Regarding the 19 year old who had her bone denisty tested. Bone density testing is not recommended for young women, because it is unclear how to interpret the results. But even if her bone denisty was truly low, there could be factors other than her lack of dairy:

    - She could have celiac disease. Many of those who have celiac disease are also lactose intolerant. Those with celiac disease are at great risk for osteoporosis, and it is the damage from gluten that makes them less able to absorb calcium and other nutrients. It is now strongly recommended that all women with osteoporosis be tested for subclinical celiac disease because of the strong correlation.

    - She could have anorexia nervosa. If she does not have menstrual cycles, she does not manufacture enough estrogen to keep her bones strong.

    - She could be a rigorous athlete with a shutdown of her menstrual cycle as above.

    - She could be on Depo Provera, which also shuts down the menstrual cycle.

    - She could have a pituitary tumor, same as above.

So since we cannot rely on bone density testing for teens and we do not know her specific medical history, we cannot draw a correlation between her lack of dairy and her supposed low bone density.

My $.02 :)

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Gale <[log in to unmask]> 

> I always enjoy your emails Jim. Thanks for attaching the paleodiet newsletter. 
> 
> I'm hoping that someone will do a broad-based study on dairy and genetics. I 
> keep going back and forth about dairy in my own mind. 
> 
> My first attempt at paleo eating excluded dairy. But I found that my teeth 
> became very sensitive and I appeared to be losing enamel. So I put some dairy 
> back into my diet. 
> 
> Now, having been quite successful at eliminating sugar (other than fruit and 
> veg) salt (a much more difficult task than I ever anticipated) and of course 
> grains and legumes, I find that my teeth are doing great. 
> 
> Back and forth I go on dairy. I just have been unable to put my finger on 
> anything negative in my own health that seems related to dairy. 
> 
> A few years ago when I was playing hockey regularly, I suffered a couple of 
> broken bones - well-deserved mind you - let a 40 something woman (me) who thinks 
> she's a 19 year old boy play men's hockey and bones are bound to get broken - 
> and not others'. 
> 
> The broken bones nagged at me and I was worried that I may have a bone density 
> issue. So when a free screening was offered at a women's health forum I was 
> attending, I stood in line. They had 3 lines for 3 machines and you could tell 
> by each woman's reaction what she had been told about her bone density, even 
> though the practioners were trying to be careful and not reveal the results too 
> loudly. Just before my turn a girl (19 yo) to my left was tested and you could 
> tell the results were not good. I overheard her mother say, "yes, but she can't 
> have dairy - she's lactose intolerant." 
> 
> Despite the two broken bones from the previous season (a rib and an arm) - my 
> bone density turned out to be just fine. Now I think about that 19 year old 
> girl everytime I try to convince myself not to eat dairy. 
> 
> I greatly suspect that dairy - like every other environmental factor - is good 
> or bad for you depending upon your genes. But maybe I'm just uninformed. 
> 
> gale <== doing the dairy dance 
> 
> [log in to unmask] wrote: 
> I love this book. It's intensive reading, but solid. I'll say again that 
> Taubes gets half the story. He seems to miss entirely the role of "foreign 
> proteins" in disease -- c.f. Cordain's new Paleo Diet Newsletter where he 
> discusses the very strong role of dietary lectins in the development of 
> cardiovascular disease. 
> http://www.thepaleodiet.com/newsletter/newsletters/PDNewsVol4No1.pdf 
> 
> Jim Swayze 
> www.fireholecanyon.com 
> 
> 
> > -------- Original Message -------- 
> > Subject: Taubes Book 
> > From: Paula 
> 
> > Date: Sat, February 16, 2008 7:59 am 
> > To: [log in to unmask] 
> > 
> > I am about 2/3 of the way through Gary Taubes' book Good Calories, Bad 
> > Calories. It is wonderful - a compendium of so many studies and so much 
> > research. 
> > 
> > I wondered - those of you who have read it - Has it changed your view of 
> > food or how you are eating/exercising in any way? 
> > 
> > Paula H. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------------- 
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>