"Don't Drink Your Milk!" is a small book written by the late Frank Oski, M.D. as mentioned above. He maintained that bovine milk was not only unnecessary for humans but also actually harmful. Many other experts agree that cow's milk is a nasty secretion best reserved for calves (who by the way are removed from their mothers so we can have their milk). Dr. Mercola lists the following problems which he attributes to consumption of cow’s milk: “iron deficiency anemia, allergies, diarrhea, heart disease, colic, cramps, gastrointestinal bleeding, sinusitis, skin rashes, acne, arthritis, diabetes, ear infections, osteoporosis, asthma, autoimmune diseases and possibly even lung cancer, multiple sclerosis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.”
The federal government subsidizes the dairy industry in the US. The US Department of Agriculture donated $200 million in 1999 to the dairy industry despite the fact that the cost of milk is at an all time high. The US WIC program includes milk and milk products as part of the food package they distribute regardless of the ability of the client to digest it. US schools (that receive federal monies) are required by law to put milk on every lunch tray unless the parents provide a doctor’s excuse note to not do this.
The natural age of weaning in humans is somewhere between 2.5 and 7 years as determined by research done by K. Dettwyler, an anthropologist and contributing author and editor of "Breastfeeding; Biocultural Perspectives".
Most people in the world become lactose intolerant as they grow past the natural age of weaning. Breastmilk is higher in lactose than any other milk so babies are not born lactose intolerant.
Cow's milk does not deserve a special spot in the Food Pyramid. All the nutrients we get from milk can be had from other foods and sunshine without the medical problems caused by milk. At best, milk should be viewed as a treat, not an essential nutrient. Commercial interests dictate government policy and the attitude that we need milk filters on down to become a deeply held belief.
Don't drink your milk.
SOURCES:
http://www.pcrm.org/news/issues040618_alert.html
http://www.pcrm.org/health/VSK/VSK6.html
http://www.mercola.com/article/milk/no_milk.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0945383347/104-9279229-2060721?v=glance
http://articles.animalconcerns.org/ar-voices/archive/dont_drink.html
http://www.notmilk.com/
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=3775 (shows need for other sources of calcium)