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12.27.2013
The Truth About Dairy: Everything You've Always & Never Wanted To Know
When I was a wee little one, I remember I couldn’t wait to get home from school, catch some Zoobilee Zoo action and satisfy my addiction to Chips Ahoy cookies and a big fat glass of whole milk (with the cookies mashed into a milky chocolate chipy soup, of course). This is around the same time when celebrities started walking around with milk mustaches and the National Dairy Council made sure that every parent in America knew that they were practically committing child abuse if they didn’t feed their offspring the stuff. Talk about pressure.
Interestingly enough... this is also around the same time when I was diagnosed with asthma. And allergies. And then came the acne. And when I was a little older, the bad pms. And acid reflux. And that gross cough that never seemed to go away. And.... sigh. You get the picture.
Something was not right. And it took me YEARS to piece it all together.
The biggest culprit... Dairy.
The Chips Ahoy didn’t do a body good either. Cleaning up my diet and focusing on real whole foods was nothing short of a Christmas miracle for my body... but I’m telling you friends, my life changed when I cut out the white stuff. All those ailments GONE! {Ok, so I still get some acne when I'm out of balance. I am human after all.}
Today, I am 97% dairy free - exceptions include occasionally using grassfed ghee, really good quality organic whey protein and raw goat cheese as a treat (I'm no purist!). But tell me why no one in my string of doctors, nurses, specialists, childhood mentors (I'm looking at you, Mr. Rogers) ever suggested anything about the possibility of dairy being a problem for me?
It’s either because they couldn’t imagine the darling of the food world being bad for anyone OR they feared the Agent Smiths of the NDC would come after them (with good reason...I've heard stories).
If you haven’t noticed, dairy tends to spark some controversy. Some claim that pasteurized, low-fat dairy is healthy, while others say that raw, full-fat dairy is a health food. Some, however, insist on no dairy at all.
If you’re trying to deciding whether or not dairy is right for you, here are the facts you need to know:
You don't have to eat dairy to make sure your diet is complete.
Here are the pros and cons when it comes to dairy and your health...
Bone Health
Pro
- milk and other dairy products are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein and vitamin D, which are essential for bone health
Con
- high levels of retinol (vitamin A) can weaken bones
- dairy is not the best or only source of calcium or potassium
Calcium-rich foods include dark green, leafy veggies (spinach, kale, bok choy, collards, mustard greens, broccoli); almonds; beans (edamame, kidney beans); sardines; and canned salmon, particularly with the bones mashed into the meat.
For potassium, great options are coconut water, bananas, avocados, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, kiwis, papayas and mangoes.
Vitamin D
Pro
- processed dairy in the US is fortified with 100 IU vitamin D per glass
Con
- processed US milk is fortified with vitamin D2, a form that the body does not utilize as well as D3
- dairy alone is not enough to meet daily vitamin D requirements
- dairy is not the best or only source of vitamin D
A 3.5 oz serving of wild salmon contains 360 IU vitamin D; canned tuna and sardines are also good food sources; supplements are great sources as well but the best is exposure to the beautiful SUN of course :)
Chronic Disease
Pro
- dairy is high in protein and is therefore very satiating, which may help those trying to control their appetite for weight loss
- yogurt and kefir are excellent sources of “good” bacteria that have been shown to promote a healthy gut
Con
- consuming animal protein and dairy may promote prostate and ovarian cancer
- reducing animal products can reverse other chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes
- increasing research finding that milk in western countries like US are higher in natural growth hormone due to the earlier timeframe in which lactating cows are milked
- dairy found to spike insulin levels due to sugar content, cottage cheese demonstrating the worst spikes
- 30 to 50 million American adults are lactose intolerant (that we know of); 95% of Asians, up to 80% of African Americans, Hispanics, and Ashkenazi Jews, and nearly 100% of American Indians are lactose intolerant. Continued consumption of lactose in those who are intolerant and have symptoms of diarrhea or loose stools may suffer vitamin and mineral deficiencies or other long term health implications.
- There are many more people that have a food sensitivity to dairy due to other health issues such as leaky gut, autoimmune disorders, etc. causing dairy to wreak havoc in their systems as well
Joseph Keon, nutritionist and author of Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Cow's Milk and Your Health has said this about dairy:
"I believe that for optimal health and maximum reduction of risk for chronic illness, all dairy should be eliminated from the diet... Some of the conditions I have seen improved or resolved with the elimination of all dairy (are) stomach cramps, bloating, intestinal gas, diarrhea, joint pain, migraine headaches, runny nose, chronic congestion, excess weight and menstrual cramps. I've also seen extensive eczema resolved in two weeks after elimination of all dairy."
Ok... so now what the heck do I do with all that information??
If you suspect you have a problem with dairy, try a 2 week elimination of all dairy products and see if any symptoms go away or you start feeling better overall. It’s only 2 weeks of your life and sooo worth it.
If you feel better in any way - give D the boot.
If you are apart of the small population that can consume dairy with no problem and opt to drink it, please also consider the following (cuz I keep it real up in here):
Milk is a meal - it’s meant to make a newborn calf grow rapidly in only a few weeks, people. Think about it. Take it easy on the portions.
Dairy is the leading source of our dietary estrogen intake, since we milk cows through late-stage pregnancy when hormone levels are highest. Hello PMS symptoms and estrogen dominance - a growing phenomenon among women of all ages! Not good stuff.
Consider the treatment of animals - Some small farmers treat their cows humanely and allow a more natural relationship between mother cow and calf while still being able to collect milk for human consumption. However, large industrial milk factories often subject their cows to filthy living conditions. Animal mistreatment at factory farms is well documented. Some also question the ethics of impregnating a cow for milk production and taking away her calf shortly after birth (often for slaughter to sell veal) in order to maximize economic profits.
Sustainability: Healthy Planet, Healthy People - Animal agriculture is a major contributor to global warming and the pollution of our water and air. In addition, vast amounts of land, water and fuel are used for cattle feed, grazing and processing. By researching companies, buying from small, local farms and choosing your suppliers carefully, you can help support the farms that are producing dairy more responsibly.
SOURCES (FOR ALL YOU RESEARCHERS I LOVE :)
- FAQ – Dairy. The Weston A. Price Foundation.
- The New Four Food Groups. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Available at: http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/4foodgroups.pdf.
- 4 Release No. 0059.10. United States Department of Agriculture. February 10, 2010.
- The Dangers of Raw Milk: Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk US Food and Drug Administration. May 5, 2011.
- Why Does Organic Milk Last So Much Longer Than Regular Milk? Scientific American. June 6, 2008.
- Calcium and Milk – Wha’s Best for Your Bones and Health? The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-full-story/index.html.
- Dhiman, T. R., G. R. Anand, et al. Conjugated Linoleic Acid Content of Milk from Cows Fed Different Diets. 1999. J Dairy Sci 82(10): 2146-56. Available at: http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302%2899%2975458-5/abstract.
- Vitamin D and Chronic Disease – Your Nutrition Questions Answered. The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/questions/vitamin-d-and-chronic-disease/
- Lactose Intolerance: Information for Health Care Providers. National Institutes of Health. January 2006. Available at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/NICHD_MM_Lactose_FS.pdf.
- Mitigating the Greenhouse Gas Balance of Ruminant Production Systems Through Carbon Sequestration in Grasslands. Food and Agriculture Organization. Vol 11-2010; p 121.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector: A Life Cycle Assessment. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2010.
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