June is National Dairy Month

Belated Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there! I hope you all had a good weekend, and that this week finds you in good health.

I mentioned in my first June blog that there are a lot of things going on this month (Fruits and Vegetables Month, Men’s Health Month, etc.); well, it is also National Dairy Month.

Over the years there has been a lot of controversy over dairy products and whether they are truly healthy for you or not. My answer is “it depends.” Since I have deepened my knowledge of immunology, I now know that each person has his or her own unique immune response to food. For that reason, I cannot say across the board that Dairy is good or bad for you. For the person who’s immune system does not react negatively to dairy (i.e. does not produce/cause excess mucous, hives, joint pain, diarrhea, etc.), then dairy can be healthy.

Milk, whether from cows or goats, is a naturally good source of carbohydrate (from the milk sugar lactose); protein; the minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc; the B Vitamins riboflavin and B12, and varying amounts of fat (depending on if you choose skim, 1%, 2%, etc.) Milk also naturally contains smaller amounts of iron, vitamin E and other B vitamins. Most milk is fortified with the additional vitamins A & D, and some now contain omega 3 fatty acids.

Carbohydrate provides energy; protein provides the amino acids used as building blocks for muscle as well as hormones, enzymes, etc.; minerals help provide acid/base and fluid balance (which affects blood pressure, muscle function, etc.) as well as affect bone health; and the vitamins positively affect numerous systems in our body (metabolism, red blood cell integrity, eye health, skin health, etc.). Some studies have shown that dairy products may help with weight loss, but the exact reason is not known.

Yogurt has many of the same properties as milk, but has the added benefit of providing large amounts of probiotics, which have been shown to improve the health of the digestive tract, particularly in people suffering from diarrhea caused by bacteria, antibiotics, and viruses. There is currently a lot of research in the field of probiotics looking for other possible benefits. Preliminary findings indicate probiotics may enhance immunity, decrease risk of colon cancer, prevent some allergies, reduce symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colits, and reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Cheese is different from yogurt and milk in that most (if not all) of the lactose is removed in the making of cheese. Therefore, often people who are lactose intolerant and avoid milk can tolerate cheese. Because most of the lactose has been removed, cheese is not a good source of carbohydrate (lactose is carbohydrate). However, cheese does contain all the other nutrients milk has, and in fact, at much higher levels. The reason why cheese is so concentrated in these other nutrients is because it takes about 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese! This makes cheese a very good source of protein. The amount of fat will vary depending on the type of cheese. Another interesting fact is that eating a small amount of cheese immediately after a meal or in between meals as a snack has been shown to reduce tooth decay. The exact reason why is not known, but the high levels of calcium and phosphorus in cheese may play a role.

So to eat dairy or not is a highly individual decision. Pay attention to how you feel after consuming dairy products, and if you don’t feel an ill affects, then consider it a healthy choice for your body.

The other big question with dairy is organic versus conventional. According to the National Dairy Council, the only difference between organic and conventional is that organic farmers do not use rbST (a hormone) and use only organic fertilizers and pesticides. The National Dairy Council insists that as far as safety, quality, and nutrition, there is no difference. They state that according to the FDA, less than one tanker in 1000 tests positive for any animal drug residues, including antibiotics. In those instances when drug residue is detected, the product is destroyed and kept out of the food supply. Source: NationalDairyCouncil.org

Organic foods, in general, are produced with more “sustainable” methods than conventional farming, which means that it is better for the planet. As far as taste, that is subjective. Health wise, both should be providing equitable amounts of the various nutrients. When making the decision whether to go organic or conventional, you need to weigh what is important to you and what you can afford.