Dairy dilemmas

Dairy milk has been shown to be a cause of excess mucus production in some people, but now the finger is being pointed at processed foods.

- JENNIFER BOWDEN

QUESTION: Our 10-year-old daughter often has a "throaty" voice and has to clear her throat regularly. We wondered if it could be due to dairy products, but haven't seen much improvement since we've cut out milk. Are there other dietary reasons that might cause increased mucus in the throat? She is healthy and has no known allergies, but I had a dairy allergy as a child.

ANSWER: xcess mucus production can be caused by a range of health conditions, as well as certain lifestyle and environmental factors. So, it's important that these are checked before turning to diet as a possible factor with this problem.

Although dairy milk has been blamed for increased upper respiratory tract mucus production since the 12th century, there has not been widespread support for the hypothesis until recently. This is primarily because of a lack of goodquality research and because milk and milk products such as cheese and yoghurt are valuable dietary sources of calcium, protein, vitamins A, B2 and B12, and minerals such as zinc.