Dairy is bad?

CanuckLove

I keep seeing people say "Cut dairy out of your diet" and "Dairy is the devil" and "Don't EVER eat dairy"
Can I ask why? I realize there are a lot of health issues associated to dairy.. but does eating dairy hinder weight loss?

Sorry if this question has been asked 18 million times

Thanks in advance.

Trovan

I've always heard you should have dairy every day. You just have to make it healthy dairy, like skim milk, or low fat cheese or yogurt.

Mindful_Trent

I'm sure you'll get a million different answers, on all ends of the spectrum, but really unless you're someone who needs to avoid dairy for medical reasons (you're lactose intolerant) then there's no reason to completely cut dairy out of your diet. I try to limit it because it tends to be higher in sodium, and I prefer not to drink my calories (milk), and I'm also slightly sensitive to dairy (if I eat too much of it, it causes digestive problems...)

That said, I've been fairly consistently eating dairy on a regular basis in the form of cottage cheese and yogurt (which are great sources for protein) and it hasn't caused any problem with my weight loss.

Long story short - anyone who says that everyone should completely cut X, Y or Z out of their diet is unrealistic and usually there is no real need to do so. People have successfully lost weight on just about any combination of foods - it's a matter of an individual's personal preferences, fitness goals and health needs that will impact what works for them.

Vicky14174

Nope, dont' cut it out. We all need some dairy every day of our lives. Just make smarter choices about the dairy you consume and how much you consume. That's all.

seemichellerun

If loving cheese is wrong, I don't want to be right.

sabrinafaith

low fat dairy is essential and things like non fat milk and non fat plain greek yogurt are amazing for weight loss and high in protein and calcium.

You can choose not to consume dairy, but the damage you do to your bones and teeth can be difficult to reverse. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth.

I would actually say red meat and liquor are more harmful to your diet than dairy. But I don't believe in cutting things out. I just believe in limiting how much you eat of those things.

DrBorkBork

Dairy CAN be good for you, if your body can tolerate it. Humans are not really meant to digest other critter's milk. Give it up for a month, if you want, and then reintroduce it, and see how you feel. It should be a good indication of if it's really something your body can handle

ajbeans

Personally, I don't think dairy is essential. Cow's milk is produced for baby cows, just like human breastmilk is made for baby humans. No mammal needs any kind of milk after early childhood. It's also worth noting that humans are the only creature that routinely drinks the milk of another animal.

All that being said, I do love me some cheese. And yogurt. But as far as it being "essential," that's a lot of bull. There are lots of non-dairy calcium sources, many of them higher in calcium than milk.

Mindful_Trent

One more thing - DON'T be afraid of full-fat diary. So many people say you should only eat no-fat/low-fat dairy, but there is increasing evidence that the fat in dairy is not bad for you (assuming you're eating reasonable portions). If it weren't so expensive, I would invest in a local cow and use raw milk (fat and all) instead of the processed stuff they carry in the stores!

pyro13g

Hmm... All mammals that feed their young milk wean them off and then milk is never consumed again. Except for humans of course! What do you think? And if you really must, whole milks is the way to go. The calcium in milk is not needed for strong teeth and bones. Not leaching calcium out of your bones from poor diet and deficiencies in nutrition is.

victoriajett

Amen to the cheese thing! I love cheese. You can eat what ever you want, you just gotta do it the right way.

bka8

If loving cheese is wrong, I don't want to be right.

:laugh:

dawnslaughter

everything in moderation! i read somewhere that women should drink 1/2 a pint of milk a day weather its in other beverages or on cereal as we need the calcium for our bones

amicklin

Perfectly put. Trent is correct, no need to avoid dairy or food X, Y or Z. Just be aware of yoru goals and individual fitness and medical issues.

I'm sure you'll get a million different answers, on all ends of the spectrum, but really unless you're someone who needs to avoid dairy for medical reasons (you're lactose intolerant) then there's no reason to completely cut dairy out of your diet. I try to limit it because it tends to be higher in sodium, and I prefer not to drink my calories (milk), and I'm also slightly sensitive to dairy (if I eat too much of it, it causes digestive problems...)

That said, I've been fairly consistently eating dairy on a regular basis in the form of cottage cheese and yogurt (which are great sources for protein) and it hasn't caused any problem with my weight loss.

Long story short - anyone who says that everyone should completely cut X, Y or Z out of their diet is unrealistic and usually there is no real need to do so. People have successfully lost weight on just about any combination of foods - it's a matter of an individual's personal preferences, fitness goals and health needs that will impact what works for them.

freerange

Get real dairy, whole, raw milk.

CanuckLove

Wow - thank you for all the responses!! I eat cottage cheese and put milk in my protein shakes - usually have yogurt & berries for dessert so I know that I'm consuming a fair amount of dairy, I just needed to know that I wasn't totally sabotaging myself. LOL

123456654321

People are split on this issue. Some say dairy good, some say dairy bad. I know that some cultures think milk is intended for babies only and they think it's very strange that we drink it as adults. I've also read some studies on links to certain types of cancer. I'm no expert but I do wonder about how good it is myself since so many people have intolerance to it.

*shrug* I personally don't tolerate dairy well so I eat very little myself.

Painten

Dairy is essential for calcium, which is needed to keep bones healthy and strong.

Yes other animals wean there babies off milk but these animals don't have the same lifespan as we do and so their bones don't need to keep going like ours.

Cbandelier

One more thing - DON'T be afraid of full-fat diary. So many people say you should only eat no-fat/low-fat dairy, but there is increasing evidence that the fat in dairy is not bad for you (assuming you're eating reasonable portions). If it weren't so expensive, I would invest in a local cow and use raw milk (fat and all) instead of the processed stuff they carry in the stores!

"like"

pyro13g

Dairy is essential for calcium, which is needed to keep bones healthy and strong.

Yes other animals wean there babies off milk but these animals don't have the same lifespan as we do and so their bones don't need to keep going like ours.

Untrue, milk is not needed for dietary calcium. Preventing the loss of it in the first place is.

123456654321

Dairy is essential for calcium, which is needed to keep bones healthy and strong.

It really isn't. Most can get enough Calcium from other foods.

Manda1987

DO NOT DRINK RAW MILK!

It's illegal to sell raw milk in most places for a reason. Disease can be transmitted very easily through raw milk. There's a reason pasteurization was invented!

The Canadian government's statement on raw milk:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2009/2009_135-eng.php

I find it funny that people think dairy is bad for weight loss. There have been studies done that show that dairy is actually beneficial when trying to lose weight!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040416/dairy-foods-fat-weight-loss

Manda1987

More info on raw milk:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/kitchen-cuisine/raw-milk-lait-cru-eng.php

Milk sold in grocery stores isn't "processed" in the way you might think. It's simply heated to kill organisms living in it. That's what pasteurization is. Lower fat milk simply has been allowed to stand, then the layer of fat that settles on the top is skimmed off.

Just because something has been processed doesn't make it less healthy. Processed foods can be healthier than raw foods!

sexygenius

i have heard that dairy is GOOD for weightloss, infact alot of diets that docotors use include dairy. Calcium is important for weightloss and dairy is a good source... (so are sardines! infact sardines are a super duper source of calcium,just sayin..)

Painten

I didn't say it was the only source of calcium as i know it isn't but it is the best source of calcium apart from gnawing on bones. green veggies have less than half the calcium of cheese and even something like tofu can't beat cheese for calcium.

Mindful_Trent

DO NOT DRINK RAW MILK!

It's illegal to sell raw milk in most places for a reason. Disease can be transmitted very easily through raw milk. There's a reason pasteurization was invented!

The Canadian government's statement on raw milk:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2009/2009_135-eng.php

I find it funny that people think dairy is bad for weight loss. There have been studies done that show that dairy is actually beneficial when trying to lose weight!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040416/dairy-foods-fat-weight-loss

Many people believe that the pasturization process damages nutrients in the milk, and many people drink raw milk without ever getting sick. If you get your milk from a local farmer who takes proper care of the animals and the equipment, properly bottles the milk, etc., I don't see why anyone should be any more concerned with consuming that versus the mass-commercial-farmed eggs, vegetables, etc., which all still have incidents of food-borne illnesses every year, despite rules/regulations/etc.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128547897

Yes, there is a risk to drinking raw milk, but there's a risk to eating just about anything unless you grew/harvested/cleaned it yourself.

markja

Um, lets see, does this look bad to you?

Nutrition Facts


1. Servings:

Calories 150 Sodium 120 mg
Total Fat 8 g Potassium 390 mg
Saturated 5 g Total Carbs 12 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 3 g Sugars 12 g
Trans 0 g Protein 8 g
Cholesterol 35 mg
Vitamin A 6% Calcium 30%
Vitamin C 4% Iron 0%



If it looks good, then you approve of milk.

If it looks good except for the fat content, you approve of skim or lo-fat milk.

If it does not look good to you, perhaps you have allergies, or simply don't like the taste of milk.

For most folks, milk is good stuff.

Of course, I've heard it said that bacon grease in large quantity is good and that orange juice in any quantity is bad,

IMHO, it's much better to stick with facts and to tune out the hype.

(Fully agree on the raw milk; we pasteurize the stuff for a reason! People were dying of milk-borne diseases before Mr. Pasteur invented his process.)

caprica

I found my weight loss improved when I stopped drinking grande lattes all day.

Moderate amounts of milk - such as a coffee with a dash of milk, cheese every now and then, etc seems to work better for me.

Manda1987

For those who don't feel like reading the article...

You can get Salmonella from raw milk. You can get E.Coli from raw milk. You can get Listeria from raw milk.

All of those can kill a healthy young person. Sure, you might not get sick, but you're playing Russian roulette for the sake of a few nutrients. Hey, power to you. I'm not saying all processed foods are better. Many are a lot worse. I'm saying THIS one is safer. A 1/1000 chance of getting seriously ill is still way too high for me, and for most people.

I just wanted to raise the issue for those who might just take you at your word without doing the research. It's illegal in most places and not recommended by health professionals.

wriglucy

Hmm... All mammals that feed their young milk wean them off and then milk is never consumed again. Except for humans of course! What do you think? And if you really must, whole milks is the way to go. The calcium in milk is not needed for strong teeth and bones. Not leaching calcium out of your bones from poor diet and deficiencies in nutrition is.

Where did you get your information?! Whole milk is worse for you than skim milk....it has fat and skim usually has added calcium, which your body DOES need!

RoadDog

Pick any one of the following subjects:
Dairy
Fiber
Protein
Fish
Chicken
Walking
Riding
Sex in the shower
Whatever

Now, go Google it. You'll find just as many people denouncing them as you will find people touting their benefits. When you ask for advice of this nature in here, you will find the same division of pros and cons. You are getting people's personal opinions.

Try a balanced diet and don't go to far off one way or the other.