First, let me say that having grown up in Wisconsin, I know that discussions about dairy can become political, and that's not my intent with this thread. I've heard various opinions on whether dairy products are, as far as nutrition is concerned, good or bad. I'm curious what other people think and know.

On one hand, milk has a lot of calcium, and is supposedly a good source of calcium. Milk has protein, and it has vitamins in it when milk producers add them. The sources for this information include the dairy industry
and the USDA. Obviously the dairy industry is biased. The USDA is supposed to educate Americans on nutrition, and it is therefore a better source than the dairy industry. But I know from my studies in administrative law and dairy politics that the milk industry plays a large role in U.S. policy toward dairy.

On the other hand, combining calcium with animal protein supposedly blocks the absorption of calcium and may cause other problems. Sources for this opinion include animal rights organizations and medical research. Obviously animal rights organizations are biased. Medical doctors and researchers are, IMHO, the most reliable source on this topic.

In my case, after suffering a nasty kidney stone, I started learning about calcium. Kidney stones are often the result of calcium build up. My doctor told me that I should not reduce calcium intake, but instead that I should get calcium from sources other than animal products. The reason is that apparently calcium binds with animal protein, and therefore a lot of the calcium in dairy products ends up being processed through the kidneys, rather than used by the body for a nutrient.

I did some more research, and discovered that a lot of health professionals share the same opinion.

The animal rights organizations, which are IMHO as biased as the dairy industry, claim that milk is unhealthy for the same reason, plus they claim that dairy products contain mucus and harmful hormones that farmers give to cows in order to increase milk production. I don't know about the mucus issue, but there is support for the harmful hormones opinion.

What do you all think? What other knowledge do you all have about this topic? I'm not trying to start a debate, I just want more knowledge on this topic.

Thanks!

Like you, I've heard all the arguments from the two biased sides and it's hard to know what to think. First, I would say, you should always follow your doctor's advice unless you have a really good reason not to, and then you should get a second opinion. Other than that, though ... If you are worried about hormones, then you can always use organic or hormone-free dairy products. They are more expensive but might provide more peace of mind. As for the mucous argument ... well ... it's possible for individuals to have sensitivities. There are also people who will talk about the fact that so many people, especially large ethnic groups, are lactose intolerant, and therefore humans weren't "meant" to consume cow's milk. Of course the flip side to that is that some ethnic groups, specifically northern Europeans, can not only consume cow's milk with impunity but depended on it for survival for centuries. In areas like Scandinavia where the growing season is short, cows are used to convert the available plant material that is inedible by humans into a product we CAN consume, and it's renewable because you're not killing the animal to get it.

So, for me, I LIKE milk and dairy products waaaay too much to give them up when I've personally not suffered any ill effects. For me, giving up dairy would be HARDER than giving up the junk as I've done to lose all this weight. I'd have to have some pretty compelling evidence, and a doctor's order, to give them up.

P.S. There's a great article by Dr. Andrew Weil about the mucous topic at http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA228813/.

I LOVE milk, as well as cheese; when an ovo-lacto vegetarian for 10 years I also learned to love soy products equally as well. So I drink soymilk on an equal basis and drink a lot of both.

I also have some concerns about hormones given to dairy cows, but not enough to give up dairy milk which helps me a lot with various dietary issues I have. I also am concerned about animal rights issues.

I'm not a doctor or medical researcher so am not qualified to offer any opinion on whether calcium should be taken with animal protein. I've also heard research cited that certain vegetables (like kale, spinach, etc.) block the absorption of the calcium they contain and that orange juice does when calcium is added to it. For me, opinions come and go and I'm not convinced that the age-old practice of humans consuming milk from animals is a bad one, since it has served humankind well since the dawn of time.

In your specific case, of course, you'd want to follow the advice of your medical professional if you felt his advice was correct, and just maybe use other sources, such as calcium-fortified soymilk, which is delicious anyway!

I've also spent a lot of time thinking this through and doing research. For me, here is what works:

We only buy organic milk (mostly to benefit my 2 kids)
I eat plain fat-free yogurt as a good source of calcium
I rarely eat cheese (mostly because of the fat)

There are vegan sources of calcium--collard greens, kale, tofu if it is coagulated with calcium, some types of beans and some fortified cereals and breads. The Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) provides useful information.

Thank you all! I have northern European heritage, and probably have genes that are good for processing dairy. That was a good point to think about.

Right now, I eat dairy maybe once a day, and have calcium from plants for the rest. I'll stick to that habit rather than entirely giving up dairy.

I'm from Wisconsin too and let me say I was raised on 2% milk and cheese of all kinds!!! I've read many places that Lowfat dairy is the best for you. Skim milk, fatfree cottage cheese, plain nonfat yogurt (add splenda and fresh fruit)...and if I'm going to splurge on cheese it's going to be romano, parmesan, or asiago....(gotta love my italian family!)