Is Dairy Dangerous or Helpful?

On this episode, we talk about:

• The background of dairy consumption by people 
• A wide range of analysis research that present that dairy merchandise, and full-fat fermented dairy merchandise specifically, have advantages for cardiometabolic operate and a number of other different markers of well being
• The mechanisms behind the advantages of full-fat dairy
• The parable that dairy meals contribute to osteoporosis by “acidifying” our our bodies
• Learn how to know when you’re illiberal to lactose or the proteins in dairy and easy methods to tackle that in your eating regimen

Present notes:

• “Milk signalling in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes” by Bodo C. Melnik
• “Trans-Palmitoleic Acid, Metabolic Risk Factors, and New-Onset Diabetes in U.S. Adults” by Dariush Mozaffarian, Haiming Cao, Irena B. King, Rozenn N. Lemaitre, Xiaoling Tune, David S. Siscovick, and Gökhan S. Hotamisligil
• “Biomarkers of milk fat and the risk of myocardial infarction in men and women: a prospective, matched case-control study” by Eva Warensjö, Jan-Håkan Jansson, Tommy Cederholm, Kurt Boman, Mats Eliasson, Göran Hallmans, Ingegerd Johansson, and Per Sjögren
• “Dairy consumption and patterns of mortality of Australian adults” by M. Bonthuis, M. C. B. Hughes, T. I. Ibiebele, A. C. Inexperienced, and J. C. van der Pols 
• “Milk drinking, ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke II. Evidence from cohort studies” by P. C. Elwood, J. E. Pickering, J. Hughes, A. M. Fehily, and A. R. Ness
• “Comprehensive Review of the Impact of Dairy Foods and Dairy Fat on Cardiometabolic Risk” by Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, Julie Anne Côté, Marie-Ève Labonté, Didier Brassard, Maude Tessier-Grenier, Sophie Desroches, Patrick Couture, and Benoît Lamarche
• “The relationship between high-fat dairy consumption and obesity, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease” by Mario Kratz, Ton Baars, and Stephan Guyenet 
• “Effects of Full-Fat and Fermented Dairy Products on Cardiometabolic Disease: Food Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts” by Arne Astrup, Nina Rica Wium Geiker, and Faidon Magkos
• “Impact of low-fat and full-fat dairy foods on fasting lipid profile and blood pressure: exploratory endpoints of a randomized controlled trial” by Kelsey A. Schmidt, Gail Cromer, Maggie S. Burhans, Jessica N. Kuzma, Derek Okay. Hagman, Imashi Fernando, Merideth Murray, Kristina M. Utzschneider, Sarah Holte, Jana Kraft, and Mario Kratz
• “Oral butyrate for mildly to moderately active Crohn’s disease” by A. Di Sabatino, R. Morera, R. Ciccocioppo, P. Cazzola, S. Gotti, F. P. Tinozzi, S. Tinozzi, and G. R. Corazza
• “Effects of Ruminant trans Fatty Acids on Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of Epidemiological, Clinical, and Mechanistic Studies” by Sarah Okay. Gebauer, Jean-Michel Chardigny, Marianne Uhre Jakobsen, Benoît Lamarche, Adam L. Lock, Spencer D. Proctor, and David J. Baer
• “Milk and acid-base balance: proposed hypothesis versus scientific evidence” by Tanis R. Fenton and Andrew W. Lyon
• “Carbonated beverages and urinary calcium excretion” by Robert P. Heaney and Karen Rafferty
• “Phosphate decreases urine calcium and increases calcium balance: A meta-analysis of the osteoporosis acid-ash diet hypothesis” by Tanis R. Fenton, Andrew W. Lyon, Michael Eliasziw, Suzanne C. Robust, and David A. Hanley
• “A dairy and fruit dietary pattern is associated with a reduced likelihood of osteoporosis in Korean postmenopausal women” by Sangah Shin and Hyojee Joung
• “The Association Between Osteoporosis and Hypertension: The Role of A Low Dairy Intake” by Massimo Varenna, M. Manara, L. Galli, L. Binelli, F. Zucchi, and L. Sinigaglia 
• “Dairy Products, Dietary Calcium and Bone Health: Possibility of Prevention of Osteoporosis in Women: The Polish Experience” by Lidia Wadolowska, Kamila Sobas, Justyna W. Szczepanska, Malgorzata A. Slowinska, Magdalena Czlapka-Matyasik, and Ewa Niedzwiedzka
• Cyrex Labs Array 4
• Vibrant Wellness Dairy Zoomer
• Articles by Chris:

Hey, all people, Chris Kresser right here. Welcome to a different episode of Revolution Well being Radio. Some of the widespread questions I’ve acquired over time is what function dairy merchandise can play in a nutrient-dense, complete meals eating regimen. On one finish of the spectrum, you’ve gotten of us who imagine that we shouldn’t be consuming dairy merchandise in any respect. These are folks within the Paleo diet neighborhood and in many various, integrative, or Practical Medication communities. They argue that dairy merchandise are inflammatory and linked with a number of completely different ailments and that we shouldn’t be consuming them as a result of human beings haven’t eaten dairy for very lengthy. On the opposite finish of the spectrum, you’ve gotten the traditional medical view, which is that dairy merchandise are health-promoting and ought to be included within the eating regimen when well-tolerated. So on this episode, I’m going to discover what the scientific proof says about this declare and share somewhat bit about my medical expertise. Prepared? Let’s dive in.

Regardless of the place you personally stand on [the] query of dairy merchandise, there’s little question that it’s a contentious concern within the diet neighborhood. As I discussed within the [introduction], on one finish of the spectrum, you’ve gotten of us, for instance, within the Paleo diet neighborhood, represented initially by Loren Cordain, who claimed that dairy isn’t safe to eat for 2 causes. Primarily, primary, as a result of it’s a Neolithic meals, which means it was not consumed throughout the Paleolithic period and, due to this fact, it’s not a part of our evolutionary heritage. After which [also] due to proposed physiological mechanisms by which dairy causes hurt when it’s consumed, like irritation for instance. On the opposite finish of the spectrum, you’ve gotten the traditional medical view that dairy is wholesome when it’s well-tolerated. You might have the Weston A. Price Foundation [and] Nourishing Traditions, who’ve advocated for full-fat, typically uncooked, dairy merchandise and [the] well being advantages there. [You have] researchers like Stephan Guyenet, Chris Masterjohn, Kurt Harris, who’s probably not writing anymore within the well being world however used to, and other people like myself. In my first guide, The Paleo Cure, I argued that dairy might be a part of a wholesome, complete meals eating regimen if it’s well-tolerated.

Fairly than simply share [my] opinion about this matter, I wish to assessment the analysis and what the analysis says. Earlier than I do this, I wish to tackle one of many arguments that’s typically made as to why we shouldn’t eat dairy merchandise. I feel it’s a nugatory argument, but it surely’s one which I hear typically, so I simply wish to carry it up earlier than we dive into the analysis and the main points. That is notably widespread within the vegan neighborhood and the uncooked meals vegan neighborhood, however I’ve heard it from different folks, too. [The argument] is that people mustn’t devour dairy merchandise as a result of we’re the one mammal that drinks milk into maturity. As you in all probability know, most mammals, together with people, previous to about 10,000 [or] 12,000 years in the past, solely consumed milk from their mom previous to being weaned. As soon as we had been weaned, we didn’t go on consuming dairy merchandise after that. So the declare is that, due to that, we shouldn’t devour milk or dairy merchandise.

The issue with that argument is [that] there are many issues that people do now that no different mammals do. On the earth of consuming, an excellent instance could be darkish chocolate. We devour darkish chocolate. I don’t know of some other mammals or animals on the market which can be cultivating and producing their very own chocolate and consuming it. However we do, and it appears to have many well being advantages, when you take a look at the analysis. We prepare dinner our meals. That’s one other instance. I don’t know some other mammals or animals which can be cooking meals, but cooking meals has been proven to extend nutrient absorption and supply many well being advantages. Some scientists even imagine that cooking meals is a part of what made us human as a result of it enabled us to extract extra vitamins extra rapidly, spend much less of our time gathering and consuming meals, and led to [a] bigger mind and the intelligence that distinguishes us from different animals. We additionally fly on airplanes, we drive automobiles, [and] we use telephones. Actually, a few of these issues have downsides, however additionally they have super advantages. So I don’t suppose it’s an excellent argument that we shouldn’t do one thing simply because different mammals or animals aren’t doing it. I simply wished to start out there.

Background of Dairy Consumption By People

Let’s speak somewhat bit in regards to the background of dairy consumption amongst people as a result of I feel that’s essential to set the stage. Dairy product consumption didn’t start till about 10,000 to 12,000 years in the past. So it’s true [that] it’s a Neolithic meals [and] was not a part of our routine meals consumption throughout the Paleolithic period. However there was a cause that dairy merchandise began to be consumed, and that is true for many behaviors which can be preserved, from an evolutionary perspective—they serve some objective, or they wouldn’t proceed. It appears, from the newest analysis, that the consumption of dairy arose in numerous elements of the world individually, or distinctly. One was the Center East; one other was East Africa. A minimum of these two. Dairy merchandise supplied an incredible supply of hydration, which might have been protecting during times of drought, and [they] additionally supplied a significant supply of energy and diet. In these elements of the world the place folks started to devour dairy merchandise, that habits was preserved over time after which unfold to different elements of the world.

Now, it’s true that human beings require a selected enzyme referred to as lactase to digest the sugar in milk, lactose. Previous to the emergence of dairy consumption in these areas, people solely produced lactase after we had been infants, previous to being weaned, as a result of mom’s milk was the one supply of milk within the eating regimen. As soon as we had been weaned, we didn’t must proceed to supply lactase. The physique would simply shut that [production] down, and we might not have the ability to digest milk into maturity. And right this moment, that’s nonetheless true for two-thirds of the worldwide inhabitants. In different phrases, solely about 35 p.c of the inhabitants world wide continues to supply lactase into maturity and is thus in a position to digest lactose, the sugar in milk. We’re going to speak somewhat bit extra about this later within the present. But it surely’s value simply stating briefly that even when you’re one of many 65 p.c that doesn’t produce lactase in maturity, that doesn’t imply that you could’t get pleasure from dairy merchandise. There are a lot of methods that you could nonetheless profit from dairy, when you select to, even when you can’t digest lactose. So, after round 10,000 [to] 12,000 years in the past, we had [the] first emergence of pastoralist cultures that raised animals for milk, after which that unfold to different elements of the world, notably Northern Europe and Scandinavia, the place right this moment, about 95 p.c of individuals are lactose tolerant as a result of they produce the lactase enzyme into maturity. So your private tolerance of lactose, the sugar in milk, will rely in your genetic heritage. In fact, that’s not black or white, as a result of we’re a real melting pot. In most locations on the planet, most individuals have blended genetic heritage. You possibly can consider lactose tolerance as extra of a spectrum, [rather] than an off-on, black-white, binary operate. Most individuals fall someplace on that spectrum. Some individuals are fully tolerant of lactose. Different individuals are fully illiberal to the purpose the place, even when they’ve a minute or small quantity, they’ve bother. Many individuals are someplace in between, and it’s extra of a threshold-based tolerance, the place they’ll tolerate some quantity of lactose, but when they devour an entire bunch of it, they don’t do properly. That’s what I’ve seen in my medical apply working with hundreds of sufferers over time and the suggestions I’ve gotten from the hundreds of healthcare practitioners that I’ve skilled, as properly.

The Analysis on Dairy Consumption

So with all of that context in thoughts, let’s transfer into speaking somewhat bit in regards to the analysis. Loren Cordain’s group revealed some assessment papers proposing numerous physiological mechanisms by which dairy causes hurt. One was a paper by Melnik referred to as “Milk signalling in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.” They current a principle that milk consumption past the weaning interval may overstimulate pancreatic beta-cells and promote beta-cell loss of life. And for the reason that proliferation and loss of life of beta-cells are hallmarks of sort 2 diabetes, it follows that milk consumption should contribute to sort 2 diabetes. But when that principle was true, we’d anticipate to see elevated charges of sort 2 diabetes in folks consuming dairy merchandise. Actually, we don’t see that, and we regularly see the alternative. For instance, one study checked out serum ranges of trans-palmitoleic acid, which is a fatty acid present in dairy fats, and correlated these ranges with danger components for diabetes. They discovered that increased circulating ranges of trans-palmitoleic acid had been related to more healthy ranges of blood ldl cholesterol, inflammatory markers, insulin ranges, [and] insulin sensitivity, even after adjustment for different danger components. In the course of the follow-up interval, folks with increased circulating ranges of trans-palmitoleic acid had a a lot decrease danger of creating diabetes, with about 60 p.c decrease danger amongst contributors within the highest quintile of trans-palmitoleic acid ranges, in comparison with folks within the lowest quintile. Put extra merely, this research instantly contradicted the idea that was posed in [the] milk signaling paper, and located that individuals with the very best ranges of this specific fatty acid from dairy merchandise had about one-third the danger of creating diabetes over a three-year interval. I’m going to cowl some extra research that clearly present that dairy merchandise both don’t improve the danger of diabetes or scale back it.

One other study discovered that individuals with the very best ranges of milk fats biomarkers had been at decrease danger of coronary heart assault. For ladies, the danger was diminished by 26 p.c, and for males, it was 9 p.c decrease. One other study confirmed that individuals who ate essentially the most full-fat dairy had a 69 p.c decrease danger of loss of life from heart problems than those that ate the least. After which a big review of 10 research discovered that consuming milk was related to a small however vital discount in coronary heart illness and stroke danger. That is analysis from the 2010 to 2015 interval. I wish to assessment some newer analysis to offer you an concept of what the research over the previous 5 to 10 years have proven, as properly.

There’s a paper that was revealed in Advances in Diet in 2016 referred to as “Comprehensive Review of the Impact of Dairy Foods and Dairy Fat on Cardiometabolic Risk.” I’m going to cite from this paper as a result of it’s fairly simple. “This complete evaluation of proof from RCTs means that there isn’t a obvious danger of potential dangerous results of dairy consumption, regardless of the content material of dairy fats, on a big array of cardiometabolic variables, together with lipid-related danger components, blood strain, irritation, insulin resistance, and vascular operate. This means that the purported detrimental results of saturated fatty acids on cardiometabolic well being might the truth is be nullified when they’re consumed as a part of advanced meals matrices similar to these in cheese and different dairy meals. Thus, the concentrate on low-fat dairy merchandise in present pointers apparently isn’t completely supported by the present literature and will should be revisited on the premise of this proof.” So, [there are] a number of attention-grabbing issues about this paper and this conclusion. Primary, no dangerous impact of dairy merchandise for cardiometabolic danger components. Actually, in lots of the research that they reviewed, they noticed advantages and enhancements [in] folks consuming dairy. The second attention-grabbing level is that low-fat or nonfat dairy was not higher than full-fat dairy. In lots of circumstances, truly, full-fat dairy exhibits extra advantages and enhancements than nonfat and low-fat dairy. I feel the rationale for that’s what we simply reviewed. There are some fatty acids in full-fat dairy merchandise, like trans-palmitoleic acid, but in addition conjugated linoleic acid and some others, that appear to have specific advantages. I’m going to cowl these in additional element shortly, however I simply wished to level that out as we reviewed this paper.

There was one other study a pair [of] years earlier that [was] revealed within the European Journal of Diet by Stephan Guyenet, who’s a good friend and colleague. He was on the College of Washington on the time, [and] a PhD who studied the neurobiological regulation of fats mass. They reviewed 16 research and located that high-fat dairy consumption was inversely related to measures of adiposity. Inversely related signifies that individuals who consumed extra high-fat dairy had higher metabolic well being, on this case. This affiliation was not seen with nonfat or low-fat dairy. That’s a really attention-grabbing discovering. One other paper [was] revealed extra not too long ago within the journal Advances in Diet in 2019 referred to as “Effects of Full-Fat and Fermented Dairy Products on Cardiometabolic Disease.” I’m going to cite instantly from the summary right here as a result of it’s fairly clear. “Actually, the burden of proof from current giant and well-controlled research, systematic opinions, and meta-analyses of each observational research and randomized managed trials signifies that full-fat dairy merchandise, notably yogurt and cheese, don’t exert the detrimental results on insulin sensitivity, blood lipid profile, and blood strain as beforehand predicted on the premise of their sodium and saturated fats contents; they don’t improve cardiometabolic illness danger and will the truth is defend towards heart problems and kind 2 diabetes.” [It] can’t get extra clear than that. [It’s] yet one more paper, a big meta-analysis of different opinions, discovering that full-fat dairy not solely doesn’t improve irritation or hurt metabolic or cardiovascular well being, [but] it usually improves it.

The final paper I wish to discuss was a randomized management[led] trial from [the] American Journal of Medical Diet[in] 2021. It’s referred to as “Impact of low-fat and full-fat dairy foods on fasting lipid profile and blood pressure.” This was a trial of about 70 contributors, the place that they had a four-week run-in interval with restricted dairy consumption. Then they randomly assigned folks to one in every of three diets—both containing a restricted dairy eating regimen, or switching to at least one with nearly three and a half servings of both low-fat or full-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese for 12 weeks. They measured a bunch of markers and located that, in women and men with metabolic syndrome, a eating regimen wealthy in full-fat dairy had no results on fasting lipid profile or blood strain, in contrast with diets restricted in dairy or wealthy in low-fat dairy. Due to this fact, dairy fats, when consumed as a part of advanced complete meals, doesn’t adversely impression these basic heart problems danger components.

I may go on. I’m simply sharing a collection of the analysis to offer you an concept, however there are tens, if not tons of, of research investigating this query. And as I’ve indicated from the opinions and meta-analyses that I’ve shared, the conclusion is kind of clear. Dairy merchandise, and full-fat fermented dairy merchandise specifically, appear to have advantages for cardiometabolic operate and a number of other different markers of well being.

The vast majority of proof signifies that typical knowledge may very well be proper about dairy. #chriskresser #dairy #bonehealth

Advantages of Full-Fats Dairy

So, why would that be? Why would full-fat dairy, specifically, be extra helpful than nonfat and low-fat dairy? Effectively, we already talked about it somewhat bit. Among the fatty acids in dairy merchandise, like trans-palmitoleic acid, appear to have distinctive well being advantages. We additionally know that a number of the compounds which can be current in high-fat dairy merchandise, like butyrate and conjugated linoleic acid, have advantages that, over the previous few years, have turn out to be far more clear. Butyrate offers vitality to the cells lining the colon, it inhibits irritation, which can clarify why dairy isn’t inflammatory, and [it] might forestall colonic micro organism from coming into the bloodstream. Actually, butyrate’s anti-inflammatory impact is so robust that we use it in Practical Medication, and even in typical drugs, to deal with critical inflammatory bowel ailments like Crohn’s illness. One trial confirmed that 4 grams per day of butyrate for eight weeks induced full remission in a bunch of [patients with] Crohn’s illness. One other fatty acid in milkfat known as phytanic acid, and it’s been proven to cut back triglycerides, enhance insulin sensitivity, and enhance blood sugar regulation in animal fashions. Conjugated linoleic acid is a pure trans fats present in dairy merchandise. I do know you’re in all probability accustomed to synthetic trans fat, that are very dangerous. However conjugated linoleic acid is a pure trans fats, and it’s been shown to cut back the danger of coronary heart illness, most cancers, and diabetes. Dairy fats can be an excellent supply of fat-soluble nutritional vitamins like retinol, preformed vitamin A, and vitamin K2 when it comes from grass-fed cows, and people might be troublesome to search out elsewhere within the eating regimen. After which, in fact, dairy is an effective supply of different vitamins like bioavailable calcium.

Most individuals don’t get sufficient calcium in [their] eating regimen, and there aren’t very many good sources of bioavailable calcium. On paper, darkish leafy greens, like spinach, are an excellent supply. For instance, one serving of spinach accommodates about 115 milligrams of calcium. However what the meals label received’t inform you is that the bioavailability of calcium in spinach is extraordinarily low. It’s about 5 p.c. So that you’re solely going to soak up about 6 milligrams of that 115 milligrams of calcium in that spinach, whereas the bioavailability of calcium in milk is on the order of 30 to 40 p.c. This implies you’d need to devour 16 cups of spinach to get the identical bioavailable calcium that you simply get from one glass of milk.

Now, I do know a few of you might be pondering, “However I can’t drink milk. I don’t really feel good.” We’re going to speak about that, as a result of it’s true. Milk and dairy are usually not acceptable for everyone. However for these [who] can tolerate dairy, that is the primary level I’m attempting to make with this podcast—when you can devour dairy merchandise and you are feeling good and also you’re not lactose illiberal, and also you’re not delicate to the proteins in dairy merchandise, the analysis overwhelmingly exhibits that it’s a helpful meals, notably whenever you devour high-fat dairy merchandise, and notably whenever you devour natural dairy merchandise from animals which have been grass-fed and raised on pasture with out hormones, antibiotics, GMO meals, and so on. The query of uncooked dairy, and A2 versus A1, these are different matters, which I’m not going to cowl on this present. I’ve talked about these earlier than. However there are methods of constructing dairy merchandise much more health-promoting.

The False Criticism That Dairy Has a Destructive Affect on Bone Well being

Now that we’ve coated the analysis on dairy merchandise on the whole for cardiometabolic well being, irritation, insulin, [and] coronary heart illness, [and] we’ve talked about why full-fat dairy tends to be extra helpful for cardiometabolic well being as a result of distinctive compounds that it accommodates, I wish to discuss one other criticism of dairy merchandise, which is that consuming dairy has a unfavourable impression on bone well being. After that, we’re going to speak somewhat bit about a number of the practicalities, like easy methods to know when you’re illiberal to lactose or the proteins in dairy and easy methods to tackle that within the eating regimen.

The declare that dairy merchandise contribute to osteopenia and osteoporosis is essentially primarily based [on] the acid-alkaline speculation. I’ve debunked the acid-alkaline speculation on the whole on my podcast, [and] additionally [in] weblog articles. I actually encourage you to seek for “Chris Kresser, acid-alkaline” when you haven’t seen or listened to that content material and when you nonetheless imagine that the acid and alkaline content material of meals that we eat makes a major impression on our well being, as a result of there’s no proof to help that and plenty of proof that contradicts it. I’m going to focus proper now on the precise declare that dairy merchandise acidify our our bodies and contribute to osteopenia and osteoporosis.

So, once more, this declare is predicated on the acid-ash speculation of osteoporosis. The concept is that, after we devour meals which can be excessive in phosphate, they go away an acid ash after digestion, which lowers the pH of our blood, after which the physique supposedly compensates for this to revive regular blood pH by stealing alkaline minerals like calcium from the bones, which then decreases bone density. There are a number of issues with this speculation, and we are able to use a 2011 research that particularly addresses the dairy, acid steadiness, [and] osteoporosis connection to spotlight these. The research known as “Milk and acid-base balance: proposed hypothesis versus scientific evidence,” and the authors reviewed each the acid-ash speculation, on the whole, and the precise declare that dairy contributes to osteoporosis. Not surprisingly, after reviewing the proof, they reached the identical conclusions that I’ve. The research simply don’t help this speculation. First, they emphasize that urine pH isn’t indicative of systemic pH. Actually, besides in circumstances of significant renal insufficiency [or] kidney illness, eating regimen has no impression on serum pH. If it did, we’d be in a variety of bother as a result of the pH of our blood is maintained in a really tight vary and if it deviates considerably, we are able to die. If human beings needed to rigorously monitor the acid-alkaline content material of their eating regimen, we’d not have survived this lengthy, as a result of as , our distant ancestors didn’t have any idea of acid-alkaline steadiness. There have been intervals of various meals availability, [and] it wouldn’t make sense from an evolutionary perspective that we may so simply alter such a crucial issue that may decide our survival [just] by [shifting] what we eat.

Second, the bones don’t even come into play within the regulation of serum pH. That’s the job of the kidneys. Any acid ash that’s left behind by the meals we eat might be simply handled and eradicated within the urine. That is why your urine modifications pH relying on what you eat. It’s an indication that your kidneys are doing their job. That’s essential to grasp as a result of advocates of this speculation typically advocate and even promote urine pH checks, they usually declare that if the pH of your urine is low, meaning your physique is acidified and that you must devour a bunch of alkaline meals. That may result in modifications in urine pH, however that doesn’t imply something is altering together with your serum pH, or that it’s having any impression in your bone well being or general well being. What’s additionally notably attention-grabbing is that, even when you settle for this acid-alkaline speculation on the whole, the authors of this paper cite two research that point out that milk truly leaves an alkaline ash, versus an acid ash, primarily based on measurements of urine pH and web acid excretion following milk consumption in medical trials. So, even when we go along with the acid-alkaline speculation, this research discovered that milk is an alkaline meals, not an acid-forming meals. The entire speculation simply fully falls aside whenever you actually take a look at the proof.

Maybe much more essential, it’s useful to have a look at proof that hyperlinks dairy consumption on to bone well being. As a substitute of developing with a proposed mechanism just like the acid-alkaline speculation and taking a look at that middleman mechanism, it’s finest to go proper to the direct medical endpoint that we’re involved with, which is bone well being. So, what do studies which have checked out this present? Effectively, they present that consuming milk tends to result in optimistic calcium steadiness, which means extra calcium is absorbed than excreted. Different studies present that phosphate, which is in milk merchandise but in addition in different meals, will increase calcium retention and improves bone well being, which is why phosphate is present in a number of bone well being dietary supplements. Elevated dairy consumption is constantly related to decrease charges of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and higher bone well being throughout many alternative cultures world wide. For instance, elevated dairy consumption in postmenopausal Korean girls was associated with a decreased danger of osteoporosis. One other study discovered that within the [United States], dairy consumption was a major predictor of osteoporosis amongst postmenopausal girls, which means girls who devour extra dairy had decrease charges of osteoporosis. And in Poland, increased dairy consumption throughout childhood and adolescence predicted higher bone well being in adults. Once more, these are simply three research I’m choosing which can be consultant. There are a lot of different research within the scientific literature that help the connection between dairy consumption and higher bone well being.

All proper, in order that’s what the analysis says. It’s fairly convincing, particularly when you assessment the majority of the proof [and] not simply these research that I’ve chosen. However I selected ones that had been consultant. I selected giant, systematic opinions that checked out all various kinds of proof, different opinions, randomized managed trials, observational information, potential research, retrospective analyses, and so on., they usually all level to the identical conclusion—that dairy consumption, notably full-fat dairy, is useful for cardiometabolic and bone well being.

The Practicalities of Dairy Consumption

Now that we’ve reviewed the proof, let’s discuss a number of the practicalities. It’s true that many individuals don’t tolerate dairy merchandise properly, and there are two causes for this. One is that some individuals are illiberal of the proteins in dairy merchandise and may have an [immunoglobulin G] (IgG)-mediated intolerance, which might be delicate to critical however isn’t a real allergy. Or, some folks can truly be allergic to the proteins in dairy. That is pretty unusual, truly. The prevalence research I’ve seen vary a bit, but it surely’s usually within the 1 to three p.c vary from what I’ve seen. Whereas lactose intolerance, [which is] the lack to digest the sugar in milk, is far more widespread, as we mentioned earlier within the present. That impacts two thirds of the worldwide inhabitants. Nevertheless, even when somebody is lactose illiberal, that doesn’t imply that they’ll’t get pleasure from some dairy merchandise. Ghee has just about no lactose in it. Butter has little or no lactose. Exhausting cheeses, notably these which have been aged for some time like cheddar, have nearly no lactose. Even full-fat whipping cream is pretty low in lactose. Then as you go down the road, you’ve gotten gentle cheese and fluid milk, that are fairly excessive in lactose. [With] yogurt and fermented dairy, the lactose content material in these merchandise can differ relying on how lengthy they’ve been fermented. The longer they’ve been fermented, the decrease the lactose content material. Twenty-four-hour, at-home fermented yogurt or kefir will typically be just about freed from lactose. As you’ll be able to see, there are various completely different choices for dairy merchandise for individuals who wish to get the advantages of calcium, the fatty acids which can be in dairy fats, and the opposite dietary advantages of dairy, along with the scrumptious style. For individuals who like dairy merchandise, even when you’re lactose illiberal, you’ll be able to nonetheless get pleasure from these merchandise. And your mileage will differ. For some folks, in the event that they’re extraordinarily lactose illiberal, they could not have the ability to devour [many] of these merchandise, even those which can be low in lactose. However for others, they’ll eat fairly a little bit of these merchandise and never have a difficulty.

Talking personally, I don’t do properly with fluid milk, an excessive amount of gentle cheese, or store-bought yogurt. However I can have laborious cheese, ghee, butter, cream, and home made yogurt and kefir all day lengthy with no downside in any respect. For those who’re illiberal of the protein in dairy, that’s somewhat bit more difficult, as a result of nearly all dairy merchandise comprise dairy protein. The exception could be ghee. Butter is pretty low in protein, as properly, however positively, if somebody’s allergic to the protein, they’re not going to have the ability to tolerate butter, often. They can tolerate ghee if it’s simply an intolerance, quite than an allergy. It’s going to rely on how vital the intolerance is. By way of testing, there are some checks on the market to display for dairy protein intolerance or allergy. A typical meals allergy take a look at ought to take a look at for dairy proteins. By way of intolerance, there are labs like Cyrex, [whose] Array 4 panel is sweet for dairy proteins. Vibrant Wellness has a meals intolerance take a look at that screens for dairy proteins, as properly. For those who work with a Practical or integrative drugs practitioner, you’ll be able to in all probability ask them to order these checks. If you wish to find out about your protein tolerance relating to lactose intolerance, there are additionally checks on the market [for that]. However I’ve discovered that the most effective and simplest methodology, as a result of it’s extra of a threshold-based situation quite than only a black or white binary factor, is an elimination provocation protocol. You take away all dairy merchandise out of your eating regimen for a time period, and then you definitely begin to add them again in, in descending order of lactose content material. So that you’d begin with ghee. Most individuals shall be superb with that, even folks [who] are extraordinarily lactose illiberal. You then go to butter, then you could possibly go to laborious cheeses, that are nearly freed from lactose, [and] then you could possibly go to 24-hour, at-home home made kefir or home made yogurt. For those who nonetheless do properly with that, you could possibly go to store-bought yogurt and store-bought kefir, and so forth down the road, gentle cheese, fluid milk, and so on. For those who’re superb with ghee and butter and laborious cheese, however then in some unspecified time in the future, you begin reacting to dairy merchandise, possibly whenever you begin consuming yogurt from the shop or fluid milk, then you’ve gotten some degree of lactose tolerance. For those who had been illiberal of proteins, you’ll have reacted to the laborious cheese as a result of it’s just about freed from lactose however has loads of dairy protein. Exhausting cheese generally is a good benchmark for differentiating between lactose intolerance and protein intolerance. That’s the overall course of I exploit in my apply with sufferers. It really works fairly properly, and since everybody’s sensitivity tends to be fairly particular person, it’s typically much more efficient than doing the checks.

I hope this was useful [and] I hope you discovered one thing. It’s attention-grabbing to me that dairy merchandise are so hated within the different, Practical [Medicine], [and] Paleo communities, as a result of whenever you take a look at the scientific proof, it’s clearly helpful from a well being perspective, whether it is properly tolerated. So, that’s the crux of it. I do suppose it’s value stating that, in all the research that I discussed, they didn’t section folks in response to their tolerance of lactose or dairy proteins, they usually simply took a broad pattern of individuals. I feel we are able to nearly assure that there have been folks in these research [who] had been lactose illiberal or had been illiberal to the proteins in dairy, and but [they] nonetheless skilled a few of these cardiometabolic advantages. That’s attention-grabbing to me. I’m not suggesting that people who find themselves illiberal of dairy ought to devour it. I don’t suppose that they need to, as a result of I feel it might be problematic in these circumstances. I’m simply stating that even with out segmenting folks, these research nonetheless confirmed profit. If that they had segmented folks, maybe they’d have proven much more profit.

I’m going to place some hyperlinks to articles I’ve written on this matter with extra data and scientific references [in the show notes]. I’ll additionally put hyperlinks to a number of the references that I introduced up within the present that aren’t current in these articles. You possibly can all the time take a look at the present notes to get this data [for] any episode of the present. As soon as once more, I wish to thanks for listening. Please maintain sending your inquiries to ChrisKresser.com/podcastquestion, and I’ll see you subsequent time.

This episode of Revolution Well being Radio is sponsored by Inside Tracker, Zero Acre Farms, and Paleovalley.

As a member of our neighborhood, Zero Acre Farms has a really particular supply for you. Go to ZeroAcre.com/Chris or use code CHRIS at checkout without spending a dime transport in your first order.

Inside Tracker has an unique supply for Revolution Well being Radio listeners. Go to Insidetracker.com/chriskresser and get 20% off all the things within the retailer whenever you join.

Paleovalley can be providing our listeners a particular deal. Head over to Paleovalley.com/Chris and use the code KRESSER15 to get 15% off your order.