On May 24, 2006, The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation will be launching White Lies, a campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of consuming dairy products. Why You Don't Need Dairy, an event to mark the beginning of the campaign, will feature Heather Mills McCartney as a speaker who will call for milk to be dropped from the nation's diet. At the same time, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, PCRM, a nonprofit health organization comprised of physicians and nutritionists, will be asking consumers to eliminate dairy from their diet for three weeks to see if they notice an improvement in health.

In three short weeks, PCRM is confident those who take the dairy-free challenge will notice immediate benefit in better digestion, easier breathing, better sleep, a lessening of headaches and for sufferers of acne or dermatitis -- clear skin. Health benefits that are not immediately noticeable but of significant value is a reduction in the risk of prostate and ovarian cancer. Research had proven the link between dairy and these two cancers. Because dairy products such as cheese, ice cream, milk, butter, and yogurt all contain high levels of fat, it is reasonable to assume there might be a dairy link to other cancers as well.

The Nutrition Resource Centre of the Ontario Public Health Association, has published Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium, available as a PDF document online, with food suggestions that offer plenty of calcium.

One of my good friends uses artificial sweeteners as a substitute for sugar, and she has been doing so for years. I wrinkle my nose mostly because I do not care for the metallic taste, and I am one of those people who believes if there is smoke there might be fire. The aspartame controversy has raged on for years, each side steadfast in their flame-fanning research-supported stated opinions.

Putting my personal preference and belief aside, I am sharing with you that The Calorie Control Council, established in 1966, as an international non-profit association representing the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry, has released the results of a National Cancer Institute five-year epidemiology study indicating there is no risk between aspartame and cancer. For those who believe in the safety of aspartame, this conclusion will come as a welcome relief from worry. For those who strongly believe aspartame is a dangerous chemical, all I can say is -- do not shoot the messenger. I realize in an attempt to fairly report all things cancer-related and give both sides a voice, someone is not going to be happy about it. And if the past is any indicator of the future, I am sure this will not be the last word on the aspartame subject.