5 Things You Need To Know About Dairy:
Is lactose intolerance on the rise? Is dairy really bad for me? Should I never have a cheese plate or ice cream sundae ever again?! If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, you are certainly not alone. Dairy, as a whole, gets a bad rap in some circles, but as always, it’s important to know the facts before making any big changes on behalf of your health. So what’s the deal with dairy anyway, and how do you know if it’s right for your body? Let’s start with some fun facts about our buttery, creamy, frothy friend:
#1: What Does Dairy Include?
Dairy foods include milk, cheese, creams, yogurt, ice cream, whey and casein. Basically, if it comes from a cow, sheep or goat’s milk, you can call it a dairy product. Mayonnaise, on the other hand, is NOT a dairy product; it’s made from eggs and oil, not milk, and you’d be surprised how many people (even many food service employees) don’t know that! Dairy isn’t intrinsically bad, per se, and it has even been a cornerstone of many cultures and cuisines for centuries, especially due to its high calcium and Vitamin D content which are both beneficial for bone health. Dairy is digested using an enzyme called lactase (not to be confused with lactose), and we are all born with the ability to produce the lactase enzyme so that we’re able to be breastfed with human milk as babies.
#2: Is Dairy Bad For Everyone?
More and more people are realizing they are intolerant to dairy, but you may be wondering why, if humans are born with the lactase enzyme to digest it. Great question! As we grow into adulthood, some bodies are genetically programmed to produce less of the lactase enzyme, which means that lactose intolerance is often hereditary. Some other bodies are already dealing with higher levels of internal inflammation because they eat a diet high in saturated fats (which is also known to cause and accelerate heart disease and obesity). In those cases, it may not be a lactose or dairy intolerance issue so much as a general inflammation problem. If the body is already overtaxed and inflamed, the additional work needed to break down dairy products may cause a person to experience some of the same symptoms as someone with lactose or dairy intolerance.
#3: Is Dairy Bad For The Environment?
This part of the dairy story is the hardest pill for me to swallow, both as a consumer and as a Dietitian. Aside from the fact that cattle are a major contributor to the global warming crisis we find ourselves in, millions of kilograms of medical-grade antibiotics are given to livestock every year. Many female cows are also given hormones that ensure they spend their entire adult lives in a perpetual state of lactation. If that wasn’t upsetting enough, many of these cows then develop infections caused by mastitis (inflammation of the breast glands), and are given more antibiotics to treat it. Since these antibiotics residues have been documented to also pass through to the milk itself, our bodies inevitably ingest them when we consume these dairy products. Our western society already prescribes large quantities of antibiotics to treat our own human diseases (often unnecessarily), so it stands to reason that we will face a huge problem down the road in the form of antibiotic resistance if more care and attention are not given to this issue.
#4: So Why All The Hype About Drinking Milk?
Aren’t we all supposed to be eating dairy? Doesn’t the USDA even recommend it in their MyPlate guidelines (the most updated version the Food Pyramid)? Let me make one thing abundantly clear: the U.S. Dairy Association has a stronghold in our national food system, not only because of dairy’s economic impacts, but also because of their lobbying. They pay a LOT of money to ensure that studies are done and exist to support and encourage the purchase and consumption of dairy products, despite much research that indicates it can be harmful for certain bodies. You may have been told, for example, that you should drink a glass of milk every day to prevent bone disease, but did you know that broccoli, spinach, dark leafy greens, and even canned sardines and salmon also contain high amounts of calcium? That’s right, folks! There are always other options to support your unique body in the ways that work most efficiently and health-fully for you.
#5: How Do I Know If I’m Dairy Or Lactose-Intolerant?
The most common signs of lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy are bloating, gas, stomach pains, diarrhea, constipation (or a combo of both), and sometimes nausea.
If you experience any of these symptoms after eating dairy, you may have a sensitivity, intolerance, or allergy to dairy, which can mean an issue with lactose (a sugar found in dairy products) or casein (the protein found in dairy products). In either case, you might consider trying a food elimination and food auditioning protocol to help you better understand how dairy specifically affects your body. Some folks will also opt to have specialized food intolerance lab testing done, which can offer a more comprehensive look at which foods might be taxing your body, and which systems could use some additional support.
Overall, it’s a good idea to remember that where your body’s health balance is concerned, so much can be traced back to the delicate relationship between food and gut. If your gut is already out of balance, which for many of us it is, due to a general lack of nutrients, and diets high in processed foods and low in plant fibers, your system will be more susceptible to foods like dairy and gluten, even if you don’t actually have a chronic issue with either. Since we always want to go to the source of a concern first, it’s important to remove any potentially inflammatory foods from your diet while we’re working to improve and rebuild the gut itself. You may end up adding them back in later, once your gut is in a more stable state, or you may find you feel better without some of them too. It’s all a process of detective work and discovery, my friends, and if your own health journey is something you’d like to explore further, feel free to drop me a line anytime for some more personalized ideas on where to begin.