Dairy is supposed to be good for you. The USDA says: “Dairy products make important contributions to the American diet They provide high quality protein and are good sources of vitamins A, D, and B-12 and also riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc and calcium.” And so they do. They provide more than 70 percent of the calcium in most American diets and are fortified with vitamin D to prevent rickets. Recent studies also suggest that dairy food not only build strong bones but also might protect against a number of other diseases and conditions.
Then there are the other opinions:
- while cow’s milk is high in calcium, is a diet high in dairy products the way to get that calcium? Milk is also high in saturated fat, and cholesterol, all substances that we are told to avoid in large amounts.
How dairy products are produced today is also a reason for concern and debate. As in other parts of the food industry, efficiency is key. Since 1970, dairy producers have reduced the number of dairy farms, increased the number of cows per dairy, and increased the total milk production, while at the same time reducing the overall number of dairy cows.
They have done this by doubling the amount of milk each cow produces. Pushing the cows to produce more milk, leads to a great chance of infection and the need for antibiotics. To stimulate great milk production, cows are given growth hormones- one in particular bST is genetically engineered.
Fewer dairies with more cows each leads to crowded conditions, more concentrated animal waste and again more infections…. and then more antibiotics…. you get the picture.
The antibiotics and hormones get into the milk and then we… drink it and it gets into us.
The other tidbit of information that I found very interesting- commercial milk does not come straight form to cow. It is combined with milk from a lot of other cows, separated into cream and skim fractions and then reconstituted into milks with different fat content. At this point it is pasteurized, homogenized, and vitamin fortified.
So while I don’t plan on giving up my cheese any time soon, there are some things to think about:
- Calcium- can be found in many fruits and vegetables, grains, beans and nuts. Making sure these are in your diet will ensure you are getting calcium. Also some lifestyle habits effect how much calcium you actually require. How active you are, whether you smoke and how much alcohol you drink all are determining factors.
- If you drink milk at all, the lower the fat content the better the nutritional value. Nonfat milk retains most of the nutrients of whole milk without all the calories or fat of whole milk.
- To avoid the antibiotics and hormones traces found in conventionally produced milk…. drink organic milk.
- Yogurt- many yogurts found in supermarkets are very sweet and should really be considered a dessert alternative.
- If you are a yogurt enthusiast consider Greek style yogurt or organic yogurt and read the labels to avoid the artificial sweeteners and or non pronounceable stuff that is found in most yogurts. Stick with plain and then add your own flavors. If you like fruit in yogurt add your own separately- frozen blueberries and the like. Sweeter- add honey. ..or a few drops of vanilla extract.
- Soy milk- while many find soybeans a shining star in health foods- most soy grown in the US is GM (genetically modified) ………mmm… so if soy milk is your thing- buy organic…. and remember soy in processed foods and even ‘health bars’ ( loaded with sweeteners and additives )are still junk food … even with the soy!
- For me, organic cheese form small dairies, where cows are humanely treated works for me on so many levels and I also have started making some of my own.
photo: flickr by terdata
