Is Dairy Unhealthy?

If you have the enzyme needed to break it down, then no, I don't think it's unhealthy. I'm very healthy, and I consume a lot of dairy products. There are way more unhealthy things, like sugar, that most of us consume in vast quantities on a regular basis.

I'm a vegetarian and dairy is essential to my diet. As are grains, fruits, nuts and seeds.

As to evidence? I have no clue, I just know what I need to do to maintain my health, and it includes dairy-in moderation.

I do full fat.

I am so with you on asking this question. If someone has some educated evidence to present, I am willing to listen. But I have heard the arguments about other species way too often and do wonder if there is any scientific evidence.

I do get annoyed when anyone says that the pasteurization process changes it or makes it less healthy than raw milk. The pasteurization process makes it safe!!! Also, if a doctor is encouraging you to drink milk because of the health benefits, it goes without saying that they are saying this based on the studies of pasteurized milk, not raw milk, as the health professionals do not advocate raw milk as it is very unsafe for us to drink.

Everything in moderation. (Even moderation!)

Well I have no science beyond if dairy can harm you I would be dead by now.

This article has links to studies at the bottom of the page that may have the kind of info you're looking for - the links contain the study abstracts so you may need to research further to see the data.

http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/ditch-the-dairy/

This article promotes the idea that if you are consuming dairy, then full-fat and raw are preferred. There are source links at the bottom of this article as well:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/0...

The Westin A Price foundation also embraces full-fat, raw dairy.

Personally, I know that I feel better when I'm off dairy, and I don't drink cow's milk at all. I do have some cheese on occasion but try to avoid it. My kids could probably also benefit from coming off of dairy as some of them are prone to allergies, acne, learning and behavioral issues. Their dairy intake is fairly minimal - milk with cereal, cheese, ice cream - but none is willing to forgo it completely although some of them will have my almond or coconut milk with cereal if we're out of cow's milk.

I don't think it's all good or all bad, as long as what you're consuming is minimally processed. Some people handle dairy products well and other don't. It's a personal decision.

You're going to get as many opinions on this as there are members. But to start, you have to define what you mean by "dairy" - and what others mean. Some mean cow's milk, some include the milk of other animals. Some are anti-dairy because of the additives; some by the conditions in which cows may or may not be kept (crowding, hormones, antibiotics). Some promote raw milk without additives; other authorities are concerned about bacteria in that.

You can consult a nutritionist - but you'll get more opinions if you consult 10 or 20. Someone below references the Weston A. Price Foundation, but others will tell you that the WAPF has been discredited many times over for dangerous positions not based on scientific research. I work with food scientists who wouldn't believe a word of what they say and there are journals that have apologized for publishing some of the Price claims which turned out to be unsubstantiated or falsified. (Price was a dentist in the 1930s so some say he had no credentials for dietary ingredients anyway.)

So if you investigate any legitimate sounding foundations and institutes, make sure you really dig. It's easy to discount the blogs that just repeat stuff from other sources (with or without investigating), but a lot of foundations with an agenda do the same thing. On the flip side, the Dairy Association clearly has an agenda which is to support the dairy farmers.

One place to find scientific papers is PubMed.com which is the clearinghouse for thousands of scientific papers produced by many research institutions and universities receiving government funding and private as well.

The other problem you have to face is that many people have negative reactions to dairy, not because there is necessarily anything inherently wrong with the dairy products themselves (once you correct for additives and so on), but because they already have a sensitivity. That sensitivity can be due to a variety of things, including epigenetic changes in themselves or their parents. Epigenetics is a very promising field which has a lot of potential answers for this incredible rise we are seeing in allergies, autism, food sensitivities, and autoimmune diseases as well as behavioral issues. There's tremendous research on it (you can find a lot of it in PubMed) and much more coming. A lot of it has to do with medical conditions (cancer, etc.) but much of it has to do with diet as well as things like the long-term effects of trauma and stress on cell function. (Epigenetics controls cell functioning and gene switch on/off which is reversible and which is separate from unchangeable genetic issues). You can research that in Science Magazine, Time, and other investigative articles that are at least written for the average non-scientist. So epigenetic changes that make some food intake uncomfortable or even hazardous is quite different from the food being dangerous inherently.

So as you research, ask those questions and define your terms.

i think dairy is packed with good stuff. obviously too much of it, especially if it comes from factory-farmed dairies, can have deleterious effects.
we have no lactose-intolerance problems here, so we'll always have dairy on the menu. i have to go to PA, an hour either way, to get good organic raw milk, so i don't have it as often as i'd like. but i do the drive periodically because i love it.
khairete
S.

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that Pasteurization makes milk vastly safer to drink. It has virtually eliminated many common milk borne illnesses in the developed world. I am sure you can find more info on either Medline (now Pubmed) or the CDC website. Homogenization is pretty much cosmetic - if you want your milk to separate with a cream layer, drink non-homogenized.

The FDA has found ZERO evidence that milk from cows fed bovine growth hormone differs in ANY way from milk from non bGH fed cows. That evidence is why the statement is written on milk containers. Try the FDA website.

There is some evidence both pro and con about the benefits of full fat vs reduced fat dairy in weight loss. This is in general not particularly relevant for children. There is currently some controversy in the previously settled area of animal origin saturated fats and their role in health and disease.

If you listen to what 'people' say - you will realize that you cannot eat meat, anything but red meat, artificial sweeteners, real sugar, any grains, anything except whole grains, fish, any animal protein source except fish, fruits and vegetables and anything except fruits and vegetables.

Since there are so many papers out there, I find it most helpful to look for meta-analyses on issues I am interested in. This means the authors have evaluated all the peer reviewed papers on a topic and statistically ranked the strength of the evidence in each paper to come to the best scientific conclusions based upon the available evidence.

ETA: DH worked on a dairy farm when he was in college. The family all drank the milk before it was pasteurized and were (apparently fine). He drank the milk (not thinking) and developed horrible gastroenteritis. He lost 30 lbs (he was probably 130 before he got sick) and was sick for weeks. According to the CDC this is not unusual.

I never researched it. My kid drank milk like a calf growing up and never had any ill effects from it. She's grown now and still loves dairy - butter, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, and never met a cheese she didn't like.

I adore dairy foods. I also love veggies, fruits, some grains, and meats.

When food manufacturers and distributers change the overall structure of these foods in order to preserve, stabilize, make it more palatable or pretty, it often has a adverse effect on the nutritional value of the product. With milk, for instance, pasteurization and homogenization has been shown to change structure of carbohydrates/sugars, branch chain amino acids, and proteins in the milk, which changes how it is digested. I'm no food scientist, but I would venture a half-educated guess that processed dairy is not as good for you as natural dairy. And that's where, if I were trying to determine whether or not to eat dairy, I would further my education on the topic.

Good luck!

ETA: Raw, unpasteurized milk is NOT "very dangerous" if cows are properly cleaned before milking. That's simply untrue.

A lot of people will tell you that dairy is unhealthy for a variety of reasons, most commonly the hormones and early puberty that they see in children. They will tell you that you can get the same benefits in other ways.

However, none of the other "milks" contain the same nutrients as cow's milk. Overall, they are lower in calcium, healthy fats and vitamins (some are equal in some categories but none are equal in all of them). While you can get calcium from certain vegetables, the quantities you have to eat are enormous compared with the amount of calcium in one glass of milk.

Personally, I think giving up dairy makes it awfully hard to get the calcium your body needs.

Finally, take it from someone whose son can't have any dairy at all due to allergies - it totally sucks. Imagine sending your kids to bday parties where they can't eat pizza or cake. Imagine reading every label of everything you eat to find out if it has dairy or not. Yes, I realize you can give up drinking a glass of milk without giving up all dairy, but then what's the point?

Contact a nutritionist, or a research librarian, they can help you best.

Personally a fan of all things dairy, but can no longer drink milk, eat ice cream, or most soft cheeses in any quantity without serious side effects, so I don't. Hubs and DS both tolerate milk well so there is always a gallon of whole milk in the fridge.

Best,
F. B.

The only time I know of it being unhealthy is when you are sick. Or if it is from cows that are eating GMO's and getting antibiotics.

People all over the world drink a variety of milks - cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels. Other less common milk animals are yaks, horses, reindeers and donkeys.

I'm not a big milk drinker myself (but I love butter milk!) but I like butter, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream and a large variety of cheeses.
I cook with milk, half n half and cream.
What would whipped cream be without the cream?

Although some people can't drink it (lactose intolerance), it's a good source of protein, calcium and fat.
Is it healthy?
It can be - moderation in all things.
Can I point you to a study?
Sorry I don't have one on hand and you can Google as well as I can.
The Dairy Counsel should have info although you can be sure they'll be a bit biased - it is their business.

If you like dairy then it's up to you as to whether you want to eat/drink it or not. No, it's not unhealthy. It can, as anything can, be overdone.

I wish I had kept the article I read last week. There was an article in teh Chicago trib about a study that was done about too much milk. The article listed several "side effects". But the whole was written as TOO MUCH. I drink milk, eat yogurt, every day. I only drink maybe 2 cups though. I eat 2 or 3 yogurts a day actually. My son is allergic to milk. We have not taken the steps yet to determine what exactly he is allergic to. However, he eats yogurt like crazy. I have not found almond milk yogurt near me yet so he takes the regular and greek I have at home. I have to hide it or he will eat it all.

You've been given a lot of comments on how dairy is good. If you are interested in opinions from the other side, I suggest you watch Forks Over Knives. It's on Netflix right now, if you have it. There are several doctors on there with some very interesting thoughts on why dairy is bad for the body. They also discuss The China Study. If you're not interested in watching the documentary, I suggest you look into The China Study.