When the old milk commercials aired, some said it was false advertising - milk doesn't do a body much good, they said. Madonna, for one, didn't believe the ad. She follows the macrobiotics philosophy, which says dairy products should be consumed once a month or less.
But the United States Department of Agriculture recommends eating three low-fat dairy products a day. Why the discrepancy? It depends who you ask.
Generally, nutritionists say the USDA recommendations reflect years of scientific research. They say the calcium in dairy products - difficult to obtain elsewhere in such high amounts - increases bone density, reduces blood pressure, lowers the blood level of harmful cholesterol and reduces the chance of developing some cancers.
But some nutritionists disagree. They say the research shows otherwise, and the food guide pyramid is misleading.
'They (the USDA) get a lot of pressure from dairy groups that want them to keep recommending people to increase their dairy intake,' said Brie Turner-McGrievy, a registered dietician and clinical research coordinator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
The PCRM is a health advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., that recommends a vegan diet.
The PCRM says dairy products are high in unhealthy fat and cholesterol, and that scientific studies have linked milk drinking to osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, ovarian cancer and diabetes.
'Milk is touted for preventing osteoporosis, yet clinical research shows otherwise,' the PCRM Web site states. 'The Harvard Nurses' Health Study, which followed more than 75,000 women for 12 years, showed no more protective effect of increased milk consumption on fracture risk. In fact, increased intake of calcium from dairy products was associated with a higher fracture risk.'
PCRM isn't the only group promoting a nondairy diet, but it's the biggest force behind the anti-dairy campaign. In April 1999, the organization filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against the dairy industry for false advertising.
Susan Fullmer, a registered dietician and assistant teaching professor at BYU, said the PCRM is wrong. She sides with the USDA, saying most Americans should drink milk every day.
'There are organizations that have an agenda, and they have a motive other than overall health and well-being,' she said. 'They do their own scientific research, and it doesn't go through the peer review process. The other thing they do is take published scientific studies and misquote the results to their own benefit.'
Fullmer says the average consumer can't correctly interpret the results of a scientific paper and must rely on professionals and associations to tell them what the research means. To get accurate information, she advises consumers to go to organizations that don't have a bias.
'The government associations arguably have nothing to gain,' she said. 'Why would they present anything other than the most accurate science? They have no vested interest other than saving government health care dollars.'
The government associations say Americans probably won't get enough calcium if they choose a nondairy diet.
'There's good evidence that we need adequate calcium in the daily diet and that, in the food we eat in this country, milk and milk products are the best source for this calcium,' said Lora Beth Brown, associate professor of nutrition, dietetics and food science.
Brown says we can get calcium from broccoli, but would have to eat seven cups a day to get enough. She said another calcium source is sardines canned with their bones.
'When's the last time you ate sardines?' she asked, pointing out the impracticality of a nondairy diet.
Probably the best source of calcium for someone who can't drink milk is calcium-fortified orange juice - the calcium can be absorbed when added to orange juice, Brown said. But, she added, lactose-intolerant people needn't use this substitute.
'Most people who are lactose intolerant can consume up to a cup of milk with each meal,' she said. 'It's a mistaken notion that they have to avoid milk entirely.'
The PCRM counters Brown's claims by citing the World Health Organization's recommendation that people get 400 to 500 milligrams of calcium a day, not 1,000 to 1,2000 milligrams, as recommended by the USDA.
'We certainly need calcium, but the levels that are currently recommended (by the USDA) are probably too high,' Turner-McGrievy said.
Brown responded that each government makes its own recommendation because the amount of calcium needed depends on several factors, including height, weight and overall diet.
'The recommendations in the United States are based on studies in the U.S. with our populations and our food,' Brown said.