Now, I stopped watching TV many years ago and I don't listen to the radio, but I suspect many of you were confused by this report when it hit the media. Don't you just love the confusion that the media gives you?

You really do have to be a full-timer in health to even start to sort through the variety of conflicting messages out there -- OR you could just simply subscribe to this newsletter and we can help you sort through the confusion.

First of all, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some element of truth to this finding. After all, milk is a wonderful, natural food, and it contains one of the finest sources of calcium for humans.

In fact, the first article I had published was 20 years ago, and that was on the association between calcium and hypertension. My review 20 years ago supported this association.

But is that the whole truth?

I don't think so. Twenty years ago I didn't realize there were negative health effects when consuming pasteurized milk (even if it's organic).

These effects occur regardless of whether it's full-fat or not, and there are diseases you can acquire other than heart disease. For instance, drinking up to two glasses of pasteurized milk daily was recently blamed for doubling a middle-aged man's risk of Parkinson's disease later in life.

Pasteurization is a destructive process that changes the physical structure of the fragile proteins in milk (especially casein) and converts them into proteins your body was never designed to handle -- and that can actually harm you. Additionally, the pasteurization process virtually eliminates the good bacteria normally present in the milk and radically reduces the micronutrient and vitamin content of this healthy food.

It is equally important to consider that reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free versions of milk are virtually void of metabolically beneficial vitamin D and calcium. These milks are also typically homogenized, a process that keeps the milk from naturally separating. The homogenization process creates a substance known as xanthine oxidase, which is thought to play a role in oxidative stress by acting as a free radical in the body.

If you want to drink milk, I'm all for it, but I recommend finding an authentic raw-milk source, whose cows are pasture-fed. I have seen so many of my patients recover their health with raw milk that I actually believe it to be one of the most profoundly healthy foods you can consume (if you can tolerate it based on your body's unique nutritional type).

If you are unable to find a local dairy farmer in your area who sells raw milk, I encourage you to visit the Real Milk site to locate a source close to you. I am happy to say that we are making a dent when it comes to informing the public about milk. If you type in "raw milk" on Google, the Real Milk link comes up #1 and Mercola.com comes up #2. We are finally starting to spread the truth about this vital food.

Finally, if you have a difficult time digesting milk, especially if you are lactose intolerant, I would recommend obtaining some raw milk and making kefir out of it. Kefir is a cultured milk beverage that tastes a lot like yogurt. It is made by adding kefir starter, a powdered probiotic mixture, to fresh milk and allowing it to ferment for a day or so. This process not only eliminates most of the lactose present in the milk, it also predigests the milk protein casein, another common culprit in milk sensitivities, making it easier for you to digest and absorb.

Related Articles:

The Real Reasons Why Raw Milk is Becoming More Popular

Why You Don't Want to Drink Pasteurized Milk

More Reasons Why You Don't Want to Drink Pasteurized Milk