Why the Disdain for Dairy?
By Tim Butler, R.D., Chief Science Officer at FitNatic
I’ve come across an ever-growing population of dairy haters recently and I’m not sure why. I’ve heard a few superficial arguments, which I will address, but still don’t understand. It seems as though people prefer to “red light” or “green light” certain foods or food groups as simple way of figuring out what is “healthy” or “good” for you — a poor approach to nutrition in my opinion.
Cow’s milk is for baby cows. Duh. What’s a cow say? “Moo.” Good, we’re on the same page. Now, let’s move from first grade to anthropology class.
Humans have been cultivating and developing foods for millions of years. Finding nutrition in strange places is part of what has made us such a successful species. Broccoli was just a pretty flower until we selectively bred it into the popular vegetable it is today. Cassava was an inedible and otherwise poisonous root until we figured out how to dry and cook it thousands of years ago. Now cassava is one of the major carbohydrate food sources in the southern tropics.
So, as far as I’m concerned, baby cows can share.
Of course, if you have an allergy, you should avoid dairy. If you are lactose intolerant, you’re better off trying lactose-free products, though there can still be some benefit in eating certain lactose products. For example, those who are lactose intolerant can sometimes tolerate yogurt in small amounts. This is due to the good bacteria, known as probiotics, that are naturally found in yogurt and that have the ability to break down lactose for you (among the many other benefits of probiotics).
Cow’s milk, yogurt, butter and cheese are all rich in complete proteins which are essential for growth and recovery of body proteins. Oh, and dairy also happens to be packed with:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B12
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Zinc
Dairy is often lauded for the role it plays in promoting bone health. I’m convinced that you need to do more than just eat something to build or maintain bone mass. You need to give your body a reason to create new bone tissue. The best thing to keep your bones strong is resistance exercise. But, the calcium you get from dairy plays a bigger role than just developing bone material. Calcium serves as a major contributor to muscle contraction, energy metabolism and as an important signaler in many hormonal and neurotransmitter actions.
I highly recommend consuming grass-fed dairy products. These have been proven by recent studies to have a better fat profile than regular dairy foods. One fatty acid in particular, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), is five times higher in grass-fed milk than in regular milk. CLA has shown benefits on body composition in overweight and obese populations in many studies. Researchers are also finding anti-cancer properties from CLA as well. So, the next time you hear somebody talking down on dairy, just tell ‘em to ask Tim.
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