The Dairy Dilemma: Why So Much of What You’ve Been Told is Wrong

Milk and dairy aren’t necessarily the health foods that you might think of for weight loss and more. Read on to learn why…

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Remember those Got Milk?® ads from the ‘90s? Celebrities posed with the hottest accessory of the decade — a milk mustache — to encourage Americans to consume more dairy.

Do we ever get magazine ads or commercials for broccoli and Brussels sprouts? Of course not. Whole foods don’t need multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns to convince you that they’re healthy. That’s because there’s nothing to debate. They are what they are!

Is Dairy Bad for You?

The US food system has spent a lot of time and money to get us to include dairy in our diets. Its claim to fame is its reputation for building strong bones, among other health claims.

But as we dive deeper into the science, that reputation starts to unravel. Here’s why.

Most People Are Lactose Intolerant

You might be surprised to learn that 65–75 percent of people are actually deficient in the enzyme that we need to digest lactose, which is a sugar found in dairy products (1,2). For people of East Asian, West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent, lactose intolerance may be even more common.

There’s also something called “secondary lactose maldigestion.” While primary lactose intolerance refers to natural causes, secondary lactose intolerance is caused by damage to the intestinal lining from digestive issues like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), celiac disease, or another gut injury (3).

With 40 percent of people suffering from functional gastrointestinal disorders (4), it’s safe to say that dairy doesn’t get along well with others.

So what happens if you consume lactose, but can’t digest it? That milk sugar travels to the colon and feeds your gut bacteria (and not in a good way). It can change the balance of good and bad bacteria, leading to even more issues that affect your immune system, mental health, skin appearance, and more.

The Recommendations Are Conflicting

The prevalence of lactose intolerance is acknowledged by the government’s own National Library of Medicine (5), which makes you wonder why dairy is so strongly recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that we drink three cups of milk a day (6). (Canada, on the other hand, removed dairy from its recommendations in 2019.)

Three cups of low-fat milk add 36 grams of sugar to your diet. Even though it’s naturally occurring, sugar is sugar, and your body’s going to process it the same way as if you got that sugar from a candy bar. Insulin is still going to have to take that sugar out of your blood and into your cells. Loading up your blood sugar this way is a fast track to insulin resistance.

“Drinking a glass of milk can spike insulin levels 300 percent and contribute to obesity and pre-diabetes,” says Mark Hyman, MD, in The Blood Sugar Solution. “This is true despite studies funded by the Dairy Council showing that milk helps with weight loss. The question is, milk compared to what? A diet of bagels and Coke, or a healthy phytonutrient, antioxidant-rich, plant-based diet with lean animal protein?”

Equally confusing, the USDA recommends low-fat and fat-free milk as your source of dairy, and cites its Vitamin D content as a benefit. (Vitamin D is needed by the body to help you absorb calcium.)

But Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning you need fat to absorb it well in the body. How well will you absorb it if the milk is fat-free?

Dairy Is a Top Food Allergen and Food Intolerance

Conflicting recommendations aside, the reality is that dairy is one of the most common food allergies and intolerances out there.

Dairy is the third most common food to cause anaphylaxis (a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction). Allergic responses to foods like dairy are acute. They produce quick, dramatic reactions, appearing within minutes or even seconds.

Food sensitivities, on the other hand, can keep your immune system fired up on a chronic basis because you keep consuming that food. When you consistently consume things like low-fat yogurt and milk, your system gets overwhelmed and your immune system never calms down.

This creates a number of problems, particularly inflammation, as well as symptoms like skin irritation, digestive distress, and other blows to your system.

Put another way, you know if you are allergic to dairy. The reaction is immediate and you may experience typical allergic reactions like tingling, hives, trouble breathing, swelling, or more.

Intolerance is harder to nail down, because you may not realize that your symptoms are even connected. They can happen within two hours of eating, or they can have a cumulative effect that causes issues over time.

Skin problems such as acne are one of the biggest reactions to dairy. One systematic review of children, adolescents, and young adults ages 7–30 concluded that any kind of dairy — including milk, yogurt, and cheese — could increase acne (7).

Researchers have attributed hormones and bioactive molecules in milk as potential culprits here (8). I would add lactose, which is higher in skim milk, since any type of sugar contributes to acne.

Dairy intolerance symptoms may also show up as:

• Other skin conditions, including eczema, rosacea, and dermatitis
• Nausea
• Stomach cramping
• Gas or bloating
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Joint pain
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Autoimmune flareups

Whether dairy is the root cause of your symptoms, or it’s exacerbating an existing condition, I recommend removing dairy from your diet to see if you improve. That’s why in Cycle 1 of The Virgin Diet, you’re going to pull out all dairy completely for at least 21 days.

Beware that dairy hides in some not-so-obvious places, including:

• Many baked goods (bread, crackers, and desserts)
• Many baking mixes and pancake mix
• Many canned foods (e.g. soups, spaghetti, and ravioli)
• Many salad dressings (e.g. ranch, blue cheese, creamy, and Caesar)
• Mashed potatoes (often prepared with butter and/or milk)
• Shakes and hot chocolate mixes and drinks
• Whey protein powder

Then, in Cycle 2, you’ll challenge dairy to see how you react.

But I Grew Up on Dairy!

The American food system is infamous for its heavily processed “food-like” products and unsavory treatment of animals. So if you’re reading this from another country (and are not lactose intolerant), you may be one of the lucky few who have access to high-quality dairy.

Or you may have grown up with plenty of dairy in your diet and are wondering why it’s such an issue these days.

Dairy products today are not what they used to be.

For one, all of our milk is pasteurized by law. Pasteurization is a process that destroys bacteria, which includes healthy and unhealthy bacteria, as well as some other vital ingredients in the milk, including probiotics, vitamins, and enzymes.

Today’s cows are also fed genetically modified (GMO) corn. Corn, which shouldn’t be a part of a cow’s diet, causes acidosis, an acid overload that can produce ulcers and bleeding in the stomach. For this, the cows must be treated with antibiotics, which then go into our systems, making it more likely that we won’t respond well to antibiotics when we really need them and creating all sorts of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. (Remember, you are what you eat, ate.)

Cows are often given recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), too. This is a genetically modified hormone that forces cows to give milk far more often than nature ever intended. A cow given rBGH produces 15 times as much milk as the cow on the local farm where you got your milk from as a kid. As a result of all that extra milking, the udders can become infected, which requires antibiotic treatment and creates pus in the milk.

rBGH is bad for the cows and bad for us. Even scarier, it amplifies levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a growth hormone that promotes cancerous tumors in the breast, colon, and prostate.

In other words, compared to the dairy of our youth, we’re now looking at liquid with extra hormones, lots of dead pus cells, and a whole load of antibiotics. That’s why it’s such an issue these days.

Note: There may be some good news here. Even if you can’t tolerate cow’s milk, you might be okay with goat’s or sheep’s milk. The fat in these dairy sources is actually easier to digest, plus the animals are more likely to be pasture-fed and drug-free. The best possible way to consume this type of dairy is raw and fermented (like kefir, yogurt, or feta cheese).

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Dairy-Free Ways to Support Bone Health

Even if you were in the small percentage of people who can not only digest and tolerate dairy, but also have access to high-quality dairy, is it the best way to build strong and healthy bones?

I think you know what I’m going to say!

Milk is touted as the ultimate way to get calcium in your diet because your bones are made of calcium. If only it were that simple. Contrary to popular belief, calcium isn’t the only nutrient you need for bone health, and milk isn’t the only source.

In fact, one study of nearly 78,000 women found that those who drank milk at least twice a day had a 45 percent higher risk of hip fracture, compared to those who only drank milk once a week or less (9).

Also, if you look at countries with the highest milk consumption, they tend to have the highest levels of osteoporosis.

I’ll go with the science on this one!

And, again, the science says that not only do you need calcium for healthier bones, but you also need Vitamin D to help absorb it. (Don’t forget that exercise helps build your bones, too.) Without enough vitamin D, your body can’t form enough of the hormone calcitriol (known as the “active vitamin D”). As a result, you’re unable to absorb calcium well (10).

Calcium-Rich Foods for Bone Health

There are plenty of plants and animal foods that can help you fulfill your calcium requirements (11). Many of them you can toss in a loaded smoothie! Some of my favorites include:

• Collard greens (357mg per 1 cup boiled)
• Sardines (351 mg per 3.75oz)
• Rhubarb (348mg per 1 cup cooked)
• Spinach (290 mg per 1 cup cooked)
• Salmon (241 mg per 3 oz)
• Turnip greens (198 mg per 1 cup boiled)
• Kale (90 mg per 1 cup cooked)
• Sesame seeds (88mg per 1 tbsp) & tahini (64mg per 1 tbsp)
• Almonds (80mg per 1 oz)
• Chia seeds (76 mg per 1 tbsp)

Dairy-Free Sources of Vitamin D

The easiest way to get your daily dose of Vitamin D is by getting outside and soaking in the sun for a few safe minutes, without sunscreen. Unfortunately, people don’t get out much these days, and many are deficient in vitamin D.

A few foods also offer vitamin D::

• Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and herring
• Beef liver
• Mushrooms
• Ghee from grass-fed cows
• Pasture-raised eggs (if you can tolerate them)

Let’s face it: Most of us don’t eat these foods regularly, nor do we get sufficient sun exposure. That’s why you’ll want to take a high-quality vitamin D supplement if your blood levels. Shine-On™ provides a dairy-free and clinically therapeutic dose of Vitamin D3, along with bioavailable Vitamin K1 (phytonadione) and Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) for optimal absorption.*

Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives

Go to any supermarket these days and you’ll see an entire aisle full of alternative, plant-based milks squeezed from every nut, seed, and grain under the sun. Which dairy-free milk is best?

The one you make at home.

Homemade “milk” just needs one ingredient — two if you count water. And you get to control anything additional, like cinnamon or vanilla extract for a little flavor.

All you need to do is blend one cup of your base (I prefer coconut meat or almonds) with four cups of water and optional flavorings, and you’ve got your own dairy-free milk perfect to add to loaded smoothies and other favorite recipes. You save a few bucks while you’re at it, too!

If homemade isn’t your thing, you’ll want to look for unsweetened, plant-based milk with no inflammatory oils and other additives. Some brands use oils like canola and rapeseed oil, which work as emulsifiers and give plant-based milks a creamy texture. But high-heat processing can damage the fragile polyunsaturated fats in these oils. The resulting rancidity can increase harmful free radical production in your body.

When it comes to choosing plant-based milk, fewer ingredients are better… and really scrutinize them closely!

Other Dairy-Free Alternatives

Fortunately, manufacturers have created plant-based alternatives for many cheeses and other dairy faves. Here are some of my go-to swaps:

• Ricotta cheese: Kite Hill almond ricotta cheese
• Cow’s milk: So Delicious organic unsweetened coconut milk, Pacific Foods unsweetened cashew non-dairy beverage, Thrive Market organic almond beverage, Good Karma unsweetened flax milk
• Ice cream: So Delicious dairy-free coconut ice cream (1g of sugar per serving)
• Whey protein: Reignite Wellness Paleo-Inspired All-In-One Shakes
• Dairy yogurt: CocoYo unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt, Kite Hill unsweetened almond yogurt
• Cream cheese: Kite Hill almond cream cheese
• Butter: Kite Hill plant-based butter alternative, Miyoko’s Creamery oat milk butter or cultured vegan butter, 4th & Heart ghee
• Sour cream: Kite Hill sour cream alternative
• Cheese: Violife cheeses (including feta, parmesan, and mozzarella)
• Spreadable cheese: Kite Hill Garlic & Herb soft spreadable cheese
• Half and half: So Delicious original coconut milk creamer

The Bottom Line

If you love Greek-style yogurt, foamy milk to top your cappuccino, or goat cheese on your salad, you’re probably feeling a little bummed. But knowing that dairy can cause problem after problem — ones that you may have been trying to solve for a long time — you can start heading down the path towards finally feeling better in your body.

In Cycle 1 of The Virgin Diet, you’re going to completely pull dairy for at least three weeks to give your body a chance to calm down. People notice a difference within the first week. They look better, feel better, skin problems like acne start to clear up, and they’re finally able to break through weight loss resistance and lose weight.

Then you will reintroduce it in Cycle 2 to see how your body reacts. You may discover that you can tolerate the occasional Greek yogurt. You might instead find that your body prefers goat or sheep dairy. Or, like many of my readers, you may discover that dairy is not for you, and that unsweetened coconut milk might be your new best friend.

Cookie bites, freezer fudge, brownies… are you drooling yet? Want to hear the best part? All of these recipes are healthy (and dairy-free)! You’ll find them and lots more in my Sweet Treats Recipe Guide. Get the sweet, decadent, guilt-free recipes here.

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The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern. The information here is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or condition. Statements contained here have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

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2. Mattar R, de Campos Mazo DF, Carrilho FJ. Lactose intolerance: diagnosis, genetic, and clinical factors. Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2012;5:113–121. doi:10.2147/CEG.S32368
3. Szilagyi A. Adult lactose digestion status and effects on disease. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015;29(3):149–156. doi:10.1155/2015/904686
4. Sperber AD, Bangdiwala SI, Drossman DA, et al. Worldwide Prevalence and Burden of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Results of Rome Foundation Global Study. Gastroenterology. 2021;160(1):99–114.e3. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2020.04.014
5. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/lactose-intolerance/
6. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf
7. Juhl CR, Bergholdt HKM, Miller IM, Jemec GBE, Kanters JK, Ellervik C. Dairy Intake and Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 78,529 Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Nutrients. 2018 Aug 9;10(8):1049. doi: 10.3390/nu10081049. PMID: 30096883; PMCID: PMC6115795.
8. Adebamowo, CA, et al. 2005. High school dietary dairy intake and teenage acne. J Am Acad Dermatol. 52(2):207–14.
9. Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. Am J Public Health. 1997;87(6):992–997. doi:10.2105/ajph.87.6.992
10. https://www.bones.nih.gov/health-info/bone/bone-health/nutrition/calcium-and-vitamin-d-important-every-age
11. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/