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March 20, 2013 Parents are routinely advised to switch toddlers to reduced-fat milk, a move many assumed would help protect kids against becoming overweight. But a new study is the latest of several to find that kids drinking low-fat milk tended to be heavier.

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December 28, 2012 Thousands of years ago, ancient farmers gained the ability to consume milk as adults without getting an upset stomach. A remarkable mutation let some of them digest lactose sugar. But scientists still puzzle over why that mutation persisted and became prevalent in modern humans.

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December 5, 2012 The expiration of the farm bill has left dairy farmers without a milk pricing program — and a safety net. While all farmers are watching closely, milk producers face an environment where cow feed costs more than cow milk.

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November 28, 2012 Our complicated relationship with milk may make images of this week's EU dairy farmers' protest more powerful than, say, if they sprayed police with water. For much of human history, says historian Deborah Valenze, we've wavered between reverence and revulsion for the stuff.

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June 25, 2012 Ten small-scale milk farmers in Maine formed a cooperative to face mounting market pressures, but can an alternative business model save the family industry? A new documentary premiered in Silver Spring, Md. last Friday tells the story.

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May 1, 2012 Yogurt enthusiasts are rediscovering heirloom yogurt starters, many of which originated in countries with long traditions of yogurt-making. These bacterial cultures, which live on milk, can regenerate in one batch after another.

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January 3, 2012 There's not enough organic milk, especially in states like Florida and Georgia. Inputs — like organic grain and hay for animals — are now dramatically more expensive for farmers. That means organic dairy cows are getting less food and producing less milk.

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November 1, 2011 Most adults can't digest milk sugar: It's a recent genetic adaptation most common in northern Europe. The food industry has come up with enzyme supplements and lactose-free products for those who want to enjoy ice cream without a tummy ache. But not all supplements have what it takes.

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July 22, 2011 The California Milk Processor Board pulled the plug on a controversial campaign that positioned milk as a remedy for premenstrual syndrome by appealing to cowering husbands and boyfriends.

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July 14, 2011 An edgy marketing campaign from California milk processors touts milk as a remedy for premenstrual symptoms. An independent researcher says there's merit to the claims, but low-fat and skim milk would be the best choices.

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