Isn't milk necessary for children's health?

A: Americans have been raised to believe that this is true, largely due to the efforts of the American Dairy Association, and many parents seem to believe that it is their duty to feed their children as much milk as possible. However, lots of perfectly healthy children do very well without it. It's not milk that children need, it's calcium. Cow's milk has been called "the world's most overrated nutrient" and "fit only for baby cows." There is even evidence that the cow hormone present in dairy actually blocks the absorption of calcium in humans.

Be careful. Removing dairy means all milk, butter, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, etc. It also includes product ingredients such as "casein" and "whey," or even words containing the word "casein." Read labels - items like bread and tuna fish often contain milk products. Even soy cheese usually contains caseinate.

For more information on dairy-free living, there's a very good book called Raising Your Child Without Milk by Jane Zukin. There is also a very good little book called Don't Drink Your Milk by Frank Oski (the late head of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins and author of Essential Pediatrics). This book cites the results of several research studies that conclude that milk is an inappropriate food for human children. It is available for $4.95 from Park City Press, PO Box 25, Glenwood Landing, NY 11547, ISBN #0671228048.