Thanks for the replies.

The questions I have (and the answers to those questions) are very
quantifiable and thus could be answered in an objective way.

For example, it is popularly believed that one needs to consume
milk/cheese to avoid osteoporosis. However, newer thinking says dairy
can actually lead to osteoporosis, because a significant part of the
calcium in dairy is not in a form that the body can use, and so the body
obtains the calcium it needs from body parts (bones) in order to process
the fat and proteins in dairy products.

I would think the question of calcium being absorbable or not is
answerable through scientific inquiry.

I read Diet for a new America (by John Robbins) some time ago, but not
this other book you mention.