Dairy -- Yes or No?
abetterluke
Posts: 625 Member
I searched around for a bit to see if there was a similar thread and didn't find one so I apologize if I'm just opening up a can of worms here but....
Dairy -- obviously most sources say that milk, yogurt, etc. is healthy. But there's also the "humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy" stuff and also the "dairy causes inflammation, bloating, etc." crowd.
Personally I have dairy all the time and haven't really noticed any issues but I've also never tried cutting it out completely. What are some others opinions and experiences on this?
Dairy -- obviously most sources say that milk, yogurt, etc. is healthy. But there's also the "humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy" stuff and also the "dairy causes inflammation, bloating, etc." crowd.
Personally I have dairy all the time and haven't really noticed any issues but I've also never tried cutting it out completely. What are some others opinions and experiences on this?
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I LOVE dairy! Yogurt, cheese, milk, ice cream. Yeppers never gonna give em up. I couldn't be happier that I am not lactose intolerant.0
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As a trained biologist, my brain tells me the "species" thing. But as a human, my experience is that some dairy-based things are nummy and nutritionally sound.
I use liquid milk in EXTREMELY small amounts (like 1 tsp) in coffee; and otherwise don't drink it or cook with it. I've never been a big yogurt fan; and eat reasonable and occasional amounts of sour cream, cheese, and cottage cheese.0 -
abetterluke wrote: »I searched around for a bit to see if there was a similar thread and didn't find one so I apologize if I'm just opening up a can of worms here but....
Dairy -- obviously most sources say that milk, yogurt, etc. is healthy. But there's also the "humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy" stuff and also the "dairy causes inflammation, bloating, etc." crowd.
Personally I have dairy all the time and haven't really noticed any issues but I've also never tried cutting it out completely. What are some others opinions and experiences on this?
Ignore the bolded bozos.
Fit milk/dairy into your daily calorie count and you'll be fine.
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Some people are sensitive to dairy which is probably why they say that stuff. I love dairy, so I consume it. I could not live without ice cream. If you like it, fit it in and eat it.
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The only reason to avoid dairy would be lactose intolerance etc. Otherwise, go for it. Dairy can be a good source of fats, protein and calcium.0
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I used to own hermit crabs. I fed them a wide variety of foods, including dairy every once in a while. They LOVED milk.
I would just focus on the fact that you've included dairy with no problems and just leave it at that.0 -
spacequiztime wrote: »I used to own hermit crabs. I fed them a wide variety of foods, including dairy every once in a while. They LOVED milk.
That's an awesome pet.0 -
Started a journey to become Vegan in January. Dairy was the first thing I cut. Since doing so, I breathe much easier (wasn't really aware I had any breathing problems), I lose weight faster, never bloated, and never have any type of mucous build-up. Now the smell of cheese and milk makes me gag! I don't miss it.0
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I love cheese0
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Started a journey to become Vegan in January. Dairy was the first thing I cut. Since doing so, I breathe much easier (wasn't really aware I had any breathing problems), I lose weight faster, never bloated, and never have any type of mucous build-up. Now the smell of cheese and milk makes me gag! I don't miss it.
How quickly did you notice those changes?
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spacequiztime wrote: »I used to own hermit crabs. I fed them a wide variety of foods, including dairy every once in a while. They LOVED milk.
I give my cat a splash of milk as a treat once in a while. He goes absolutely nuts every time I pull it out of the fridge.0 -
Beyond personal preference and allergy/intollerance I don't believe it dairy is unhealthy as part of a balance diet.
"humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy" is a ridiculous statement and could only be believed by someone who has not spent much time around animals.0 -
Found out I was lactose intolerant....which make a lot of sense to me since I hated drinking milk as long as I could remember. Ice cream, milk in recipes and cheese was fine for me. But since cutting off all dairy, I no longer feel sluggish and stuffy.
Basically, if you feel great eating/drinking dairy....continue to do so. Stop consuming dairy and your body stops making the enzyme that can digest lactose.0 -
abetterluke wrote: »I searched around for a bit to see if there was a similar thread and didn't find one so I apologize if I'm just opening up a can of worms here but....
Dairy -- obviously most sources say that milk, yogurt, etc. is healthy. But there's also the "humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy" stuff and also the "dairy causes inflammation, bloating, etc." crowd.
Personally I have dairy all the time and haven't really noticed any issues but I've also never tried cutting it out completely. What are some others opinions and experiences on this?
Blatantly untrue. Human are the only species that have evolved in a way that allows them the ability to easily access milk beyond infancy. There are plenty of species of animals that will happily consume milk as adults when milk is provided for them - all domestic and wild felines, most canines, some birds (I know of ducks and peacocks), goats, pigs, many rodents.
As for the evolution argument humans are the only species that use fire, have developed agriculture, drive, use computers, wear clothes, ect.
If you like dairy eat dairy.0 -
I personally don't think there's anything wrong with dairy...i don't eat much of it because once i get going on some cheese i can eat about 1/2 Lb of the stuff and could easily guzzle 1/2 gallon or more of milk per day thus really racking up the calories...0
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PETA is against milk, on humanitarian grounds. Dr. Spock, who became vegetarian later in life, modified his advice to take milk out of a child's diet after the age of two. His is a minority opinion.
My son in law is from an African tribe that traditionally centered around cattle and milk. They would sour the milk before drinking it (likely the only safe way outside of refrigeration to keep it free from contamination). His people are very tall.
For these reasons I won't give up milk. I'm experimenting with Kefir right now. It does digest very well.0 -
Cats love milk... though too much is not good for them, I have a pet mini-pot bellied pig and they have a lot of food restrictions, but milk is a recommended safe food for them... even my dogs love milk (although I don't think it's "a thing")... so I vote for "yes, milk"!0
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Humans are also the only species that I'm aware of that intentionally plants seeds in a "garden" in order to raise food. Ergo...I don't believe that the "humans are the only species that ________" is a particularly insightful argument for or against anything.
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I think it is all personal preference. I never drink milk, I don't like yogurt and I could live without cheese. But my son could drink a gallon of milk a day and be just fine. And he is skinny as can be. I say if you like it make it work for you.0
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I don't eat dairy products produced conventionally:
Is your milk and cheese the product of blatant animal cruelty?
Every time Mercy For Animals’ undercover investigators go behind the closed doors of dairy factory farms they document widespread acts of animal abuse that shock and horrify most people. Multiple investigations at dairy factory farms across the country have exposed sickening cruelty to animals, including workers viciously beating, stabbing, and dragging sick and injured cows. These investigations have uncovered:
Read more: http://www.gotmisery.com
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Well some dairy products such as full fat grass fed butter and milk kefir have tons of benefits however You would be surprised how many people are actually intollerant to dairy and dont know it same as gluten i was taking dairy for years soon as i stopped it then reintroduced acne tiredness and other symptoms never taken again since not had those problems .. it really is something you have to ignore what others may say as its mainstream beilf that gluten or dairy intolerances are some fads or o ly affect small amounts whatever the case try yourself eliminate dairy 30 days then reintroduce any bad symptoms then there your answer0
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Some animals don't eat meat, does that mean I shouldn't?
Some animals don't eat vegetation, does that mean that I shouldn't?
Some animals other than humans do drink milk although they don't nurse so that statement is incorrect.
Unless a person has a particular problem with dairy, there is no reason to avoid it.0 -
Dairy can cause inflammation and discomfort for people who don't produce as much lactase. As kshama linked, certain ethnic groups are more likely to be lactose intolerant. The trend of who tends to be lactose tolerant or intolerant seems to be tied to who relied on milk for nutrition though past generations. Northern European and North American groups that relied heavily on domestication of milk-producing animals tend to have lower rates of intolerance.
If you can eat it comfortably, you like it, and it fits in to your day, go for it. The humans being the only ones argument falls fairly flat when you consider that specific groups have developed the ability to continue to produce lactose specifically because it allows them to eat these nutritious foods. If you're one of them, there's nothing really holding you back.0 -
abetterluke wrote: »"dairy causes inflammation, bloating, etc." crowd.
As others have said, dairy causes issues in people who are lactose intolerant or otherwise have trouble processing it (e.g. milk allergies). Lactose intolerance is caused by the body down regulating the production of lactase (the enzyme which helps break down lactose in our gut) after a certain age.
Some people (as you can see in the post above, it varies highly between ethnic groups) have a genetic mutation which means their lactase production is not down regulated as they grow up, or is only down regularted a little, which means they continue to be able to digest milk into adulthood.
If you are one of these people, having dairy as an adult is not generally harmful (unless you have an allergy or similar).
Also, someone mentioned soured milk further up. A number of the ways in which dairy can be processed will reduce the lactose content, hence why lactose intolerant people generally tolerate products such as hard cheeses (e.g. parmesan) and traditionally produced sour milk products better than pure milk.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Beyond personal preference and allergy/intollerance I don't believe it dairy is unhealthy as part of a balance diet.
"humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy" is a ridiculous statement and could only be believed by someone who has not spent much time around animals.
Humans are also the only species that cook their food. Should we switch to eating only raw meat, etc?0 -
abetterluke wrote: »I searched around for a bit to see if there was a similar thread and didn't find one so I apologize if I'm just opening up a can of worms here but....
Dairy -- obviously most sources say that milk, yogurt, etc. is healthy. But there's also the "humans are the only species that drink milk beyond infancy" stuff and also the "dairy causes inflammation, bloating, etc." crowd.
Personally I have dairy all the time and haven't really noticed any issues but I've also never tried cutting it out completely. What are some others opinions and experiences on this?
Most of us evolved to be able to digest dairy no problem. We're really good at that.0 -
I like dairy.
That's all that matters.0 -
Human are the only species that do lots of things. Build houses, talk on our phones, drive cars, etc. It's kind of ridiculous to think that we should do something or not do something only because the animals do/don't do it.0
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I have long standing stomach problems, and I tried cutting dairy for 4 months, as well as meat and eggs.
Unfortunately this diet change caused my stomach problems to take a turn for the worse.
I do have a degree of lactose intolerance, but I do well with lactaid milk, certain cheeses, and cottage cheese. My health is better with the dairy, than without.0
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