The Dangers of Low-Fat Dairy

[gerald]

I found this article very interesting.  There has been an increase in the number of negative reports against low fat diary products and there appears to be an increasig mountain of evidence against all of the past 20 years of healthy claims.

Interest read, although I am not sold on the organic section.


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The Dangers of Low-Fat Dairy

There’s no shortage of low-fat dairy options in your grocery store. And we’ve certainly been programmed to reach for those low-fat and fat-free cheeses, yogurts and skim milk options over the years. But the question is, are these fat-deprived products really better for us?

According to a growing number of studies, no.

Low-Fat Dairy Dangers

We need fat to survive. The right, healthy fat. Still, dietary recommendations continue to discourage Americans from reaching for full-fat milk and other dairy products. A 2016 study published in Circulation is a strong reminder that nutritional policymakers need to reconsider their stance against full-fat dairy. Looking at more than 3,300 people, researchers found that people with the highest byproducts of full-dairy products enjoyed a 46 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to people who ate less full-fat dairy. (1)

That’s just one of the low-fat diet risks science is starting to point out. Another 2016 study published in The American Journal of Nutrition makes another strong case for eating full-fat dairy. (2) Researchers studied more than 18,000 women and found the ones who consumed more full-fat dairy were 8 percent less likely to be overweight or obese compared to the low-fat dairy group.

One theory is that eating full-fat dairy helps people feel fuller longer. Aside from that, low-fat and fat-free dairy products are often laden with added sugar, a potent risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.

Watch Out for Conventional Dairy

The health of the animal and the processing methods of milk can categorize dairy as either one of the healthier foods in the world or one of the worst. If you’re consuming milk, yogurt, butter and cheese produced from conventionally raised cows that are fed a steady stream of antibiotics, your dairy intake may be playing a role in antibiotic resistance. Not just for you, either — also for your family and everyone else in the community. Conventional dairy may also increase your risk of being overweight and even of getting cancer.

The pasteurization process that most conventional dairy products undergo destroys essential enzymes and probiotics, as well as alters vital amino acids. Nearly all commercial milk is also homogenized, a process that oxidizes fats and creates free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that are known to weaken the immune system and result in intestinal inflammation, leading to leaky gut.

In 2013, scientists published a study showing that milk from organic, grass-fed cows contains much higher levels of brain- and heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids, along with lower levels of inflammatory fats typically found in milk from grain-fed, conventionally raised cows. (3)

My Go-To Dairy Advice

• Raw, fermented dairy from organic, grass-fed goats or sheep is my gold-standard choice, although it can sometimes be hard to find. (You may need to order kefir grains to ferment sheep or goat milk.)
• If you aren’t in the market for sheep or goat milk, look for plant-based alternatives like coconut milk or almond milk. (Look for products without carrageenan.)
• If you’re sticking with cow’s milk, always choose organic, milk from pasture-raised cows to avoid chemicals in milk. If possible, look for organic milk from Jersey or Guernsey cow breeds. They haven’t gone through a genetic mutation that leads to an inflammatory protein called A1 beta‐casein winding up in the milk.

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[Deborah]

I have found that low-fat dairy foods make my GERD worse, which makes my breathing harder. I have a slight allergy to milk but low-fat is definitely worse. There are different proteins in different strengths depending on the processing, I believe.

However, I totally dislike goat's milk and goat's cheese! I agree with you about the danger of unpasteurized dairy, except maybe for those lovely, full-fat cheeses from France. Those can't be resisted.

Thanks for an interesting read.

[gerald]

I had not connected the GERD to the low fat, I will have to go for real milk and see if that makes a difference!

The unpasturized milk is a risk but there is nothing like a cold drink of milk fresh out of the cow!
I can't totally write sheeps cheese off, it is great as Saganaki !!!!

[Gail]

I grew up with the real Cows milk. Now I can't even drink it bc of a dairy problem. But I do however have a glass every now and again bc I have to. I crave The real stuff.
I love cheese and the more aged the better. Im sensitive to milk products but I can have hard cheese. Also I can have yogurt real..

This read was very interesting, Thank you Gerold.

[Deborah]

Gerald, just to clarify - I did test positive for allergy to milk protein. Evidently there are 25 different proteins in milk, according to the allergist. I may be only allergic to one or some, and my own experience is that whatever proteins remain in low-fat dairy, they spark my allergy. This leads to a worsening GERD, again in my own experience.

Just to clarify!

[Gail]

Really Deborah? I have never been tested for milk. But every time I drink it I get gas and bloat and I just feel awful. I take meds for gerd I have all that as well, and was tested for that. With an upper scope put down my throat, I have a hiatus hernia. So as long as I stay away from dairy I'm fine. But thank you for the info.

[Deborah]

Gail: I too have a hiatal hernia! It's the cause of my GERD. I read somewhere that people with COPD are much more susceptible to this, perhaps because of the coughing we've gone through.

[Gail]

Really Deborah? Wow...I am learning more and more everyday. Lately I have not needed my 02 as much? I have been keeping an eye on my levels, and I'm in the 90's I'm doing great yay...But I always have it with me...I'm excited. .I pray I just get better. Maybe I will? Oh that would be great Deborah. ..
Love you.

[judi]

I thought I had developed a sensitivity to lactose in milk in my old age because I had gas and bloating for years too. I used soy milk for a long time until one day I got some organic milk because it was on sale or something. Miracle cure! I tolerated it fine and use it all the time now. It must have been the antibiotics or something that they feed the cows in conventional milk. I drink Organic Valley brand and it does just fine but eating very much conventional ice cream still bothers me.

[gerald]

Judi, I find that some brands of Ice Cream did not agree with me. However, when I make my own, no problems. I They are obviously adding extras to some of the brands!   Of course many of them now call themselves "iced desserts" instead of "Ice Cream"

Someone sent me this link about someones trial on various ice creams

[judi]

All I eat are Haagen Daz and Ben and Jerry's, HD only has ingredients Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Natural Vanilla. B and Js is the same except it has water, and Guar and Carragenan gun to compensate for the fact they put water in it. Haagen Daz bothers me the most but maybe it is just too rich, the serving size is supposedly 1/2 cup. Hah! Who only eats that?

Do you have an ice cream maker or do the refrig method I see online? I'd like to make some as both of the above brands have become so expensive and would not put cream in it so it would have less fat.

[gerald]

I think one of my sisters is a bit of a saddist, she gave me an Ice Cream machine for my birthday!!! Of course it helps keep my weight down!!! It makes excellent ice cream and there are some good recipes out there. I tend to stick with Strawberry using nice fresh berries or Chocolate!!! It contains only the cream, milk, bit of sugar and the fruit or chocolate

But I have been keeping an eye out for a nice cherry ice cream!

[mary57]

Good article, very interesting that a lot of us seem to have both GERD and hiatus hernia and trouble with dairy products.
When I was following a low fat, low carb, low salt diet, we were told to use cream in our coffee rather than milk. Yes more fat but less sugar.
As for ice cream, I will only use Chapman's It's made here in Ontario and I don't know if they ship across country or not. But they just use milk, sugar and flavours.