Is dairy really that scary?
Dairy is the nerd at school getting bullied for no reason other than it hasn’t turned around to defend itself yet. It’s time to step in to throw some heat (state the facts) and even up the score.
Milk is arguably one of the most nutritious pound for pound things we can consume. Adding to that, it's affordable and easily accessible for most people. If the dairy industry had a better marketing team and a few influencers it would be a 'super food'. It's not only a good source of calcium but also contains complete protein, vitamin D, potassium and B vitamins.
If you are eliminating dairy products because it's 'healthier' you may wish to reconsider. Ruling out a whole food group based on what other people do or say is never the best advice. If you do find you get gut irritability from consuming dairy there are some useful tips to follow.
It causes inflammation right?
The biggest claim against dairy foods are they are ‘inflammatory’. It's a term that gets thrown around a lot but what does it mean? Increase in long term inflammatory markers has links to poor health outcomes. Physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, some foods and getting older all can contribute to elevated inflammation. But what about dairy? A recent systematic review of 11 separate randomised control trials of 663 participants showed dairy consumption either had no increase in inflammatory markers or they were actually improved after consumption. That isn’t just 1 research paper. It’s a review of current evidence across a number of articles.
What about lactose intolerance?
Lactose is the sugar molecule in dairy. The amount of lactose varies depending on the dairy product. The way our bodies break this down is through an enzyme called lactase. As kids, we have plenty of lactase so milk consumption isn't an issue. As we get older the amount of lactase we have decreases and hence leads to lactose intolerance in some people. The number of people within Australia with lactose intolerance is roughly 1 in 20. Nowhere near enough to warrant the diet industry blanketly ruling out dairy!
Even if you are lactose intolerant, it still isn't necessary to completely eliminate dairy products. When we understand the lactose dose or timing, it's a lot easier to narrow down how tolerant we are and still benefit from the nutrients from dairy foods.
If you think this may be you, try the following:
Try dairy foods lower in lactose (eg. cheeses)
Try smaller amounts of dairy foods
Try drinking your glass of milk with a meal
Try A2 milk (may have a sensitivity to the amino acid differences in A1)
If you still have questions or find this doesn’t make sense based on what you’ve previously been told, I urge you to check out the references below.
This article relates directly to the health effects of dairy foods. This post doesn’t cover any environmental or animal welfare topics which is a separate conversation. If you do cut dairy from your diet based on ethical, religious or environmental reasons, make sure you read the article on Milk Alternatives.
Dairy products and inflammation: A review of the clinical evidence
A systematic review and meta-analysis of elevated blood pressure and consumption of dairy foods