Dairy and health...what's the verdict?
Updated: Nov 3, 2022
Remember those “Drink Milk” ads that were plastered everywhere not too long ago?
Well nowadays, you won’t find kids chugging gallons of milk in schools or at home. Instead, you’ll find them ordering their Starbucks drink “with oat milk, please”. So what has changed? Why has everyone all of the sudden switched to plant milk? Well, there are a few reasons.
For some, it’s more so about sustainability or the “ethics” of it, for others, a matter of personal preference. Some are concerned about the harmful bits lingering in their milk, such as hormones and antibiotics. Others don’t have a choice due to lactose intolerance or other conditions restricting their dietary intake.
But what does research ACTUALLY say about dairy? Is it good, or is it bad? It’s not as simple as you think.
First, let’s address all the concerns revolving around dairy.
The main ones include: dairy causes heart disease, inflammation, raises the risk of cancer, diabetes, and obesity (PCRM, 2022). These CAN be true. The reason that “can” is the keyword here, because it's all relative. What I mean by that is, the negative effects of dairy become relevant only at higher intake amounts (above the recommended daily amount), and in particular, the full-fat versions are the ones weighing the entire group down, so to speak (Ding, 2019; Solan, 2019).
Unless of course, we’re talking about those with certain health conditions such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (both inflammatory states of the bowel). The main component to blame as a whole is the high amount of saturated fat contained in full-fat dairy (Williams, 2020). One study specifically cited that two servings of dairy per day were actually linked to lower mortality risk, which is still below the recommended 3 servings per day (Ding, 2019).
Nevertheless, while dairy can be a great source of calcium, Vitamin D, and protein among others, it is NOT a necessity in our diet. And some may even argue that the recommended “3 servings per day” is more of a vague guesstimate rather than a strong suggestion. Some groups may be more prone to nutrient deficiencies & their consequences, such as young children, and old adults. But if carefully planned, even individuals within these groups can make the transition to “dairy-free” without any problems.
Nowadays, finding nutritious alternatives is not a concern. It’s more a matter of knowing and being educated on what the alternatives are, and how they compare. For example, fermented dairy is more nutritious (Solan, 2019; Williams, 2020). As are the organic, grass-fed versions, for obvious reasons.
What I want you to understand is that while you don’t NEED dairy in your diet, you also don’t need to purposefully AVOID it entirely, as long as you balance your intake and sources. The only group that SHOULD (100%) avoid dairy are those that are lactose-intolerant, and those that have a true milk (casein) allergy (Williams, 2020). This is where the “dairy causes inflammation” claims come in. While yes, again, the high amounts of saturated fat in full-fat dairy are pro-inflammatory, generally speaking, this is not something that applies to all. There is some thought to dairy negatively impacting gut health but this has not been demonstrated consistently in the average individual with no known allergy or sensitivity. Even if you’re not allergic, you may find that you are sensitive to dairy products (based on symptoms or testing), in which case, cutting it out may not be the worst idea after all if it makes you feel better (Williams, 2020).
So what about those alternatives? Are they healthier? Are they healthy AT ALL? Just like with everything else, you must be conscious of your choices when substituting milk with a plant-based alternative. Really it comes down to establishing your personal nutritional needs, depending on your overall diet, pattern of food intake, and other factors such as age, weight or health conditions.
Ding, M., Li, J., Qi, L., Ellervik, C., Zhang, X., Manson, J.E., et al. (2019). Associations of
dairy intake with risk of mortality in women and men: Three prospective cohort
studies, BMJ 2019; 367 :l6204 doi:10.1136/bmj.l6204
Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM). (2022). Health concerns about
dairy: Avoid the dangers of dairy with a plant-based diet.
Solan, M. (2019). Dairy: Health food or health risk?
Williams, C. (2020). Here's what a dietitian says about dairy causing inflammation.
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