As a doctor, I get a lot of questions about what to eat and what not to eat. Wheat and dairy tie for both “Most Commonly Eliminated” and “Most Devastating To Lose." When I posted about this topic on my Facebook page, I got a surprising number of comments about how delicious dairy was and therefore could not be removed from the diet.
So let’s set the record straight: I wholeheartedly agree that milk, yogurt and ice cream are delicious!
But when you think about dairy from a nutritional point of view, the conclusion is a little different.
The Harvard School of Public Health recently released the Healthy Eating Plate, their version of MyPlate (the USDA’s new Food Pyramid). They removed dairy from the picture and said to limit milk/dairy to 1 to 2 servings per day. This got some media attention as dairy has been a separate food group in the American diet for decades now and USDA MyPlate recommends dairy at each meal.
Related: Fat-Fighting Foods for Your Diet
USDA versus Harvard 
The Harvard article on calcium and dairy also states: “Currently, there's no good evidence that consuming more than one serving of milk per day in addition to a reasonable diet (which typically provides about 300 milligrams of calcium per day from nondairy sources) will reduce fracture risk.” Most Americans understand the link between calcium and bone health, but this research indicates that more milk isn’t necessarily better for your bones.
Ask people about dairy and you’ll hear “calcium,” “cows,” and often “delicious!” (talking about cheese and ice cream). Although dairy is one source of calcium, the media exposure it gets is out of proportion to its nutritional value. The Harvard article brings up lactose intolerance, the saturated fat content, and the potential increases in rates of ovarian and prostate cancer as reasons to seek out alternative sources of calcium.
So what are those other sources of calcium? Dark leafy greens are incredibly efficient ways to get calcium: 1 cup of raw spinach has almost 30 mg, 1 cup of kale has 93.6 mg and 1 cup of broccoli has 42.6mg — for comparison, 1 cup of skim milk has 316 mg, so yes, there is more in milk itself. Beans are another great option: 1 cup of black beans is 46.4 mg, 1 cup of chickpeas has 80.4mg, and 1 cup of kidney beans has 49.6 mg. As for dairy substitutes, almond or rice milk are great for your coffee while coconut milk ice cream is a delicious dessert. (No, really, it is!)
Related: Cheese is an Aphrodisiac?
My diet diary for today revealed: (Calcium amounts taken from nutritiondata.self.com)
Breakfast: Calcium Content
2 scrambled eggs 42.6mg
Lunch: Calcium Content
Spinach salad (2 cups) 59.4 mg
Broccoli (1 cup) 42.6 mg
Butternut squash (1.5cup) 126 mg
Dinner: Calcium Content
Roast chicken (1 cup) 21 mg
Sauteed Kale (1.5 cups) 140.4 mg
Roasted yams (1.5 cups) 114 mg
Combine that with 1 cup of yogurt (448 mg) or a multivitamin and I reached the recommended 1,000 mg pretty easily (and that recommended amount is still under debate also, as more and more research is finding that more calcium does not reduce bone fracture risk and may increase heart disease risk).
So I have to agree with Harvard. Although dairy is an efficient way to get calcium into the human body, it is not the only way and there’s no need to worry that you aren’t getting enough if you aren’t eating dairy at each meal. One serving a day is quite sufficient for most people and for those who cannot tolerate dairy, grab an extra cup of spinach or kale and enjoy some B vitamins and fiber along with your calcium!
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References:
The nutrition source calcium and milk: what'sbest for your bones and health?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-full-story/index.html
Cook, M. (2012, January 08). Harvard declares dairy not part of healthy diet. Retrieved from http://www.care2.com/greenliving/harvard-declares-dairy-not-part-of-healthy-diet.html
Dietary supplement fact sheet: Calcium. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium/
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