Dairy Consumption

Controversial topic... simple answer?

In the last 5-10 years, the nutrition stratosphere has been riddled with disagreement. You name it… Keto, Vegan, Carnivore, Paleo, Mediterranean, Gluten-free and the list goes on of ‘eating styles’ that individuals in each of these corners claim to have transformed their life.

While a bit aside from today’s conversation, I bring it up because a similar discourse is being held around dairy.

Is it healthy? Are there any benefits after childhood? Should we limit the amount we consume? What is this pasteurization thing about?

In today’s conversation, I’ll do my best to use the most current research to answer each of these questions and more.

Why the controversy?

Dairy products contain a milk sugar called lactose which is simply a glucose molecule attached to a galactose molecule. To digest dairy, we must have an enzyme (called lactase) to break it down. Without it, dairy consumption can lead to many unpleasant symptoms (which some of you may experience) including gas, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach pain.

In our early years, nearly all of us produced the lactase enzyme necessary to break down dairy without issue. However, as time goes on, it’s estimated that more than 60%(!) of people experience a diminished lactase production to around 10% of what they had during childhood.¹