DAIRY CONSUMPTION AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Back in 1974, Agranoff and Goldberg suggested that dairy consumption, not latitude, could most accurately explain a global predisposing factor for MS occurrence. They hypothesised that consumption of bovine milk could lead to a weakened blood-brain barrier or immunological defence or else stimulate the production of defetive myselin suspectible to an aetilogical agent. There are over 140 fatty acids in milk, many unique, and one might have a toxic effect, possibly vaccenic acid, which is a trans-fatty acid (Agranoff & Goldberg 1974). Butcher agrees that milk production and consumption corresponds more closely than latitude to MS occurrence but proposes a different role. His hypothesis is that large intakes of milk in childhood can create a dependency on high calcium intake with under-developed parathyroid glands so that a teenage reduction in milk consumption can be seen as a trigger or that lead storage, which is analalous to calcium storage, might be affected by large reductions in consumption (Butcher 1986). Lauer concludes that the milk link remains unproven but is biologically plausible (Lauer 1997).