While dairy enthusiasts visit Madison for the World Dairy Expo, which runs through Sunday, they will also likely drive past People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ new anti-dairy billboard on the Beltline Hwy.

The billboard has the tagline “Milk: it’s a killer” and shows four milk cartons, each listing a life-threatening ailment PETA believes is associated with milk consumption: heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.

“We don’t expect people to take our word for it, but we expect people not to take the dairy industry’s word for it,” said PETA Director of Vegan Outreach Bruce Friedrich.

Friedrich said Americans should be weary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrition guidelines when they are the same entity spending millions to promote the nation’s dairy industry.

Friedrich said PETA argues it is unnatural for humans to drink mammary secretions of another animal and that animal proteins from these secretions can be carcinogenic to the human body. In the short term, it can lead to increased risk for obesity and in the long term may cause allergies, lactose intolerance, heart disease and cancer.

Citing several Harvard School of Public Health Studies research, Friedrich explained why PETA thinks milk does not preserve bone health.

One Harvard study of 70,000 nurses tracked over a period of 12 years showed the more milk they consumed, the higher their risk of osteoporosis.

According to Harvard’s website, milk may not be the best source of calcium for everyone. Milk has a high saturated fat content, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

“While it’s true that most dairy products are now available in reduced-fat or non-fat options, the saturated fat that’s removed from dairy products is inevitably consumed by someone, often in the form of premium ice cream, butter or baked goods,” reads the website.

In addition, the website said milk could possibly lead to an increased risk of ovarian and prostate cancers.

University of Wisconsin scientists, however, disagree with the negative impacts of milk on human health.

“One of the positive aspects of milk is that its been consumed for thousands of years, despite all the scrutiny,” said Scott Rankin, assistant professor of food science at UW.

Rankin contends milk is an excellent, inexpensive source of protein and calcium, but unfortunately, some people are influenced by PETA’s sensationalistic propaganda.

For example, Rankin said arteriosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries, is linked to a variety of factors such as diet, stress, genetics and exercise. People who consume a high level of saturated fats are at an increased risk for heart disease, but Rankin said PETA erroneously jumps to the conclusion that milk, because it is high in saturated fat, causes heart disease.

“PETA is adept at these half-truths. They give you a portion of one science, but don’t present the other side,” Rankin said.

Rankin also said bioavailability ? the ability for a substance to be metabolized by the body ? of milk and other dairy products is very high.

“The nutrition in milk is designed to be assimilated [into the body],” Rankin said.

UW associate professor of dairy science David Combs said the conclusions PETA makes about dairy products could be made for virtually any food. For instance, Combs said soy protein, instead of milk protein, is “loaded” with antigens and is lacking in essential amino acids and inhibits the body’s processing of other amino acids.

“In balance, I don’t think milk is unhealthy at all,” Combs said.