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This is the same story really—we can tot up a huge amount of dairy points in a day if we are not careful; just remember to vary the type of dairy you have so that you get a broad spectrum of nutrients. Think how many cappuccinos some people main-line. Relying on one or two types of food is not a good definition of a varied diet.

There is also a lot of chat and beating of the nutritional bongo drums about dairy generally. Is dairy food the super duper wonder food that we were led to believe, even if we were all brought up on it? The comfort of the milk moustache with the large glass of milk before bedtime? We are the only mammals, as far as I am aware, to suckle another big mammal’s milk into adulthood and the more milk you drink, the higher the level of a hormone called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) there is in your blood. The higher the IGF-1, the higher the risk for breast cancer. In rural China, breast cancer is a relatively unknown, while in the UK, the rates are one person in eight. Makes you think? And before you say it, there are plenty of other good sources of calcium—leafy green veg for one (see the box, right).

Alternative sources of calcium

* Dark green leafy vegetables—spinach, kale, cabbage, watercress

* Nuts and seeds (especially sesame)

* Soya

* Sardines

* Parsley

* Pulses

* Prunes