Dairy-free diets?

There are differing opinions concerning the consumption of dairy products. In general, however, all parties agree that dairy products provide an important source of calcium. Some people are better off with little or no dairy intake, due to lactose intolerance or other conditions. I personally feel that dairy is less useful to seniors than younger people, as milk proteins are harder to digest and calcium and other nutrients can be sufficiently obtained from other sources. In my case, I limit my dairy intake to whatever I happen to get from prepared foods and baked goods, and I skip drinking milk "just because" or as a dietary staple. I get sufficient calcium from fresh vegetables and a routine multivitamin, and I've had no problems after reducing my milk and cheese consumption. I also feel that milk is pushed hard on the U.S. consumer, because its lobby is strong, and they have established milk as a key component to a healthy diet, when in fact we can get by with less. But that's just my personal opinion, you're welcome to differ! For some interesting perspectives, see this article on the Livestrong website.