Despite its neutral (some would say delicious) flavor and docile, decidedly uncontroversial original source, milk has, in recent years, become a divisive subject. Doctors, organic farmers and industry officials engage in heated debates about whether Americans really need to drink milk at all, and, if so, how much and what kind of milk is healthiest.

Many of today's dairy cows are injected with a genetically engineered growth hormone known as rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). Organic farmers and other skeptics assert that this milk poses health risks to humans. Among the purported possible side effects: an increased chance of colon, prostate and breast cancer.

The developers of the hormone disagree, stating that milk from cows injected with artificial hormones is no different than milk from untreated animals. The FDA approved rBGH in 1993, though it is banned in both Canada and the European Union.

The hormone is used to make cows more productive; rBGH increases production unnaturally by as much as 10-15%. This strain on the cows often leads to udder infection.

If you're nervous about purchasing milk from hormone-injected cows, here are other options:

Buy local or regional milk
The easiest way to know the content of your milk is to get it from a nearby farm where you can ask the producers how they raise their cows. A simple way to do this is through an independent grocer or cooperative ? find organic farms, restaurants, and stores near you at www.eatwellguide.org and www.localharvest.org. As an added bonus, local milk usually tastes better because it hasn't been ultra-pasteurized.