Todd Moody mentioned
>> that anti-milk sites on the Web often quote the work of Stephen Seely to
the effect that dairy consumption has the highest correlation with heart
disease rates.  This is another example of how you have to check such
claims.  If you check out Seely's research (and his book, _Diet-Related
Diseases_) you will find that while his epidemiological research indeed
shows a high correlation between consumption of *unfermented* milk products
and heart disease, he curiously finds no correlation between heart disease
and cheese consumption.

I would like to add fuel to this fire with information which is not
connected with that author (that I just used for an article on the Down Side
of Dairy).  There is evidence that pasteurzed millk is more deleterious than
raw or cultured raw milk (both of which are outlawed in all but one state in
the U.S.).  Further, there is research showing the homogenized milk is
highly correlated with heart disease.   If people could get raw
(unpasteurized milk) from animals raised without hormones and antibiotics,
allowed to feed on mineral-rich pasturage fed by water running of rich
glaciers (as in Switzerland in the 1930's... the effects of the dairy
products would likely be quite different, less deleterious and possibley
quite advantageous.  (See Sally Fallon's book NOURISHING TRADITIONS and also
the book NUTRTITION & PHYSICAL DEGENERATION by Weston A. Price, DDS.)  Of
course this cow's milk would still not surpass nor replace human breast
milk...

>From some of Don Matesz' writing (references included):
Homogenization of milk fat disperses and reduces the size of fat globule in
milk.  As a result, more of the milk fat is absorbed from homogenized
compared to raw milk (much of the fat in unhomogenized milk passes through
the intestine unabsorbed).  Also, homogenization increases the absorption of
an enzyme, xanthine oxidase, that scars arterial walls, leading to the
deposition of fat on the scars and consequently atherosclerosis.
(Campbell-Douglass, Wm, The Milk Book (Atlanta: Second Opinon Publishing,
1994).)

Heavy consumption of dairy products has also been associated with increased
risk of breast cancer  and ovarian cancer.  A study of 250 breast cancer
patients in Vercelli, Italy found that they tended to consume considerably
more cows=B9 milk products than 499 healthy women of the same age in Italy and
France.  (Toniolo P, et al.,  "Calorie-Providing Nutrients and Risk of
Breast Cancer,"  Journal of the National Cancer Insitute (1989) 81: 278-86.)

 Researchers at Harvard University have linked ovarian cancer to consumption
of lactose-containing cows=B9 milk products, especially yogurt and cottage
cheese.  The researchers estimated that women who consume large amounts of
yougurt and cottage cheese increase their risk of ovarian cancer up to three
times.   (Cramer DW, et al., "Galactose Consumption and Metabolism in
Relation to the Risk of Ovarian Cancer," Lancet (1989)2: 66-71.)

Rachel