Dairy products discussed in The Healthy Skeptic

[Guest guest]

Hi folks: I said that I would post excerpts from this book on occasion. Recently someone asked about getting calcium from/eating more dairy products. Here is what the author has to say about the diary industry:

Pg 48: Of all the groups seeking superfood status for their products, none has been more aggressive than the dairy industry.............The industry spreads the word about milk and bone health.......But many of these studies are funded by the American Dairy Association.

It's true that calcium is necessary for strong bones and that dairy products are rich sources. But....the evidence is mixed regarding milk's effect on bones.....It's worth noting that in countries such as China and Japan, where consumption of dairy is low, rates of fractures are also relatively low........What's more calcium can be obtained from: green leafy vegetables, salmon, dried peas or beans and other fortified products.

If fear of disintegrating bones isn't reason enough for the dairy industry to push their products, they have added another, even more controversial claim: that milk and dairy products promote weight loss. Many of these controversial studies have also been financed by the dairy industry.

Similar studies by researchers have found no evidence that dairy promotes weight loss........

In fact, higher dairy consumption has been linked with prostate and ovarian cancer (Are you listening Rod?). The research doesn't prove that dairy causes cancer but it does raise the possibility of drawbacks of eating the amount of dairy pushed on consumers by the dairy industry.