I’ve been away for a few days and on my return I saw that Swiss dairy farmers had gone on strike to get more money for their milk production. They have finally got their increase and the supermarkets and other shops are wasting no time in passing it onto the consumer. With the rise in the price of dairy products, the question of whether milk is an efficient source of calcium is being discussed a lot. So here are my thoughts.
Official sources tell us that milk is the best source of calcium, that we need to eat 2-3 portions of dairy products per day, where 1 portion is 250 grs. However, there is increasing evidence showing that milk may not be the more efficient way of getting calcium. Firstly, as an animal protein, milk when digested produces more acid which the body may neutralise by taking calcium from the bones. You can also get a good supply of calcium from dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and low-oxalate vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, boy choy and water cress.
In Ayurveda milk is considered to be a wonderful food but all the ancient writings came before the time of pasturisation, adding hormones and antibiotics to cow feed etc. So, if you’re in good health and not intolerant or allergic to milk, my thought is to go for moderation, just as Ayurveda teaches. And make sure you vary your calcium sources.
