Dairy – The Great Debate
Dairy has been a hot topic for decades with very mixed reviews on its health implications – both positive and negative. Some people believe dairy foods to be extremely nutritious and an important part of our diet, whereas others believe it causes negative side effects and should be avoided. So I’m going to discuss why there is such a divide and how you can wade through the mountain of information to make the best choice for YOU when it comes to dairy.
Why is there such a split opinion?
Quite simply, there is a divide because some people can tolerate dairy and some people can’t. Dairy products contain a sugar called lactose, which not all people can digest. As well as this, a much smaller number of people are intolerant, or more seriously allergic, to the protein found in cow’s milk. The fact that dairy CAN cause digestive discomfort for some, leads to many people being wary of it – but very often this is an unnecessary fear.
After years of having discomfort from certain foods I decided to have myself tested and I tested positive for an intolerance to the protein in cows milk. Just by knowing these results I have been able to cut out certain dairy foods and have had less discomfort from my food choices.
Why can some people tolerate it and others can’t?
The reason for this dates back goes way back in history. Thousands of years ago, humans would stop producing lactase – the enzyme needed to breakdown lactose – once they were weaned off breast milk. This was due to a lack of dairy foods in the diet so their bodies no
longer had a need for lactase. However over the years, as dairy foods became more prevalent, some people began to continue eating dairy containing foods later into life – mostly cheese and yogurt which contain much smaller amounts of lactose than milk. This lead to a gradual increased tolerance to dairy foods, as their bodies evolved to continue producing larger amounts of lactase after weaning. Eventually many of these people and their descendants could tolerate drinking milk, and eating cheese and yogurt every day.
However, this ‘genetic adaptation’ did not occur across all cultures as many simply didn’t continue to consume dairy regularly due to variation in food availability and dietary habits. So for this reason, there are some populations in the world today who simply can’t tolerate lactose after weaning, as their bodies stop producing lactase after infancy. In fact figures show that only about 35% of the world’s population can tolerate lactose – mostly people of European decent where dairy is an important part of the diet. Whereas a large proportion of Asian, South African and Australian populations can’t tolerate dairy due a much reduced availability of dairy in such countries. For us here in the Ireland, about 90% of the population are absolutely fine with dairy.
What’s so great about dairy anyway?
• Protein – milk and milk products are a source of high quality protein, which means they contain all 9 essential amino acids that our body can’t make itself, so they are vital from our diet. Amino acids play an important role in the growth and repair of body tissue and also in metabolism, so it’s important we get the right balance.
• Calcium – it’s no secret that dairy foods are a great source of calcium, and calcium is 
important for healthy bones throughout life. Studies have consistently shown that a higher intake of calcium is associated with better bone health and reduced fracture risk. Calcium from dairy foods is also more bioavailable (useable) to the body, than calcium from non-dairy sources.
• Post workout nutrition – studies have found that milk is a fantastic post-workout recovery drink, even better than specially developed sports drinks. One study found that compared to drinking a soy or carbohydrate beverage post-exercise, skimmed milk improved muscle gain, strength and fat loss. It’s believed that the mix of fast and slow absorbed protein in milk – whey and casein – strikes just the right balance for optimal muscle gain. As well as this, the nutrient balance in milk makes it a great drink for re-hydration as it helps to replace fluid as well as lost electrolytes.
• Dairy foods and weight loss – there is some research to suggest that consumption of low fat dairy foods can help to increase fat loss while on an energy restricted diet, as well as reducing weight gain when following a maintenance calorie allowance. This may be due to some components such as calcium in the dairy foods influencing fat metabolism in the body.
So what should we do when it comes to dairy foods?
So the take home message is, that although some people can’t digest dairy well, others are absolutely fine with it. So unless you have a medically diagnosed intolerance to dairy, you do not need to remove it from your diet and can continue to happily benefit from its array of nutrients. Choose low fat versions of your favourite dairy food where you can to reduce calorie intake – this won’t affect the other nutrients, and in fact skimmed milk contains a little bit more calcium than full fat!
It’s easy to get sucked into things when it’s all over the media or social media, but it’s important to weigh up the facts before jumping on the bandwagon. Although cutting out dairy may be fashionable, if it’s unnecessary for you then you may be losing out on important nutrients for no good reason.
Make sure you follow us on our Why Weight Ireland Facebook Page and if you are in the local or surrounding areas of Tinahely you can now access our new Studio Facebook page
