Saturday, February 28, 2009
French Get a Sober Warning to Give Up Wine for Their Health
From The Times
February 20, 2009
Charles Bremner in Paris
With gloom all around, President Sarkozy's Government might have chosen another moment for its latest campaign. This one tells the French people to stop drinking wine.
To the anger of the drinks industry and disbelief of many patriots, the Ministry of Health has made alcohol one of the chief villains in a drive against cancer.
"The consumption of alcohol, and especially wine, is discouraged," say guidelines that are drawn from the findings of the National Cancer Institute (INCA). A single glass of wine per day will raise the chance of contracting cancer by up to 168 per cent, claims the ministry's brochure.
Forget those 1980s findings that antioxidants in wine were good for health, said the French experts. "Small daily doses of alcohol are the most harmful. There is no amount, however small, which is good for you," said Dominique Maraninchi, INCA's president.
Authorities elsewhere have been telling people in recent years to go dry if they want to stay healthy. But the advice was especially sobering, coming from the Government of France, a country where wine is part of life and the national heritage.
The pleasantly illustrated ministry brochure makes grim reading. The INCA collated hundreds of international studies and summarised the relation between types of cancer with food, drink and lifestyle. Apart from wine, the dangerous stuff is red meat, charcuterie and salt. A pavé de rum-steakmight not sound so mouth-watering after reading: "The risk of colon-rectal cancer rises by 29 per cent per 100-gramme portion of red meat per day and 21 per cent per 50-gramme portion of charcuterie."
Alcohol facilitates cancers of the mouth, larynx, oesophagus, colon-rec-tum and breast, say the guidelines.
The wine producers are crying foul, accusing the health lobby of trying to kill one of the glories of the nation. They note the suspicious coincidence that France now has its first teetotal President. Mr Sarkozy sips mineral water and orange juice when all around him are knocking back the champagne and burgundy.
"This persecution of wine has to stop," said the General Association of Wine Producers. The growers say that the scientific evidence is contradictory and they point to a World Health Organisation study which found that moderate consumption helped to prevent cancer.
Xavier de Volontat, president of the wine producers' assocation in the southwestern Languedoc region, said: "The extremists must not be allowed to take consumers hostage... Wine consumption has dropped by 50 per cent over the last 20 years in France but cancer has increased. You have to admit, that's a paradox." (read more)
February 20, 2009
Charles Bremner in Paris
With gloom all around, President Sarkozy's Government might have chosen another moment for its latest campaign. This one tells the French people to stop drinking wine.
To the anger of the drinks industry and disbelief of many patriots, the Ministry of Health has made alcohol one of the chief villains in a drive against cancer.
"The consumption of alcohol, and especially wine, is discouraged," say guidelines that are drawn from the findings of the National Cancer Institute (INCA). A single glass of wine per day will raise the chance of contracting cancer by up to 168 per cent, claims the ministry's brochure.
Forget those 1980s findings that antioxidants in wine were good for health, said the French experts. "Small daily doses of alcohol are the most harmful. There is no amount, however small, which is good for you," said Dominique Maraninchi, INCA's president.
Authorities elsewhere have been telling people in recent years to go dry if they want to stay healthy. But the advice was especially sobering, coming from the Government of France, a country where wine is part of life and the national heritage.
The pleasantly illustrated ministry brochure makes grim reading. The INCA collated hundreds of international studies and summarised the relation between types of cancer with food, drink and lifestyle. Apart from wine, the dangerous stuff is red meat, charcuterie and salt. A pavé de rum-steakmight not sound so mouth-watering after reading: "The risk of colon-rectal cancer rises by 29 per cent per 100-gramme portion of red meat per day and 21 per cent per 50-gramme portion of charcuterie."
Alcohol facilitates cancers of the mouth, larynx, oesophagus, colon-rec-tum and breast, say the guidelines.
The wine producers are crying foul, accusing the health lobby of trying to kill one of the glories of the nation. They note the suspicious coincidence that France now has its first teetotal President. Mr Sarkozy sips mineral water and orange juice when all around him are knocking back the champagne and burgundy.
"This persecution of wine has to stop," said the General Association of Wine Producers. The growers say that the scientific evidence is contradictory and they point to a World Health Organisation study which found that moderate consumption helped to prevent cancer.
Xavier de Volontat, president of the wine producers' assocation in the southwestern Languedoc region, said: "The extremists must not be allowed to take consumers hostage... Wine consumption has dropped by 50 per cent over the last 20 years in France but cancer has increased. You have to admit, that's a paradox." (read more)
European Parliament Conference Addresses the Meat Impact on Climate Change
European Parliament conference addresses the meat impact on climate change, world hunger and animal rights.
European Parliament conference addresses the meat impact on climate change, world hunger and animal rights. "Feeding the World under the Climate Threat?" was the question posed in the forum on November 12 to 13 that was hosted by Swedish Member of the European Parliament and vegetarian Jens Holm. International experts discussed the harmful impact of mass-producing livestock on the environment and vulnerable populations.
Jens Holm - Swedish Member of European Parliament, Vegetarian: The greatest impact you actually could do, that would be to reduce your meat consumption or stop eating meat totally. You would create a surplus of crops that could be used to feed the people who are starving today.
The conference addressed potential measures from the European Union to tackle the animal agriculture sector's increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Jens Holm: Today, European subsidies going directly to advertisement campaigns for meat consumption. It should be the other way around. We should have awareness campaigns for vegetarian consumption, because that is the solution.
It's the solution not only for solving hunger and climate change, but according to Parliament member Holm, who is also a staunch animal advocate, vegetarianism protects countless animal lives.
Jens Holm: My hope for the children of the future is that they can live in a world which is in accordance to nature; also in accordance with the animals so that we don't breed animals; we don't transport animals, of course we don't kill the animals.
European Parliament conference addresses the meat impact on climate change, world hunger and animal rights. "Feeding the World under the Climate Threat?" was the question posed in the forum on November 12 to 13 that was hosted by Swedish Member of the European Parliament and vegetarian Jens Holm. International experts discussed the harmful impact of mass-producing livestock on the environment and vulnerable populations.
Jens Holm - Swedish Member of European Parliament, Vegetarian: The greatest impact you actually could do, that would be to reduce your meat consumption or stop eating meat totally. You would create a surplus of crops that could be used to feed the people who are starving today.
The conference addressed potential measures from the European Union to tackle the animal agriculture sector's increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Jens Holm: Today, European subsidies going directly to advertisement campaigns for meat consumption. It should be the other way around. We should have awareness campaigns for vegetarian consumption, because that is the solution.
It's the solution not only for solving hunger and climate change, but according to Parliament member Holm, who is also a staunch animal advocate, vegetarianism protects countless animal lives.
Jens Holm: My hope for the children of the future is that they can live in a world which is in accordance to nature; also in accordance with the animals so that we don't breed animals; we don't transport animals, of course we don't kill the animals.
European Parliament Leads the Way: Reduce Meat Consumption to Stop Climate Change
European Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change: '...reduce meat consumption'
Brussels, 02/12/2008
A report voted today by the European Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change, drawn up by Conservative MEP Karl Heinz Florenz, concludes the work of this committee by putting forward a series of recommendations for a future EU integrated policy on climate change.
Speaking after the vote, Roberto Musacchio (GUE/NGL, Italy), Vice-Chair of the Committee, said he was satisfied with the report which he said stresses the importance of adopting sectoral targets on energy efficiency as well as using public procurement to support renewable energies.
"I am particularly satisfied that nuclear energy is not considered as an alternative or renewable energy contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions," he said.
Expressing his satisfaction that the Committee had approved a reduction in meat consumption, particularly in the industrialised world, Jens Holm (GUE/NGL, Sweden), shadow rapporteur for GUE/NGL, said that the meat industry was one of the "world's greatest climate villains. It's almost historical to get such a wide support for the demand to reduce meat consumption".
http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=40260
Brussels, 02/12/2008
A report voted today by the European Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change, drawn up by Conservative MEP Karl Heinz Florenz, concludes the work of this committee by putting forward a series of recommendations for a future EU integrated policy on climate change.
Speaking after the vote, Roberto Musacchio (GUE/NGL, Italy), Vice-Chair of the Committee, said he was satisfied with the report which he said stresses the importance of adopting sectoral targets on energy efficiency as well as using public procurement to support renewable energies.
"I am particularly satisfied that nuclear energy is not considered as an alternative or renewable energy contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions," he said.
Expressing his satisfaction that the Committee had approved a reduction in meat consumption, particularly in the industrialised world, Jens Holm (GUE/NGL, Sweden), shadow rapporteur for GUE/NGL, said that the meat industry was one of the "world's greatest climate villains. It's almost historical to get such a wide support for the demand to reduce meat consumption".
http://www.evana.org/index.php?id=40260
Aussies advised to eat less red meat, dairy to help the environment
Melbourne, February 2 (ANI): A leading public health group has advised Australians to have less red meat and dairy for their own good and that of the environment as well.
According to the Public Health Association of Australia, a more integrated approach was required towards dietary guidelines, in place of sole concentration on nutrients.
The Association's Chief, Michael Moore suggested cutting down on red meat and dairy products to help reduce carbon emissions.
"A small reduction in eating red meat and dairy would be a positive step for the environment and generally a positive step for health," News.com.au quoted him as saying.
"Reducing the amount of food that comes from cattle would actually have a greater impact on the environment than sourcing (food) locally."
"Australians tend to eat more red meat than is necessary," he added.
He further handed out advice that eating in groups, such as with family and friends, further eggs on healthier eating habits than dining alone. (ANI)
http://skytimes.co.uk/aussies-advised-to-eat-less-red-meat-dairy-to-help-the-environment/
According to the Public Health Association of Australia, a more integrated approach was required towards dietary guidelines, in place of sole concentration on nutrients.
The Association's Chief, Michael Moore suggested cutting down on red meat and dairy products to help reduce carbon emissions.
"A small reduction in eating red meat and dairy would be a positive step for the environment and generally a positive step for health," News.com.au quoted him as saying.
"Reducing the amount of food that comes from cattle would actually have a greater impact on the environment than sourcing (food) locally."
"Australians tend to eat more red meat than is necessary," he added.
He further handed out advice that eating in groups, such as with family and friends, further eggs on healthier eating habits than dining alone. (ANI)
http://skytimes.co.uk/aussies-advised-to-eat-less-red-meat-dairy-to-help-the-environment/
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