At Leanness Lifestyle University (LLU) one of our fifteen, daily nutritional guidelines is to “consume no more than one serving of dairy.” Why do we say that?
Dr. Mark Hyman M.D. recently wrote “There is absolutely no biological requirement for milk. The evidence for low-fat milk is lacking, along with the bone benefits.”
I no longer believe dairy is “what’s good for you.” Dairy is too often a pro-inflammatory food disrupting body chemistry and is at the top of nearly all lists of allergenic foods. 75% of the population have trouble digesting dairy.
Contrary to popular belief we do NOT need dairy to get in our calcium. And contrary to popular belief calcium is only about 10% of the equation of osteoporosis and bone health. Some of the latest research indicates that we probably don’t need as much calcium as the current recommendations suggest. Taking in too much calcium can be as bad as not getting in enough.
Here are some factual statements regarding dairy and calcium:
- Dairy doesn’t reduce fracture risk.
- Studies of calcium supplementation have shown no benefit in reducing fracture risk. Vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures.
- Dairy is linked to prostate cancer.
- Dairy aggravates irritable bowel syndrome
- Dairy may contribute to even more health problems, like: Allergies; Sinus problems; Ear infections; Type 1 diabetes; Chronic constipation; Anemia (in children).
Don’t rely on dairy for healthy bones. If you want healthy bones, live at a healthy weight, get 10-20 minutes of real sunlight a day, do strength-training and other exercise and supplement with 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily.
Instead of cow’s milk, just as a matter of practicality, I recommend switching to almond milk. I also recommend dark green leafy vegetables, sesame tahini, sea vegetables, and sardines or salmon with the bones. All of these foods are calcium rich.