07) was observed to be high in medium women dairy farmers in the study area. Milk sale per day was observed to be significantly (P≤0.05) high in small farmers (14.20±1.90). Small farm women (587.00±81.70) obtained more income (rupees/day) through dairying followed by medium (516.34±54.35) and landless (385.66±32.39) farm women. It was observed that women are spending more time on dairy activities in the study area compared to men. The time spent was more on feeding activities.

Life-course perspectives of milk consumption among young Norwegian women and their knowledge of milk as a source of iodine: a qualitative study

Mild to moderate iodine deficiency has been found among young Norwegian women of reproductive age. In Norway, cow’s milk is the main source of iodine; however, milk consumption is decreasing, particularly among young women. This study aimed to investigate milk consumption practices in young Norwegian women and their attitudes toward milk consumption from childhood to young adulthood in a life-course perspective and their knowledge of milk as a source of iodine. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 30 bachelor students (women, 18–25 years old) from five different study programs. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to interpret milk consumption practices from a life-course perspective. Five focus group interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview guide. The transcribed interviews were coded according to emerging themes related to milk consumption practices and turning points. Milk consumption practices were dynamic and changed over time and were influenced by several factors: family traditions, school milk subscription, friends and social media, social acceptance, availability, price, and attitudes toward health and the environment. Young women tend to be in a phase of life in which milk is not part of their food practices. Most of the women were not aware of the consequences of omitting milk from their diet and had limited knowledge of iodine and how to secure adequate dietary iodine intake. Awareness of possible consequences of omitting milk from the diet should be promoted along with information on how to secure adequate iodine intake

Eating Habits of People Aged 15-18 Years

Introduction: Determination of the status of eating habits is anecessary step for evaluating future changes in terms of their comparison. Children and young people are an important target group in this regard. Objective:To determine and compare the status of eating habits in the youth and adult population in terms of the most significant risks. Methodology and characteristics of the sample group:In 2019, the research sample consisted of 745 respondents aged 15-18 years. Of this number, 51% were girls (n = 379) and 49% were boys (n = 366). The software program Epi Data 3.1was used for statistical processing of questionnaires from the respondents. Adatabase for inserting data from the respondents was created in the program. The data were further processed in Microsoft Excel 2007. Results:Increasing levels of energy drinks consumption and declining milk consumption pose significant nutritional risks. On the other hand, we can see an increase in the number of consumers of raw vegetables and adecrease in the number of daily consumers of sweets. Conclusion: Further measures need to be taken to support pos- itive changes in the content and frequency of eating.

Fasting, food and farming: Value chains and food taboos in Ethiopia

The impact of food taboos–often because of religion–is understudied. In Ethiopia, religious fasting by Orthodox Christians is assumed to be an important impediment for the sustainable development of a competitive dairy sector and desired higher milk consumption, especially by children. However, evidence is limited. Relying on unique data, we shed light on three major issues. First, we observe that the average annual number of fasting days that Orthodox adults are effectively adhering to is 140, less than commonly cited averages. Using this as an estimate for extrapolation, fasting is estimated to reduce annual dairy consumption by approximately 12 percent nationally. Second, farms adapt to declining milk demand during fasting by increased processing of milk into storable products–fasting contributes to larger price swings for these products. We further note continued sales of milk by non-remote farmers and reduced production–by adjusting lactation times for dairy animals–for remote farmers. Third, fasting is mostly associated with increased milk consumption by the children of dairy farmers, seemingly because of excess milk availability during fasting periods. Our results suggest that fasting habits are not a major explanation for the observed poor performance of Ethiopia’s dairy sector nor low milk consumption by children. To reduce the impact of fasting on the dairy sector in Ethiopia further, investment is called for in improved milk processing, storage, and infrastructure facilities.

Human Milk-Based or Bovine Milk-Based Fortifiers Differentially Impact the Development of the Gut Microbiota of Preterm Infants

Background: Preterm infants are exposed to different dietary inputs during their hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These include human milk (HM), with a human milk-based (HMF) or a bovine milk-based (BMF) fortifier, or formula. Milk consumption and the type of fortification will cause changes in the gut microbiota structure of preterm infants. This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiota of PT infant according to the type of feeding and the type of HM fortification and its possible association with infant's growth.Methods: Ninety-seven infants born ≤33 wks of gestation or <1,500 g were followed during the hospitalization period in the NICU after birth until discharge. Clinical and dietary information was collected, including mode of delivery, pregnancy complications, mechanical ventilation, use of antibiotics, weight, and type and amount of milk consumed. To characterize the gut microbiota composition, weekly stool samples were collected from study participants. The V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene was Sequenced using Illumina MiSeq technology.Results: After birth, black maternal race, corrected gestational age (GA) and exposure to pregnancy complications, had a significant effect on gut microbial diversity and the abundance of Enterococcus, Veillonella, Bifidobacterium, Enterobacter, and Bacteroides. Over the course of hospitalization, corrected GA and exposure to chorioamnionitis remained to have an effect on gut microbial composition. Two different enterotypes were found in the gut microbiota of preterm infants. One enriched in Escherichia-Shigella, and another enriched in uncharacterized Enterobacteriaceae, Klebsiella and Clostridium sensu stricto 1. Overall, HM and fortification with HMF were the most common feeding strategies. When consuming BMF, PT infants had higher growth rates than those consuming HMF. Milk and type of fortification were significantly associated with the abundance of Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.Conclusions: This observational study shows the significant association between milk consumption and the exposure to HMF or BMF fortification in the fecal microbiota composition of preterm infants. Additionally, these results show the effect of other perinatal factors in the establishment and development of PT infant's gut microbiota.

Assessment of Milk Consumption and Lactose Intolerance among Self Perceived Lactose Intolerant Student of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Nigeria

Objective: The study assessed milk consumption and prevalence of lactose intolerance among self-perceived lactose intolerant students of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba. Subject and Methods: The study involved 121 self-reported lactose intolerants students from which 76 students with confirmed cases of lactose intolerant were selected from two purposively selected departments namely: Food Science and Technology (F.S.T) and Hospitality Management Technology (H.M.T) Abia State Polytechnic Aba. Questionnaires were used to collect information on dairy consumption and self- perceived intolerance to milk; while milk tolerance test was used to investigate the incidence of lactose tolerance among the student Results: The result shows that self-perceived lactose intolerance was higher (89%) than the estimated prevalence of (79%) among the students. The majority of the students consumed milk and dairy products, with percentages of 100%, 82%, 72%, and 100% for milk, ice cream, yoghurt, and flavored dairy products, respectively. The frequency and serving portions consumed per day were small. The percentages were 24%, 17%, 16%, and 15% for milk, ice cream, yoghurt, and flavored dairy products, respectively. None of the subjects consumed up to 2 serving of milk per day. Conclusion: The result shows that a high percentage of the students still consume milk and dairy products, irrespective of their lactose intolerance. This suggests that lactose intolerance could not stop the subjects from consuming milk and dairy products. The low frequency of daily consumers of milk and dairy products coupled with small portion sizes of milk and dairy products indicates that dairy consumption among the subjects was poor and inappropriate. Inappropriate consumption of milk and dairy products would fail to meet the nutritional needs of the consumer.

Effect of milk supplementation on the status of micronutrients among rural school children aged 5–19 years in a tribal predominating district of India

BackgroundIn the tribal state of Jharkhand, there have been very few studies on micronutrient deficiency and how it is addressed among school children. This study was conceived and undertaken to assess the effect of milk supplementation on the micronutrient status of school children.DesignA comparative observational study was conducted among school children of a tribal district in India during 2017–2018. Two groups of schools/clusters were randomly selected, one with milk supplementation and the other without supplementation. A total of 318 children from the two groups of schools were recruited for biochemical analysis of certain micronutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron (haemoglobin level), using cluster random sampling. Data were analysed using SPSS V.20.0 software, and multiple logistic regression analysis was done to determine the predictors of serum calcium and vitamin B12 level among school children.ResultsAlmost all children from both groups had vitamin D deficiency. A higher risk of lower serum vitamin B12 level (OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.61 to 4.16) and calcium level (OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.74 to 6.49) was observed in children of the control group. The difference in the proportion of anaemia in the two study groups was found to be statistically insignificant. Milk consumption was found to be the only significant predictor of normal vitamin B12 and calcium level in the present study.ConclusionsIn this study, it was concluded that milk consumption may help in improving the calcium and vitamin B12 status of school children of a tribal state, whereas it does not have any significant effect on vitamin D level.