The punishing effects of lactose intolerance are unmistakable. The good news is there are now numerous non-dairy choices to replace milk, including soy and rice ice creams, milk, cheeses and even yogurt. It's so good you won't believe it. The most contentious area of the dairy debate is the long-held belief that milk provides an excellent source of calcium that is essential for guarding against osteoporosis. Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease which is characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in brittle or thin bones.
Milk is a good source.
The bio-availability of calcium is lower in soy milk than dairy milk. But many experts, like Hirt and Barnard, disagree that dairy is the optimal answer. A healthy, intelligent diet can adequately provide all your calcium needs without any dairy products. I'm in the 99th percentile for my age and the 96th for women ages 18-25. And that includes two pregnancies and breastfeeding without any dairy.