I live in Vermont, where until recently there really were more cows than people. I also grew up drinking milk with every meal. Everyone I knew drank milk, even my parents. I never even heard of lactose-intolerance, soy milk or rice milk until I went to college. Times have changed!

Recently, you've probably noticed the conflicting research about dairy products. Some reports trumpeted by the National Dairy Council suggest that drinking milk will help promote weight loss. Other research shows that drinking milk can cause weight gain, and even increase risk of diabetes or other diseases. Who's right?

The pros of drinking milk

• Milk naturally contains calcium, an essential mineral that not only helps build strong bones and teeth, but also regulates heartbeat. Eighty-four percent of the calcium in our diet comes from milk and other products made from cow's milk, such as yogurt.
• Milk also contains potassium, another mineral that's necessary for normal blood pressure levels. In fact, people with high blood pressure can often lower their blood pressure to healthy levels by eating more foods that contain potassium: fruits, vegetables, and milk.
• Milk in the US is fortified with vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin that's necessary for bone mineralization as well as a healthy immune system. One eight-ounce cup of skim milk provides 25 percent of your daily vitamin D needs ‑- no small potatoes, considering vitamin D is only present in a few foods: egg yolks, liver and fatty fish such as herring and salmon.
• Milk naturally contains phosphorus, yet another essential mineral for building healthy bones.

According to the National Dairy Council, a leader in dairy nutrition, research and education, several scientific studies have shown positive health benefits in people who routinely drink milk. If you want to lower your blood pressure, make sure your bones are strong and healthy, reduce your risk of dental cavities and possibly prevent some types of cancer ‑- choose three eight-ounce servings of milk products each day.

But what about those ads that promote drinking milk to lose weight? Some research studies show that drinking three cups of nonfat milk per day helps people lose weight, but other studies show no weight loss at all ‑- unless you reduce your total calorie intake at the same time.

The cons of drinking milk

• Cow's milk is high in saturated fat and cholesterol ‑- two things we know increase the risk of heart disease. One cup of whole milk or one ounce of regular cheese contains almost one-quarter of our daily quota of saturated fat. To lose weight, you must choose fat-free or low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt.
• One in four adults in the United States is lactose intolerant, meaning they don't digest lactose, the form of carbohydrate present in cow's milk. Lactose intolerance causes gas, bloating and diarrhea.
• Cow's milk is one of the top foods that cause allergies in the United States, affecting approximately 11 million people. If you're truly allergic to cow's milk, you can't eat anything that contains milk in any form ‑- including butter, ice cream, cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt, as well as many cakes, cookies and breads. And casein, a protein found in milk, is often used as a binder in meat products such as bologna, hot dogs, pepperoni and salami.
• Some scientific studies show a relationship between drinking cow's milk and diabetes in children. The theory is that exposure to the protein in cow's milk produces antibodies that destroy insulin-producing cells in the pancreas in genetically susceptible children.

According to Amy Lanou, PhD, senior nutrition scientist for the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, milk is not only unnecessary for a healthy diet, it's also overpromoted. She questions the research that links drinking milk with weight loss, and lists numerous nondairy foods that provide calcium, potassium, vitamin D and other essential nutrients for healthy bones. Calcium-fortified orange juice, canned salmon with bones and turnip greens are good sources of calcium. Potassium is found in many fruits and vegetables, and vitamin D is often added to cold breakfast cereals. In Lanou's opinion, cow's milk is an "optional food," similar to candy, fried foods and snack foods.

The bottom line

If you like milk, yogurt or cheese, go ahead and enjoy them. To avoid unnecessary saturated fat, choose fat-free or reduced-fat products whenever possible. Some types of yogurt are high in sugar, so be sure to read labels for both fat and sugar content.

If you don't like dairy products, or they don't like you ‑- you have lactose intolerance or are allergic to dairy ‑- make sure to choose either a replacement beverage that's fortified with vitamin D and calcium or get these essential nutrients from other food sources.

If weight loss is your primary goal, don't rely simply on drinking milk to melt those pounds away. Reducing calorie intake plus increasing activity is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Fat-free milk can be a part of your weight loss plan, but whole milk can add 200-plus calories per day to your intake ‑- enough for you to gain more than 20 pounds in a year!