Is milk really as good as they say? Apparently not for everyone. Milk is so much part of our everyday lives that we take it for granted that it should be a regular part of our daily diet.

The Good News
The following specific health benefits of milk have been noted:

Bone Density
Osteoporosis - the steady, progressive loss of bone density - can strike at any age. Because the disease is typically associated with elderly women, many people tend to dismiss it as an old person's disease but it can affect younger men and women. Milk provides the calcium you need to help your bones reach their full mass density potential, and they don't do that until you're 35.

If your lifestyle includes the following, you may be setting yourself up for brittle bones in the future:

Low calcium intake
Smoking
High alcohol consumption
Low vitamin D intake
Sedentary lifestyle: exercise less than three times per week
Chronic dieting

Intake of liquid milk has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of hypertension, and colon cancer. Studies demonstrate that a dietary pattern that includes at least three servings of low fat dairy foods and 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily provides heart-healthy benefits including reduced blood pressure and blood lipid levels.

Drinking milk may help to reduce the risk of kidney stones.

Milk intake may help to reduce the risk of tooth decay by acting as a substitute for saliva. Milk buffers oral acids, reduces the solubility of tooth enamel, and helps to harden tooth enamel.

Milk contains the following essential vitamins and minerals:

• Calcium: Helps build and maintain strong bones. Also vital for nerve function, muscle contraction, and blood clotting.
• Protein: Vital to brain development and the growth of body tissues.
• Vitamin A: Maintains normal vision and skin. Helps regulate cell growth and integrity of the immune system.
• Vitamin B-12: Essential for the growth and health of the nervous system. Linked to normal activity of folic acid and is involved in blood formation.
• Vitamin D: Promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and influences the strengthening of bones. Bones also need vitamin D to promote the utilization of calcium and help optimize bone hardening. Without vitamin D, your body only absorbs 10 to 15% of the calcium intake.
• Potassium: Regulates the body's fluid balance and blood pressure, and is also needed for muscle activity and contractions.
• Phosphorus: Helps generate energy in the body's cells and strengthens bones.
• Niacin: Keeps enzymes functioning normally and helps the body process sugars and fatty acids. Important for the development of the nervous system.
• Riboflavin: Helps produce energy in the body's cells and plays a vital role in the development of the nervous system.

The Bad News
The following specific health risks of milk have been noted:

Lactose is the predominant sugar in milk. Many people have trouble digesting lactose properly, which leads to nausea, cramps, bloating and diarrhea. People who are lactose intolerant should try to get their daily requirements of calcium from alternative sources such as green vegetables (broccoli and spinach), fish (sardines and salmon) or Soya milk.

Homogenization, the sterilizing of milk to ensure safe consumption, leads to production of a chemical, which destroys a compound in the blood, which in turn leads to the loss of a protective factor in the arterial walls.

Milk has been associated to problems with respiratory infections, ear, nose and throat problems, sinus congestion, asthma, colitis, acne, eczema, heartburn and ulcers especially in children.

Cows are given rBGH (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone), a genetically engineered copy of a naturally occurring hormone produced by cows, to improve milk production. Injections of the drug may cause a wide variety of serious health problems in cows. Some studies report a 79% increase in mastitis (infection of the udder) resulting in greater need for antibiotics. rBGH affects the nutritional value of milk. Studies show that the use of rBGH increases the time during which cows give lower quality milk with decreased protein. In addition, increased bacteria in milk from rBGH-injected cows causes the milk to sour more quickly. Consumption of milk and other dairy products from these injected cows means humans are exposing their bodies to an excess of the hormone as well as the risk of the antibiotics administered to them when infected.