| Heather |
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| 09/16/03 04:03 PM |
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Milk Slows Recovery from Bowel Surgery
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Milk Slows Recovery from Bowel Surgery
Milk slows down recovery from bowel surgery, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
The study, led by Dr. L. Peter Fielding of York Hospital, in York, PA, compared patients given a dairy-free diet to others given a "standard" hospital diet. The dairy-free diet cut the incidence of diarrhea from 32 percent to 5 percent, and shortened the recovery from ten days to seven, cutting hospital costs from $10,337 to $6,751.
About 65,000 people undergo bowel surgery each year. The researchers estimated that if all hospitals instituted the diet change, they would save $250 million annually.
Lactose intolerance (an inability to digest the milk sugar lactose) may not be the only reason people benefit from the diet change. Both the fat and the protein in dairy products can affect digestive function.
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