In response to the recent post on Seely's research indicating
that milk is the most important dietary risk factor for CHD, I
want to correct the claim that Seely thinks it is the lactose,
rather than the protein, that is the risky part.  In the
following abstract, at least, Seely clearly claims that it is the
protein that matters, except for the protein in cheese.  An
explanation for this exception is not attempted.

Todd Moody
[log in to unmask]

Med Hypotheses 1981 Jul;7(7):907-18

Diet and coronary disease: a survey of mortality rates and food consumption
statistics of 24 countries.

Seely S

Direct, linear and reasonably accurate correlation has been found between
coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates and the consumption of unfermented
milk proteins--namely the protein content of all dairy products with the only
important exception of cheese--in a study of male mortality rates and food
consumption statistics of 24 countries. Thus in Finland, with the highest CHD
mortality amongst these countries, the consumption of unfermented mile proteins
is also higher than in the other countries, 30.4 g/day, corresponding to the
protein content of 0.85 l of whole milk. In Germany, Yugoslavia and Japan male
CHD mortality is approximately a half, a quarter and a tenth of that in
Finland. So is the consumption of milk proteins, 14.1, 8.1 and 2.5 g
respectively. Multivariate analysis on the combined effect of milk proteins and
other possible atherogenic agents, like sugar, saturated fats and cigarette
smoking, is performed, the results tending to confirm the leading role of milk
proteins, attributing only an adjuvant effect to co-factors. Possible
theoretical interpretation of the results is briefly discussed.