>Steve Carper wrote:
>>Lactaid and other brands of lactase are known to work.  Not for a minute
>>will I guarantee that they will work for every person at every time.
>>But I know I am never without a lactase supply on me.

Robert Cohen wrote:

>Why would anybody, reacting to a POISON, first take the antidote, then
>the poison.  Maybe I'm missing something that millions of Americans are
>not...

Lactose is not a poison to humans, though many lose the ability to digest
it as they age.  Human milk contains lactose too!

You know, this is starting to get tiresome.  I'll admit, humans were not
intended to drink cow's milk, but millions do with no ill effects.  I have
been off milk very strictly for 6 months due to my breastfed baby's allergic
reaction to stray proteins in my breastmilk.  While Matthew is much much
better now that I am avoiding the foods he is allergic to (also soy, peanuts
and peas), I have had absolutely NO change in my own health by going off
all milk products.  If cow's milk were really poison to all humans, I would
expect to notice a significant improvement in my health by avoiding it.

I am not denying that many people are sensitive to cow's milk, and that
they are better off not drinking it.  I'm not denying that many people
who do drink milk now are not aware of their own sensitivity to it, or
how much better they might feel if they avoided it.  But I do deny that
every single human reacts to cow's milk as if it were a poison.  I am
clearly a counter-example, and I am looking forward to going back to my
cheese and ice-cream after weaning my son (which may not be for another
1-2 years yet).

We are all here because we must avoid milk to some degree or another.
(I'm probably relatively unique here in that I know my abstinence will
be temporary.)  So for starters, you're preaching to the choir.  But I
for one would really prefer if this list could focus more on the
practicalities of living in a milk-consuming society when one can't
imbibe, and less on the evils of cow's milk!

Thanks for reading this,
--Robyn