Very good info. But I have 1 comment and 1 strong disagreement...
>>>Rather than avoid dairy products, I would like to see "organic cows" who are not given freaky hormones, and who produce a natural milk.<<<
Horizon produces an organic milk; it is pretty easy to find, even in 'regular' supermarkets.
>>>If people have been doing somehting for centuries, then it has stood the test of time: humans have been consuming dairy products around the globe since time began, so it is inherently ok<<<
I have to disagree with this vehemently - just because people have been foolish enough to do something in the past, does not make it 'OK'. People have been murdering each other for centuries too, and I think you would agree that murder is not 'inherently OK'.
The overwhelming scientific evidence is that milk consumption by humans is not OK. Milk is a perfect product for helping to turn a baby calf into a 600 pound cow in 6 months; after that age, cows generally stop drinking milk. Milk was not designed for human consumption; it is basically *pus* - who would want to drink pus? Homo sapiens are virtually the only species on the planet that continues to drink cow's milk en masse beyond the age of 6 months. It is a MYTH (propagated by the Milk Board and others), that milk is the 'best source of calcium'...yes, milk and other dairy products are A SOURCE of calcium, but certainly NOT the best source. For instance, just one tablespoon of dairy produces up to a QUART of mucus in the human body. One can obtain calcium without the many undesirable effects of dairy, from sources such as kale and other leafy greens, from sea vegetables (which, by weight, are the single best source of calcium and are abundant in trace minerals which are no longer found in our nutrient-depleted diets), and other sources, without resorting to drinking pus. On top of the lactose intolerance that you mentioned (which is highly prevalent among people of color and Mediterranean people), many people are also allergic to both milk and the pesticides and other chemicals found in today's cow's milk. Also, consider that the fact that the countries with the HIGHEST consumption of dairy products have the HIGHEST rate of osteoporosis. That is certainly true in the US; while in Japan, where dairy consumption is MUCH lower (and where they consume large amounts of sea vegetables), so too is the prevalance of osteoporosis. I could go on and on till the cows come home :Q about why milk is not only unnecessary, but is in fact harmful to human health, but I think you get the idea.