I grew up in a family of avid milk drinkers. My dad was raised on whole milk and my mom, a uber health advocate, wore him down until he finally switched to skim. We had milk with every meal and there was never a shortage of yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese, American cheese, and butter in our household. Mom used to say it would make us grow up big and strong, and would keep our bones healthy. Her education as a nurse, and years of the dairy interests commercials, had convinced her that giving us milk products was the best way to insure we were getting the calcium we needed. Interestingly, I suffered from horrific ear infections as a child. My ear drums ruptured more than once, and doctors told my mom I could have permanent hearing loss as a result of the scarring. Even today, the scars on my ear drums can be seen when examined with an otoscope, something my nursing school colleagues loved to see for themselves! It never dawned on my mom that there could possibly be connection between the milk that was supposed to keep me healthy, and the awful infections that plagued me for years.
She is not alone, unfortunately, it has been engrained in us that dairy products are a vital source of nutrients and we should be consuming about 3 servings of low fat or nonfat dairy everyday. This comes directly from the FDA's recommendations. Here's the real kicker, studies are now showing that children who consume low fat or nonfat dairy are far more likely to be overweight or obese, than those that consume 2% or even full fat!!! Say what?! Yes, it is true! How can this be you ask, well when all the fat has been removed from milk, you are left with a higher proportion of lactose (milk sugar) which is then absorbed more quickly into the blood stream causing blood sugar and insulin spikes. Milk with a higher fat content is absorbed more slowly and won't cause the spike because the fat keeps blood sugar more steady. Plus, it promotes greater satiety.
Dairy and Infections: Unfortunately there has been a significant rise in incidences of food allergies among children over the last 20 years and you guessed it, dairy makes that list. In fact, dairy is the most common allergen amongst children. It is estimated that as much as 79% of kids who suffer from ear infections get them as the result of allergic reactions. Allergies cause the eustachian tubes in the ears to swell and therefore not drain properly. Bacteria thrive in warm, dark places so a blocked tube is the perfect breeding ground for an infection. Ladies, are you prone to yeast infections? Well if you love your dairy you may want to think again. Yeast loves sugar and it does not discriminate, so all that lactose could be contributing to those pesky infections.
Dairy For Protein: I had all but given up dairy while I was in the full swing of Paleo. I didn't even have cheese! When I did begin incorporating it back into my diet I was using only raw, organic products and no milk. Then about 3 months ago, I started using whey protein to supplement my growing dietary requirements. Since I'm going to CrossFit 5 times a week the demand on my body warranted greatly increasing my protein and calorie intake. It is very difficult for me to do this with whole foods, so whey seemed to be a great option. Here's why: when you're trying to build muscle whey is great because its full of amino acids, its relatively inexpensive, and its easy to consume. Additionally whey causes a spike in insulin and IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor) something that you want when you're trying to increase muscle mass. I didn't notice any significant side effects from the sudden massive consumption of whey. No GI issues whatsoever and no increased joint pain. What did I notice? Well coincidentally my acne prone skin has been more broken out in the last 3 months, than its been since I was a teenager. Maybe it is just a coincidence, but its been enough of a nuisance to make me think seriously about dumping whey.
Dairy and Your Skin: So what is the dairy-bad skin connection? Well like I said, dairy increases insulin and IGF-1 which is great for building muscle but can also lead to skin inflammation and excess oil production. This seems to be more of a factor with nonfat dairy products because they cause an even greater spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. Here's another issue, processed dairy ranks near the top of the most inflammatory foods so its likely to exacerbate issues like eczema, rosascea, and even psoriasis.
Dairy for Bone Health: Ok lets get real here. The United States has one of the HIGHEST rates of osteoporosis in the world and we rank amongst the highest in dairy consumption!!! But how can this be? Isn't milk supposed to help us build healthy bones? Not according to The Nurse's Health Study, a 12 year prospective study including over 77,000 women between the ages of 34 and 59. The study demonstrated that women with the highest reported milk consumption were more likely to have a bone fracture. Additionally you need more than just calcium for bone health. The milk we get in grocery stores has been virtually stripped of all nutritional value so it is fortified. It's very common to see vitamin D added to milk, but it is D2 (ergocalciferol) which is the less expensive and also less bioavailable form. We actually need to be taking in D3 (cholecalciferol). We know that Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption, but we also need Magnesium to form osteoblasts and osteoclast, the cells responsible for building bone. Premliminary studies are demonstrating that most people in the U.S. do not take in the recommend amount in their diets. Also, a diet high in sugar increases magnesium secretion, leading to a greater deficit. Just so you know, in 2012 the average American ate 130lbs of sugar.
Dairy and Insulin Resistance: Lets stop for a moment and consider what milk's God intended purpose really is.... to nourish baby cows right? Just like a mother's breastmilk sustains her new baby, and helps the infant grow, cow's milk is meant to help baby cows grow big and strong. It is chock full of anabolic hormones (these stimulate growth) and then the dairy industry adds rBGH to the mix. Recombinant bovine growth hormone is given to cows to force their bodies to produce 15 times more milk than they would naturally. MMMM..... so when we drink milk we get a nice big dose of genetically engineered growth hormone too.
And just to paint a pretty picture for you: dairy cows are packed into stalls where they are usually knee deep in their own feces. They are pumped full of rBGH to stimulate milk production which often leads to infections in their udders (mastitis), and they are fed GMO corn that they aren't fully able digest. The breakdown of corn leads to a highly acidic environment in the cow's gut, causing ulceration. As a result of these horrific conditions, cows must be treated with massive doses of antibiotics, which are then passed through their milk to the consumer. So when you pour yourself a nice talk glass or ice cold milk think about all the things you are about to ingest: hormones, sugar, antibiotics... YUM!
Just FYI: the U.S. produces 21 billion gallons of milk per year. This is a multi-billion dollar industry so of course dairy is big business, regardless of what its doing to our health!
If you must have dairy here are some rules to live by:
- If you can get raw (unpasteurized) products from grass-fed cows, do! In it's natural state grass-fed dairy is full of CLA's, probiotics, and enzymes that may actually be beneficial. Yes, it still has natural hormones but it will also contain some good stuff. Plus, those who are lactose intolerant may be able to digest raw dairy.
- Goat and Sheep's milk may be more tolerable for those with a CMA (cows milk allergy). These can be a great substitute and since they tend to have a stronger flavor, a little will go a long way.
- Choose fermented dairy products like kefir, which contain lots of probiotics
- Kerrygold grass-fed Irish butter
- Trader Joe's raw cheddar
References:
"The Virgin Diet", J.J. Virgin
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10728925
http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/health-concerns-about-dairy-products
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#h6
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6239577
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