Let me preface this by saying that we are all unique and what’s healthy for you may not be healthy for your friends or family (and vice versa). That said, dairy is one of the food groups that has been hotly debated for many compelling reasons. Although there are some populations that are better able to process dairy products (ideally organic, grass-fed, and/or raw), many people experience symptoms ranging from joint pain, inflammation, bloating, acne, hormonal imbalances, low energy, and excess mucus production. For those that have been eating dairy most of their lives and have any of these symptoms, they may have even come to accept these conditions as their “normal”.
Why does dairy cause these symptoms for so many people?
- UNNATURALLY OCCURRING HORMONES: To increase milk production, conventional dairy cows are injected with growth hormones. When hormones make their way into our foods, we can experience hormonal imbalances, weight gain, and acne.
- NATURALLY OCCURRING HORMONES: Even organic dairy products contain hormones. Dairy comes from lactating (and often pregnant) cows. As a result, the hormones associated with the reproductive cycle are found in the dairy products we consume.
- SUGAR: Milk sugar (lactose) is intended to cause the rapid growth of a small mammal. When consuming the milk of other mammals, the insulin response is overstimulated, which can lead to inflammation, acne and weight gain.
- INFLAMMATION: Dairy is one of the most inflammatory food groups (alongside gluten and sugar). Cows fed diets of grain and corn lead to dairy products that are high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. This can lead to joint pain, fatigue, and digestive distress.
- DIGESTION: Dairy is very hard to digest, even for those that don’t have a dairy allergy. For many people, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation are some of the side effects of consuming dairy products.
So, what should you do if you experience some of these symptoms and want to know if dairy is the issue? Try eliminating dairy products from your diet for 3 – 4 weeks and see how you feel. Slowly add dairy back to your diet after that time and see if your symptoms return. If they do, you may want to consider eliminating dairy for good.
For those that don’t experience unpleasant symptoms, enjoying an occasional bowl of ice cream or other creamy delights may feel entirely worth it (for me it is!). If you do choose to include dairy in your diet, goat and sheep milk are often much easier for the body to tolerate. Additionally, dairy should always be purchased organic to avoid unnaturally occurring hormones and antibiotics. Whenever possible, choose grass-fed and/or raw dairy to increase the nutritional content and avoid some of the other toxins often found in dairy products.