One of the most prominent issues regarding health topics on dairy that is literally burning the lines these days is the question as to whether or not drinking milk and consuming dairy based products are indeed good for you. Many people who are pro-dairy are saying that milk is the best source of calcium and that calcium is needed to build strong bones and hold off the onset of osteoporosis: a degenerative bone disease that reduces bone mineral density, making the person more susceptible to fractures and bone breakage. In fact, many modern day nutritional guidelines are still advocating 2 to 3 servings of dairy products in daily meals.

On the other hand, people who are anti-dairy (for lack of a better term) are saying that many people would benefit more from drastically reducing or even totally removing dairy products from their diets. For one thing, dairy products like red meat, whole milk and cheese are extremely high in saturated fat, which can lead to a host of medical conditions including: obesity, high blood pressure and the heart diseases.

Secondly, it seems that the so-called benefits of these aforementioned products are only relegated to a small population of people. Incredibly, more than ? of the world's population is lactose intolerant, which means that these people have the inability to metabolize the lactose commonly found in dairy. For people with this condition, consuming milk, cheese, cream, etc. can only lead to a number of digestive problems like bloating, cramping, diarrhea, flatulence and nausea. At the same time, it is estimated that about 75% of adults (from all races) eventually lose their ability to produce the enzymes necessary to break down lactose.

Thirdly, researches show that although calcium is needed in building strong -- or to be more precise: stronger bones, dairy products are not the only nor the best source of this mineral. You can get the recommended amount of calcium per day if you consume: 8 oz. of plain low-fat yogurt, or 1ae cups of spinach, 2ae cups of baked beans, 2 cups of green peas, 5_ cups of oranges (complete with pulp,) or about 5ae cups of almonds.

Additionally, it is said that calcium is only one component needed to keep osteoporosis at bay. Other minerals that should be taken are: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and zinc - all of which can be found in other food items that are not strictly dairy-based.

Lastly, there are no conclusive studies that even remotely suggest that people who never consume dairy based products are more prone to osteoporosis, or that they suffer from this degenerative condition earlier than dairy consumers.
Tags: dairy, milk, health, cream, cheese