All those advertisements of the last decade about dairy more or less want us to believe that they are a cornerstone of a healthy diet, providing essential nutrients that strengthen our bones, and eradicate osteoporosis from the left and right. But is this true? Is dairy necessary or even healthy for most of the people who consume it?
The dangers of dairy
The truth is that dairy products can lead to countless health problems and, for many, can cause more harm than good, here’s why.
They are highly inflammatory
They cause inflammation in a large percentage of the population resulting in digestive problems such as bloating , gas, constipation and diarrhea, as well as other symptoms including acne , and a strong presentation of autistic behaviors. Dairy is one of the most inflammatory foods in our modern diet, second to gluten. 3 reasons to give up gluten.
What is it in dairy products that causes an inflammatory response? Is everyone dairy sensitive and lactose intolerant? There are two components of dairy products that tend to cause problems for people, sugar and protein.
People who are lactose intolerant do not produce the enzyme lactase, which is necessary to break down lactose, a sugar found in milk, causing digestive problems every time they consume dairy products. People who produce the enzyme lactase but still react poorly to milk are responding to the two proteins found in milk, casein and whey .
Casein is a protein with a molecular structure very similar to gluten and 50% of people who are gluten intolerant are casein intolerant as well.
They are often packed with hormones and antibiotics
Many times when people drink milk, they are consuming much more than just milk. American dairy farmers have long injected cows with a genetically modified bovine growth hormone called rBGH to increase milk production .
This forced increase in milk production often leads to an udder infection in cows called mastitis, which is then treated with antibiotics, which can make its way into your dairy products.
All of these concerns about the health and safety benefits of dairy products can lead to more questions. Are all dairy bad? Are there better alternative sources of dairy? Where am I going to get my calcium if it’s not from dairy? Let’s take a look at this.
What about goat’s milk and sheep’s milk?
Some people who choose to eliminate cow’s milk from their diet still enjoy goat’s or sheep’s milk, as it is much easier to tolerate. Even though they have a lactose content similar to cow’s milk, which means that it won’t be easier to digest if you are lactose intolerant, they have a different type of casein protein, which makes it easier. to handle for those sensitive to casein.
Casein exists in two variants, A1 beta-casein and A2 beta-casein, which differ only by a single amino acid in their protein chains. A2 is considered the original beta-casein because A1 only appeared about a thousand years ago, after a mutation occurred in European cow herds, and it is often the A1 beta-casein that people react badly to.
Goat’s milk and sheep’s milk lack the A1 beta-casein, which is what makes them more tolerable, but because the A1 and A2 proteins are so similar, these milks can still cause problems for some.
What about unpasteurized organic milk?
If you are not sensitive to casein, and you still want to consume cow’s milk, organic and unpasteurized milk can certainly be a healthy and less chemical route to take. Raw, organic milk from cows that have not been injected with rgBH and have not been treated with antibiotics, eliminating the concern that these chemicals are in the milk.
Raw milk, while contentiously debated, has many health benefits, benefits that pasteurized milk lacks. The pasteurization process, which is intended to kill harmful bacteria, kills many of the helpful enzymes that occur naturally in milk as well.
In fact, one of the enzymes present in raw milk that is not found in pasteurized milk is the lactase enzyme, that is, people who are lactose intolerant are actually able to drink raw milk, since it contains the necessary enzyme to break down the lactose that your body is unable to produce.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to consume dairy products and from what source rests solely with your body. Try to eliminate dairy products from your diet completely and pay attention to how it reacts, then try to reintroduce dairy products in its different forms and sources and see how it responds.
If you decide to cut out dairy products, fear not, there are many other natural sources of calcium beyond milk that you can incorporate into your diet.
10 non-dairy sources of calcium
1. Almonds
2. Kale
3. Oranges
4. Green Cabbage
5. Broccoli
6. Figs
7. Spinach
8. Calcium-enriched rice, almond, hemp and coconut milks
9. Sesame seeds
10. Tempeh