What to Eat - Milk and More Milk by Marion Nestle

Dairy products have a special place in most grocery stores.  They are usually up against the back wall.  This makes it easier for the staff to stock the shelves and it forces you to walk by tons of products on your way to buy that gallon of milk.  Dairy foods are complicated.  There are all kinds of variations at four different levels of fat and at all different price ranges.  There are also fat free as well as alternative milks to choose from.  Milk in high in calcium but whether a diet high in calcium protects your from osteoporosis or any other disease is a matter of debate.  Milk is also high in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.  These substances are best avoided.  It is the source of many allergic reactions for it's lactose and protein content.
The real issue lies in the problems related to the decrease in the number of dairy farms, the increase in the number of cows and the increase in production.  To get more milk you have to stimulate production with hormones.  More and more cows live in crowded conditions.  Their waste is more concentrated, they spread infection more easily and need to be treated with antibiotics more often.
Much of the information we are given about dairy is driven by politics.  You pay for dairy three times.  Once when you purchase the product, once when you pay your taxes and finally through subsidies to the farmers.  All this money goes to "educate" as to the advantages of drinking milk.  Milk recommendations make business sense but whether they make nutritional sense is highly debatable.
So if your are going to drink milk.  Try organic.  To obtain a Certified Organic seal, milk must be only taken from cows that are given organic feed and allowed access to pasture, outdoor air, sunlight, shade and shelter.  They cannot be given antibiotics except to treat disease, and there are rules that govern how long organic dairies have to wait before allowing milk from antibiotic treated cows back into the food supply.  They also can never be treated with growth hormones.  Also if you suspect that you are one of the majority that have a lactose intolerance problem get your doctor to test you.  It is simple breath test that can detect the gas that is produced by the bacterial digestion if you do not produce lactase.
Dairy consumption is such an emotional issue.  Choose what is best for you.  You now have the information you need to make a intelligent decision.

Remember Eat Well, Lose Weight, and Be Healthy!

Have a great weekend.