So, what's the big deal about dairy? What could be so bad about a cheeseburger and a milk shake anyway? It's the American way. (And may soon become the Soviet way given the tremendous popularity of the new McDonald's in downtown Moscow.) Dairy is close to many of our hearts...maybe in the wrong way, as you'll see later when we discuss dairy and heart disease. Most of us grew up believing that dinner wasn't dinner without a big, healthy glass of milk. But dairy has more than its share of drawbacks.

Allergies. Many of us are allergic to milk. The problem often begins during infancy. A newborn's digestive system is not fully developed and not well-equipped to handle milk protein. When dairy products of any kind, including infant formulas, are introduced too early, an allergy often develops. We see many infants and children with rashes, eczema, ear infections, runny noses, asthma, or dark circles under their eyes which began after milk was introduced into their diets. We advise waiting at least a year to give an infant cow's milk products. If breast milk is not sufficient, goat's milk is a much better alternative.

This premature introduction of dairy may set up a lifelong sensitivity. Dairy allergy has been linked to a number of chronic conditions ranging from migraine headaches to rheumatoid arthritis. A l98l study in the British Medical Journal reported a dramatic improvement in arthritis after the patients eliminated dairy from their diets.

Ayurvedic medicine believes that dairy products are contraindicated for some people, butfine for others. Those who have a Kapha (water and earth) imbalance tendency towards being overweight with a slow metabolism, are chilly and lethargic, and may suffer from excess mucus production, and water retention.These individuals do best to avoid dairy products. People with an excess of Pitta (fire) can handle some dairy. Those with a Vata (air) imbalance benefit from more fat in the diet and can often benefit from some dairy in their diets.

Lactose intolerance. Many people confuse milk allergy and lactose intolerance, but they are two different conditions. Most of the world's population, excluding Northern Europeans and isolated groups in Northern India and Africa, are deficient in lactase, the enzyme needed to digeste lactose, or milk sugar. These people, most notably African Americans, Latin Americans, and those of Mediterranean descent, develop gas, bloating, and intestinal cramping after eating dairy products. In the past few years there are lactase products on the market, which these people take prior to eating dairy products to relieve their intestinal discomfort.

Degenerative disease. There is a considerable amount of scientific data linking heart disease, arthritis, obesity, and cancer, particularly breast cancer, to a dairy-containing high fat diet. Finland, which is among the highest consumers of diary worldwide, has one and a half times the mortality rate from heart disease of the United States. Many Americans have switched to low-fat or skim milk products out of fear of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Just to give you an idea of how widespread arterial plaque is in this country, an autopsy examinatin of American battle victims of the Korean war, having an average age of 22, were found to have a 77 percent incidence of atherosclerosis of the coronary artery. As shown by Nathan Pritikin, reducing dietary fat and increasing aerobic exercise can have a dramatically positive effect on reducing your chance of dying of heart disease.

Osteoporosis. Many women drink milk in order to prevent bone loss after menopause. The fact is that animal protein inhibits the absorption of calcium. Women from third world countries who have a very low calcium intake combined with a low intake of animal protein, including dairy, have much less of an incidence of osteoporosis. A study to determine the effects of milk consumption on the calcium metabolism of healthy postmenopausal women funded by the National Dairy Council showed that drinking three 8-ounce glasses of low fat milk a day for one year failed to create a positive calcium balance in these women. It is much better to supplement with calcium magnesium citrate and eat minimal animal protein after menopause.

Additives, preservatives, pasteurization, homogenization, hormones, steroids, etc. These are all additional reasons that lead many people to give up dairy products. Chloramphenicol, a dangerous antibiotic, is used routinely to treat fevers in cows during their transport. Even minute amounts can can aplastic anemia, a severe and sometimes fatal blood disease, in some susceptible individuals. Steroids are frequently administered to cattle, then passed through their milk. A procedure called back-hauling, in which truck drivers would haul huge tankers filled with gasoline cross-country, then fill them with milk on the return trip, was made illegal only within the past year. Who needs high octane milk? Yuk!

Moral considerations. As John Robbins so poignantly describes, dairy cows are literally milk machines, "bred, fed, medicated, inseminated, and manipulated to a single purpose-

maximum milk production at minimum cost". These poor creatures are kept pregnant all the time, are confined to inhumanely small stalls, given tranquilizers to combat their nervousness and hyperactivity, and are lucky (or unlucky) to live to the age of four.

The choice is yours. There are no easy answers. But these facts are certainly food for thought. Maybe it's time for you to re-evaluate whether or not dairy is a sacred cow for you.

Drs. Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman are naturopathic and homeopathic physicians and cofounders of the Northwest Center for Homeopathic Medicine in Edmonds, WA. They are coauthors of The Patient's Guide to Homeopathic Medicine and Beyond Ritalin: Homeopathic Treatment of ADD and Other Behavioral and Learning Problems. They can be reached at (206) 774-5599.