What’s the deal with dairy? Is it healthy?
Mostly thanks to marketing in the health and wellness industry, there is this super common notion these days that all dairy is inherently unhealthy, and that non-dairy alternatives are always better for you. However, this is not always the case!
The tricky thing with dairy is there is a lot of nuance, and there’s a broad spectrum in terms of dairy quality. It can be veryyyy confusing.
Many people avoid dairy unnecessarily because they’ve been led to believe that all dairy is bad for them. I personally believe that if you enjoy eating dairy AND you don’t have any issues digesting it, there is no reason to cut it out of your diet.
First, let’s understand the difference between being lactose intolerant vs. being “sensitive” to dairy:
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose is naturally occurring sugar found in milk and dairy products. If you are lactose intolerant, that means you are not producing sufficient amounts (or none at all) of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down and digest lactose. Lactose intolerance will typically result in acute, obvious symptoms like nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and gas.
Sensitivity to casein or whey
For some people, casein and whey proteins found in dairy can cause an excessive inflammatory immune response if they are unable to properly digest those proteins, leading to similar GI symptoms and sometimes also sinus/congestion symptoms or unexplained skin issues.
What’s the deal with organic and grass fed dairy?
If budget allows, it is better to choose organic dairy as much as possible. Organic means no antibiotics, growth-promoting hormones, or steroids can be used in organic dairy cows. Feed and forage given to organic dairy cows must be free of pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs.
Grass fed means cows have been fed a diet of grass and dried forages like hay. However, to be truly "100% grass-fed" the cows must not be fed any corn, soy, or other grains. Grass fed dairy contains more vitamin A, more omega-3 fatty acids, and more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
Nutritional benefits of high quality dairy
Organic, full fat dairy products are a great source of calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. From a macronutrient perspective, milk has a good ratio of protein, fat, and carbs. For example, 1 cup of whole milk has 8 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat, and 12 grams of carbs. Additionally, things like whole milk, greek yogurt, and cottage cheese can be excellent vegetarian protein sources. This can be especially helpful if you’re trying to eat a high protein diet but sometimes get bored with or sick of eating animal protein like chicken, beef, or eggs.
Fermented and cultured dairy products like butter, yogurt, kefir, and cheese are actually easiest to digest because the fermentation process gets rid of most of the lactose, and they also contain probiotics that are beneficial for your gut. Butter is almost completely lactose and casein free, and has lots of vitamins and butyrate.
My personal favorite dairy products to try
Fermented and cultured dairy products like Greek yogurt and kefir. My favorite brands are Stonyfield Grass-fed Greek Yogurt, and Nancy’s.
Grass-fed butter like Kerrygold or Vital Farms.
Raw cheeses. I love Organic Valley and Raw Farm.
Grass fed organic whole milk. My favorite brands easily found in stores are Maple Hill and Organic Valley Grassmilk. However, I prefer to buy whole milk from local farms when possible, so check your local farmers market!
Full fat cottage cheese. I love Good Culture and Nancy’s Organic.
If you really can’t do dairy, here are my personal fav choices for non-dairy alternatives:
Ghee – this is butter that has basically been cooked down until all the milk solids have been cooked out, so it does not contain lactose or casein.
Canned coconut milk, light or full fat – there are brands out there that is literally just coconut and water. Plus, I really like coconut milk for gut support. Lauric acid, a fatty acid found in coconut, has strong antimicrobial effects on gastrointestinal pathogens.
Homemade cashew milk — I’m not a fan of most store bought nut milks because they taste like vanilla flavored water to me, and I don’t love the added ingredients. If you have a strong high speed blender, give this recipe a try: soak 1 C cashews in water overnight, then drain and add to a blender along for 4 C of fresh water. Add 1 or 2 dates for sweetness, a teaspoon of vanilla, a few shakes of cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt. Blend for several minutes until totally smooth. No straining necessary!
What to watch out for with non-dairy alternatives:
Most non-dairy alternatives have added ingredients, usually to make the taste and consistency mimic real dairy more closely. I’m not going to say all of these ingredients are inherently “bad,” but they can certainly cause GI upset for some people. If you find yourself with gas, bloating, pain, diarrhea, etc. and you’re not sure why, take a look at non-dairy alternatives you might be consuming regularly and see if there is a pattern there.
Some of the most common ingredients added to non-dairy milks are:
Sweeteners and sugar
Gums, thickeners, and emulsifiers like carrageenan, xantham gum, guar gum, gellan, locust bean, or lecithin
Many oat milk brands have canola oil added. I won’t demonize canola oil here, considering most of the foods we eat out are cooked in it, but it’s not something I would choose to consume daily.
