Is there any reason dairy shouldn't be my primary source of protein?
distinctlybeautiful
Posts: 1,041 Member
I watch the fat content because I know dairy can have a lot of fat. I'm a vegetarian though, and a lot of my protein comes from Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, cheese, and whey protein. I eat other foods high in protein too, but the dairy is probably the most constant. I recently read a couple posts saying that dairy tends to make some people bloated. I also heard that whey protein hasn't been proven to be as effective as other proteins. So I just got curious about it all. What can y'all tell me!? Thanks!
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I don't know the answer to your main question but I think the bloating is because a lot of people have some level of lactose intolerance. If it doesn't have that effect on you I don't think it's an issue.0
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I'm a vegetarian. Dairy is my primary source of protein. I eat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt every day. Fat is also not something to be afraid of. I eat 2% Greek yogurt (because I can't find the full fat) and full-fat cottage cheese.
The only low-fat dairy product I eat is cheddar cheese. I eat the 2%. I actually prefer it.
As far as protein powder is concerned? You heard wrong about whey protein. It's one of the best and has a superior amino acid profile. I drink a whey/casein blend.
For the record? Consuming all this dairy (and a lot of eggs as well)? My cholesterol and triglycerides are perfect. And I'm older with a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. Don't worry about the fat in dairy!0 -
I'm in to hear whether all that dairy causes bloat in others. I've been having bloat issues and eat a stupid amount of greek yogurt.0
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People with bloating issues might be lactose intolerant. Sorry! I only have bloat trouble when my gut is acting up in the aftermath of an accidental gluten exposure.0
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Did you find a way to get this blend, or really any non-whey protein, for cheap? Nothing against whey I just want to try other types and blends but I don't wanna spend all the dollarsPeachyCarol wrote: »I drink a whey/casein blend.0 -
Nope, there's been days where I've had like 60g of my protein come from greek yogurt. Milk is also another source that I like, it's quick and cheap! I usually have a skim milk and a 2% in my fridge, so if I'm low on fats it helps me fix that too. & whey iso is my fav. I ran out a while ago, but when I had it I was having 2 scoops a day. Very helpful stuff if you're not lactose intolerant
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Our bodies aren't designed to handle lactose. Babies and tots have a lot of enzymes to digest it, but adult people generally don't. There is a theory that we are evolving to be able to digest it better, and that it's because we drink it. Some people who keep drinking it keep the enzymatic activity going and even when they stop drinking it, they can pick it back up and the enzymes are still there and ready to do their thing. Other people aren't so lucky. It's all very fascinating in an extremely boring way. But most of the adult world has trouble with lactose...in fact, most of the world doesn't drink milk once they stop nursing.
That's the reason for the bloating. The body is trying to digest it and it's wreaking a small amount of havoc in there. If you don't bloat, you don't!
Soybeans! Yumilicious and complete protein!!
I can't tell you what's right or wrong for you, but do keep an eye on balancing your veggies, getting your complementary proteins...and enjoy you're dairy, if you're lucky enough to be able to eat it!!0 -
Ignoring the "bodies designed" comment, the statement that there's a theory that we're evolving to be able to digest lactose better is false.
Humans who populated areas where dairy was available ADAPTED to it, and have the enzyme necessary for its digestion.
We're pretty good at that adaptation thing. Arguments based on what we are "meant" to eat or not are silly because of that fact.
People with mild lactose intolerance issues can easily get around them by taking Lactaid.0 -
PeachyCarol wrote: »Ignoring the "bodies designed" comment, the statement that there's a theory that we're evolving to be able to digest lactose better is false.
Humans who populated areas where dairy was available ADAPTED to it, and have the enzyme necessary for its digestion.
We're pretty good at that adaptation thing. Arguments based on what we are "meant" to eat or not are silly because of that fact.
People with mild lactose intolerance issues can easily get around them by taking Lactaid.
It's not false. People are studying it.
Lactaid does not work for everyone.
I'm not going to get into a back and forth. If you want to continue to say I'm wrong, I'll leave it be. But I'm not.0 -
Bloating is usually from lactose in the milk. The is Lactaid, but for me I keep dairy down to a minimum. Usually just cheese, yogurt and ice cream.
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arditarose wrote: »I'm in to hear whether all that dairy causes bloat in others. I've been having bloat issues and eat a stupid amount of greek yogurt.
If it does it's usually lactose intolerance, although greek yogurt (and cheese) has less lactose than various other dairy products (like just milk or non-greek yogurt).
It's common enough that it's worth experimenting with, especially if it's an issue in your family. (The prevalence of lactose intolerance varies by ethnic background/geography quite a lot, and unsurprisingly is much less common among groups who have been relying on dairy for a long time and more so with the reverse. You can apparently see this quite dramatically by comparing different parts of India with each other. Dairy was important starting early on in much of northern and western Europe, so lactose intolerance tends to be less common with people from those areas. I just find this interesting.)
I love dairy and it doesn't cause me bloating (and my ancestry is northern and western Europe, go figure) so I don't think it's an issue for everyone.0 -
PeachyCarol wrote: »Ignoring the "bodies designed" comment, the statement that there's a theory that we're evolving to be able to digest lactose better is false.
Humans who populated areas where dairy was available ADAPTED to it, and have the enzyme necessary for its digestion.
Yes, this.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I'm in to hear whether all that dairy causes bloat in others. I've been having bloat issues and eat a stupid amount of greek yogurt.
If it does it's usually lactose intolerance, although greek yogurt (and cheese) has less lactose than various other dairy products (like just milk or non-greek yogurt).
It's common enough that it's worth experimenting with, especially if it's an issue in your family. (The prevalence of lactose intolerance varies by ethnic background/geography quite a lot, and unsurprisingly is much less common among groups who have been relying on dairy for a long time and more so with the reverse. You can apparently see this quite dramatically by comparing different parts of India with each other. Dairy was important starting early on in much of northern and western Europe, so lactose intolerance tends to be less common with people from those areas. I just find this interesting.)
I love dairy and it doesn't cause me bloating so I don't think it's an issue for everyone.
Okay, thank you. I've been wanting to get to the bottom of this bloat because it is quite uncomfortable. I just assumed it was my high sodium intake until I saw this.0 -
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UltimateRBF wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »Ignoring the "bodies designed" comment, the statement that there's a theory that we're evolving to be able to digest lactose better is false.
Humans who populated areas where dairy was available ADAPTED to it, and have the enzyme necessary for its digestion.
We're pretty good at that adaptation thing. Arguments based on what we are "meant" to eat or not are silly because of that fact.
People with mild lactose intolerance issues can easily get around them by taking Lactaid.
It's not false. People are studying it.
Lactaid does not work for everyone.
I'm not going to get into a back and forth. If you want to continue to say I'm wrong, I'll leave it be. But I'm not.
Where are the studies?
Believe it or not, I didn't learn this online. It's not something that can be determined immediately. Evolving requires many, many years of adaptations and genetic changes over generations. It's not something they will know for sure in our lifetimes or our children's lifetimes.
But some people think that it is being passed along and that eventually, all people in areas where milk products are consumed on a regular basis will be able to digest them throughout their lifetimes, even if they don't continue drinking milk after they're done nursing.
Lactose intolerance isn't really something that's wrong with anyone. It's not a disease. It just is...because they don't have enough enzymes to digest the stuff like other people do. But that's natural. It's not a shortcoming or a failure on the part of the body.
Please don't ask me for links. You could probably find it online. If you can't, your library will certainly have info.0 -
To answer the title of the thread: YES for two reasons
1, air pollution and methane emissions
2, solidarity with people around you
But seriously, if you have big problems with bloating, maybe try some probiotics. That helped me a lot to get better dairy digestion. Now i dont really have any problems with it, and i buy and use them maybe two times a year just to get some balance in my intestines.0 -
Lactose tolerance is partly ethnic background and partly habituation. YES, some people who normally would be lactose intolerant can flip back on their lactase enzymes to a certain extent. My husband (100% Asian from an area with 100% lactose intolerance) was violently lactose intolerant when we married. With lactase (which doesn't work perfectly), he could handle one serving a day. After several years, he discovered that he can eat 2-3 servings a day with zero ill effects now. (He just REALLY likes milk and ice cream! lol!) Epigenetics, BABY. But not everyone from lactose-intolerant backgrounds can reactivate their lactase enzyme production.0
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UltimateRBF wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »Ignoring the "bodies designed" comment, the statement that there's a theory that we're evolving to be able to digest lactose better is false.
Humans who populated areas where dairy was available ADAPTED to it, and have the enzyme necessary for its digestion.
We're pretty good at that adaptation thing. Arguments based on what we are "meant" to eat or not are silly because of that fact.
People with mild lactose intolerance issues can easily get around them by taking Lactaid.
It's not false. People are studying it.
Lactaid does not work for everyone.
I'm not going to get into a back and forth. If you want to continue to say I'm wrong, I'll leave it be. But I'm not.
Where are the studies?
Kalikel is correct about people in some countries. Googling will find much information!0 -
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It's not false. People are studying it.
I'm equally interested in these studies. References?I'm not going to get into a back and forth. If you want to continue to say I'm wrong, I'll leave it be. But I'm not.
This is an unnecessarily antagonistic statement, especially with nothing to back what you're saying.
The most I've heard are inconclusive (AFAIK) theories that the hormones in milk and other dairy products interfere with our own hormones and affect testosterone/estrogen levels, etc. That being said, a LOT of my daily fat and protein intake for the day comes from dairy products.0 -
Babies have enzymes to digest milk. That's nature - babies survive on milk. Those enzymes drop when they get older. That's natural and happens all over the world. If you keep drinking milk, it's just a toss-up about whether or not you'll continue to be able to digest large, small, no amounts of lactose. Some people have lots of enzymatic activity, some don't.It's not false. People are studying it.
I'm equally interested in these studies. References?I'm not going to get into a back and forth. If you want to continue to say I'm wrong, I'll leave it be. But I'm not.
This is an unnecessarily antagonistic statement, especially with nothing to back what you're saying.
The most I've heard are inconclusive (AFAIK) theories that the hormones in milk and other dairy products interfere with our own hormones and affect testosterone/estrogen levels, etc. That being said, a LOT of my daily fat and protein intake for the day comes from dairy products.
"Lactose Intolerance" - which, again, isn't a disease, varies from person to person. As another person mentioned, Asia is pretty much 100% Lactose Intolerant. It's natural and not anything that is wrong with them. Some people here (America) have serious issues with dairy and avoid the heck out of it. Some can eat X amount, but much more and it's a problem. Some people have no issues. It's just a toss-up.
They put synthetic enzymes in things like Lactaid to help people digest it better. Works for some, not for others...and differs on the amount.
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Here's a very basic rundown that explains that it's more than just the North European lactase-producing haplotype that accounts for the variability: http://www.nlm.it/www.nlm.it/documents\2003_-_Genetic_of_lactose_intolerance_-_Swallow.pdf
It also ventures into the territory of suggesting jejune epigenetic effects.
Interestingly, it is stated as The Truth that people with lactose intolerance CAN tolerate 8oz of milk a day. That is...far from universally true. It was certainly untrue of my husband when we met. "Bloat" would have been nice. But now he can eat 3 servings and only get "bloat," not the rather explosive reaction that one serving used to cause.
It would be interesting to compare lactose tolerance between people without any widely recognized lactase mutations vs. those with the same genetic backgrounds living in societies in which no lactose is consumed after the age of 3.
OBVIOUSLY, if you tolerate it well, it's a perfectly fine source of protein and calcium. Humans adapt--and if you're adapted to eating something, well, eat it if you want to.0 -
Our bodies aren't My body isn't designed to handle lactose. Babies and tots have a lot of enzymes to digest it, but adult people generally don't. There is a theory that we are evolving to be able to digest it better, and that it's because we drink it. Some people who keep drinking it keep the enzymatic activity going and even when they stop drinking it, they can pick it back up and the enzymes are still there and ready to do their thing. Other people aren't so lucky. It's all very fascinating in an extremely boring way. But most of the adult world has trouble with lactose...in fact, most of the world doesn't drink milk once they stop nursing.
That's the reason for the bloating. The body is trying to digest it and it's wreaking a small amount of havoc in there. If you don't bloat, you don't!
Soybeans! Yumilicious and complete protein!!
I can't tell you what's right or wrong for you, but do keep an eye on balancing your veggies, getting your complementary proteins...and enjoy you're dairy, if you're lucky enough to be able to eat it!!
FIFY
:huh: You can't just say we can't ALL handle lactose. Maybe you can't, but I can. You can't include me in your statement. I drink 2% milk almost everyday... that's my # 1 source of protein for the mornings. Of course I eat other dairy as well. I can most definitely handle it. :noway:
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You TOTALLY did not cite the Daily Mail as a source....
Lactase activity (or inactivity) is determined by taking a sample from the duodenum, from stool, or from self-report on the larger population studies after lactose exposure to determine how well the lactose is broken down. Of course lactose intolerance exists, and of course most adults in the world are lactose-intolerant. This is incredibly well-documents. If you're a white girl from Northern Europe, like me, it would be super-unusual to be lactose intolerant. But it you're an American Indian, pure blood, it would be extremely unusual for you to be lactose tolerant.
Interestingly, even if you have a documented genetic variant that SHOULD give you plenty of lactase activity, a long period of no lactose exposure can give you lastose-intolerant-type symptoms upon reintroduction. I'm not sure if that suppresses the production of lactase or what. Unfortunately, biologists are still mostly interested in genetic and epigenetic causes rather than environmental expressions on this subject. It would be fun to know, though! (Not that it would particularly be all that important as information, but whatever....)
Lactose intolerance is NOT an allergy. :P0 -
The Asia thing.... yaks live in Asia and are milk animals....0
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OP-I get most of my protein from dairy, including whey protein powder. I have no bloating issues-just occasionally unpleasant to be around after the protein powder For some reason dairy is often demonized-not quite sure why. But if it's working for you-go for it. 0
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Lasmartchika wrote: »Our bodies aren't My body isn't designed to handle lactose. Babies and tots have a lot of enzymes to digest it, but adult people generally don't. There is a theory that we are evolving to be able to digest it better, and that it's because we drink it. Some people who keep drinking it keep the enzymatic activity going and even when they stop drinking it, they can pick it back up and the enzymes are still there and ready to do their thing. Other people aren't so lucky. It's all very fascinating in an extremely boring way. But most of the adult world has trouble with lactose...in fact, most of the world doesn't drink milk once they stop nursing.
That's the reason for the bloating. The body is trying to digest it and it's wreaking a small amount of havoc in there. If you don't bloat, you don't!
Soybeans! Yumilicious and complete protein!!
I can't tell you what's right or wrong for you, but do keep an eye on balancing your veggies, getting your complementary proteins...and enjoy you're dairy, if you're lucky enough to be able to eat it!!
FIFY
:huh: You can't just say we can't ALL handle lactose. Maybe you can't, but I can. You can't include me in your statement. I drink 2% milk almost everyday... that's my # 1 source of protein for the mornings. Of course I eat other dairy as well. I can most definitely handle it. :noway:
If that sentence sounded to people like I was saying, "Every single person on the planet is lactose intolerant," I apologize. That was never my intention.0 -
I have been a vegetarian for about 10 years but in the past 1.5 years I have cut out dairy and have lost roughly 70 pounds.
Protein can come from sooooo many other sources - veggies, almond/nut milks, quinoa, tofu, beans and lentils.
Dairy used to make me very bloated, and it just was not working for me in my diet. It is all about learning what works for you, and your body. Listen to what your body tells you, an not what these people are telling you. If you can maintain weight and eat dairy, then do it.0
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