On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, Susan Wolf Sternberg wrote:

> What benefits would I gain
> by giving up dairy?   I'd really like to know.

The only thing I can think of is this: Hard cheeses have about
the highest PRAL values of any foods, which means that they
present the greatest acidic load to be buffered.  This suggests
that hard cheeses increase the risk of osteoporosis.  But even
this would depend on what else you are eating.  If your diet has
enough alkalizing foods, I suppose this wouldn't be an issue.
Soft cheeses, if I remember right, are about the same as meats in
this respect.

Personally, my problem with cheese is more like what some others
report with fruits: I tend to overeat the stuff.  So I avoid it
altogether.  If I'm at a restaurant and there is some grated
cheese on my chicken Caesar salad, I don't worry about it,
though.

Todd Moody
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