Government's dairy advice questioned

Here's an extract from a press release issued 30 October 2005:

By MIKE STOBBE
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

ATLANTA -- Americans should drink three cups of milk a day, the government says. Kiesha Diggs ignores that advice. Diggs, who is black, is lactose-intolerant, meaning she can't easily digest dairy products. Three cups of milk would wreak havoc on her intestines.

"Bloating, gas, diarrhea. The whole thing," said Diggs, 36, of Atlanta.

Her sons Denzell and Armonni have the same problem. So do as many as 75 percent of African-Americans and 90 percent of Asian-Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Government dietary guidelines include advice for people with lactose intolerance that note other calcium-containing foods like fish, broccoli and fortified orange juice. But critics say information on milk alternatives is sometimes buried.

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