Dairy Free

Dairy Free

Dairy free diets are becoming increasingly more common. You may see that special isle in the grocery store that says gluten free and dairy free. You may also grab that soy milk because you heard that it is better for you. What is the truth of this overwhelming new development of dairy free dieting?

The product of dairy is found in milk, cheese, butter, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, ice cream, whey, casein, or foods that contain any of these ingredients. (Dairy Free Diets) Dairy is nutrient dense, which means it provides many nutrients for its calorie content. Dairy products have shown to have a great amount of protein and calcium. There are other nutrients that dairy has including phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin b12, magnesium and niacin. (The Health Benefits of Dairy) There are also benefits that just exceed nutritional intake. Studies show that consumption of dairy products at the level currently recommended by expert panels optimizes blood pressure regulation in humans. (Gregory D. Miller, 2000) There are countless studies that prove that calcium (mostly through dairy products) decreases osteoporosis. With all the nutrition and health benefits of dairy products why is it there are some people who are cutting it out of their diets?

Many people go dairy free when they are showing symptoms of Lactose Intolerance and milk allergies. Lactose Intolerance (LI) is the body’s inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk due to the lack of the enzyme Lactase. (California, 2009) The body attacks the milk enzymes creating an allergic reaction. A very small percentage of people actually suffer from these ailments. It is sometimes common that babies will show allergies to milk (via breast feeding or simply drinking it) but most of the time the child will grow out of it by the time they are 3. (California, 2009) If you are unsure that you or your child has LI or a milk allergy, seek the advice of your doctor and allergist. They can give you a proper diagnosis before you go off milk. 

Some people have benefited from eliminating milk from their diet by losing weight, more energy, or fulfilling a spiritual side of themselves (such as ovo vegetarians, fruitarians, or vegans). The weight losers seek the elimination of fats and excess sodium from their diets and choose to do so with dairy free. Sometimes if one has irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) a dairy free diet is a way to ease the discomfort and return to a normal healthy bowel. Be aware that sometimes you may think you have IBS but it could be an allergy. Seek your doctor’s opinion on this matter before you self-diagnose.

My professional opinion on the matter is unless you have a spiritual, or physical need to eliminate dairy from your diet you should continue enjoying that occasional glass of milk. I love chocolate milk and use it as a substitute for protein shakes (studies have shown that chocolate milk has similar recovery symptoms as protein shakes) simply because I have not found a protein shake that taste anywhere as good. Remember to only drink 2-3 glasses of milk a day. Too much calcium will interfere with your iron absorption and therefore become a negative. I will also tell you my dirty little secret. I use whole milk, not skim, not low fat. Why? Because my son receives most of his nutrients from milk, my husband loves it, and I have mathematically figured out that if I only drink 1-2 glasses I get the same amount as 2-3 glasses of low-fat. However, I do buy low fat yogurts, cottage cheese, and cheese for myself to indulge in, but nothing beats a good glass of chocolate whole-milk after a rough workout.

Works Cited

California, D. C. (2009). Lactose Intolerance & Milk Allergy. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from Dairy Council of California: http://www.dairycouncilofca.org/Health-Wellness/Lactose_Intolerance.aspx

Dairy Free Diets. (n.d.). Retrieved from True Star Health: http://www.truestarhealth.com/Notes/1063000.html

DairyFree.Me. (n.d.). Dairy Free Diet. Retrieved from Dairy Free Me: http://www.dairyfree.me/healthbenefits.html

Elaine Magee, M. R. (2006). 6 Reasons to Get Your Dairy. Retrieved January 15, 2013, from Webmd.com: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-get-your-diary?page=2

Erin Coleman, R. L. (2011, November 14). Can Dairy Slow Tissue Generation? Retrieved January 15, 2013, from Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/551174-can-dairy-slow-tissue-generation/

Gregory D. Miller, P. D. (2000). Benefits of Dairy Products Consumption on Blood Pressure in Humans: A Summary of the Biomedical Literature. Journal of American College of Nutrition, 147S–164S.

The Health Benefits of Dairy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2013, from Advancedweb: nurse-practitioners-and-physician-assistants.advanceweb.com/

Wellness.com. (n.d.). Dairy Free Diet. Retrieved from Wellness.com: http://www.wellness.com/reference/health-and-wellness/dairy-free-diet