Is Dairy Healthy or Dangerous?

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » Is Dairy Healthy or Dangerous?

Dairy is a tricky topic when it comes to health. We all depend on it in some form as babies. But the question about adults and dairy is a tougher one to answer. Processed junk “food” obviously has no place in a healthy diet, but is dairy healthy?

Dairy Defined

Dairy products are made up of a mix of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. It does have bioavailable nutrients we need in its raw state. Things like phosphorus. potassium, vitamin A, magnesium, and vitamin D.

Dairy intake can also spike insulin levels thanks to the sugar (lactose) and certain proteins it has. Grass-fed dairy from pastured cows can hardly be compared to the pasteurized conventional dairy on supermarket shelves. Milk isn’t supposed to look watery and slightly blue!

Different forms of dairy include:

  • Raw, low-fat, and whole milk
  • Ice Cream
  • Cottage cheese
  • Soft and hard cheeses
  • Fermented dairy products like kefir and yogurt
  • Lactose-free milk products (everything from ice cream to skim milk)

The Experts Weigh In

So what’s a health-conscious mom to do? Some groups, like the Weston A. Price Foundation, recommend regularly eating dairy. When it’s organic, raw, and grass-fed that is, especially if it’s fermented. Those on the Paleo side point out dairy is relatively new to the human diet.

Then there’s the American Heart Association with a different view. They recommend 2-3 servings of dairy a day, but only fat-free and low-fat options. Conventional dietary guidelines have dairy as its own food group on the My Plate guidelines.

To help understand the quandary, let’s first look at the different kinds of dairy.

Conventional Pasteurized Dairy

Most states have laws requiring any milk sold for humans to be pasteurized. While this kills off any harmful pathogens, it throws the baby out with the bathwater. It also gives it a longer shelf life at the expense of valuable nutrients. Pasteurization kills live (beneficial) milk enzymes and destructures the proteins. This also reduces the vitamins and kills the “live and active” cultures that have health benefits.

Many dietitians tell us to drink dairy milk because it has calcium. However conventional dairy actually isn’t a great calcium source. It’s put to shame by higher food sources, like leafy greens and sardines.

The Problem with Regular Dairy

Dairy marketing is targeted at kids, athletes, and people wanting to slim down. Then there are the elderly who are encouraged to drink a glass of milk for osteoporosis prevention. Fun fact: we need saturated fat to absorb calcium. This means a low-fat diet can put you at a higher risk of osteoporosis!

Growing kids drink more milk than any other group. It’s recommended for their growth and schools give it instead of water. And it gets even worse. In 2010 the government required US schools to ditch whole milk for low-fat and nonfat milk. That’s on top of the artificial dyes and sugar in the flavored milk options.

Despite the fact that kids need healthy fats, milk isn’t the best nutrient source. Certain vegetables and fish offer higher levels of calcium and are easier to absorb. Even breastmilk has less calcium than the same amount of Brazil nuts.

Then there are the added growth hormones and antibiotics. Foods like cheese and yogurt are marketed as healthy snacks for kids. The food dyes and added sugar negates the probiotics in the yogurt.

Heart Health

Since the 1980s, organizations like the American Heart Association have warned against saturated fats. While fats have made a cultural comeback in more recent years, many organizations still disapprove. The idea is that animal foods (including full-fat dairy) cause heart disease and high blood pressure.

To lower the risk of heart disease many healthcare professionals recommend choosing low and no-fat dairy products. In fact, the opposite may be true.

Recent research looked at dairy fat consumption for over 4,000 people for an average of 16 years. Those who ate the most dairy fat had lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Lactose Intolerance

Research shows some people in nearly every population worldwide are lactose intolerant. The exception is groups that can trace their ancient roots to herding populations. This widespread intolerance indicates eating (or over-eating) it may be harmful. Maybe our bodies aren’t designed to digest it? … at least in large amounts.

Conversely, when was the last time you heard of someone being allergic to leafy greens?

It should at least warrant a closer look at how it affects our health. Research shows we lose some or all of our ability to digest lactose and casein after age 4. That’s also the age many cultures stop breastfeeding. As a health coach, I’ve found many people unknowingly have a dairy sensitivity or allergy. They’re used to feeling bad and don’t notice how dairy makes them feel.

Here’s an easy way to tell how your body responds to dairy. Try removing it from your diet for a month. Then add it back in and see how you feel. Many report feeling better off of dairy, while some don’t notice a difference. For some, milk consumption can cause bloating and other digestive issues.

Milk Allergies in Children

Milk allergies are now one of the most common allergies in young children. 1 in 13 kids has an allergy and many more have food sensitivities. While some children “outgrow” their allergy this may not happen until the teen years.

Thankfully, we now understand more about the window in which milk allergies form. Landmark studies show giving common allergens to 4-6 month-old babies helps reduce allergy risk by up to 80%. If I had known then what I know now, I would’ve given my kids dairy earlier. You can even get natural supplements for babies that reduce their risk of getting allergies in the first place.

Insulin Spike

A 2006 Swedish study followed 230 families. They found children on low-fat diets (including low-fat dairy) had 17% more obesity. These children also ate more sugar and had higher insulin resistance. That’s a recipe for type 2 diabetes.

Dairy, especially low-fat milk, can spike blood sugar. Carbs fuel insulin and insulin leads to metabolic syndrome and diabetes. This rise in insulin is caused by the lactose and proteins (casein) in milk. It’s much lower or non-existent in high-fat dairy foods like cream, butter, and ghee.

For many of us already on a sugar roller-coaster, milk isn’t the healthiest drink choice. Even for kids, water is often a better choice. Especially with a meal with healthy fats, protein, and vegetables. We often drink milk for its weight loss benefits, but other foods and drinks are better options

What About the Calcium?

This is often the single most quoted reason for dairy consumption. Many other foods offer more and better sources of calcium. However, even high levels of calcium can actually spur osteoporosis. Our bodies need bioavailable cofactors like vitamins D and K2 to absorb calcium for bone health. For strong bones, dairy may not be the best choice.

Dairy and Vitamin D

Its great Vitamin D is finally getting some of the recognition it deserves. We need vitamin D (especially from the sun) to function. Unfortunately, almost all dairy products are vitamin D and/or calcium-fortified. These artificially added sources aren’t easily absorbed by our bodies. You can get your vitamin D levels tested to see if you need to supplement. I recommend getting enough healthy sun exposure for the best results!

The Healthiest Kind of Dairy

Raw, organic, grass-fed, full-fat dairy products are a different type of animal. It’s been demonized because it might have harmful bacteria. It’s also what helped keep our ancestors thriving and healthy.

This type of dairy has a lot more nutrients and live enzymes than pasteurized versions. The full-fat content also mitigates some of the insulin spikes. And it makes the calcium more bioavailable.

In its fermented form, grass-fed dairy is a good source of probiotics and calcium. Fermentation also helps break down the lactose, reducing sugar levels. Butter and ghee have almost no lactose either.

Raw dairy is in its most natural form and isn’t highly processed. If you’re going to consume dairy, go for the most natural form.

Dairy Alternatives

Dairy alternatives and plant-based milk substitutes have skyrocketed in recent years. Maybe due to the rise in lactose intolerance and milk allergies. Some people opt for these because of environmental concerns. While good alternatives exist, many have their own problems.

Rice Milk

Rice milk is made by soaking and blending rice with water. And a host of other ingredients. While whole milk has a glycemic index of 39, rice milk rings in at a whopping 86 out of 100. It’s a cheap option but doesn’t have much natural nutrition. It’s low in protein and any nutrients it has are added synthetic ones. This along with the big insulin spike means I don’t recommend it.

Soy Milk

Soy milk is made with soybeans, water, and a host of other gums, starches, and fillers. Like other unfermented soy products, it has high levels of phytoestrogens. These can cause hormonal imbalances, especially for boys and young women. Most soy is also GMO and heavily sprayed with pesticides.

You can read more about the issues with soy here and why I don’t recommend it.

Almond Milk

Almond milk is slightly better than the other two options above. To avoid fillers and sugars, I suggest making it yourself. This is also the cheapest option! If you opt for the store-bought versions, go for unsweetened. Most almond groves are heavily sprayed with pesticides so opt for organic. Cashew or pecan milk is also easy to make with the same method.

Oat Milk

The newer kid on the block, many are flocking to oat milk. Like other milk alternatives, the store-bought versions are fortified with vitamins. It has a higher fat and calorie content than almond milk, making it creamier. I mostly stay away from grains (even whole grains) and eat properly prepared grains in moderation. However, oat milk isn’t at the top of my list for healthy eating choices.

Oats are often high in glyphosate residue. They’re also naturally high in maltose, a sugar that causes insulin spikes. Rolled oats don’t offer much nutrition, so homemade oat milk doesn’t have a great nutrient profile.

Macadamia Nut Milk

This is an ultra-creamy alternative to almond milk and high in mono-unsaturated fats. I’ll often make this at home. When I don’t make it, I buy it from Thrive Market).

Coconut Milk

In my opinion, coconut milk is the best alternative to cow’s milk. They don’t actually have milk in them, but rather a high-electrolyte juice (aka coconut water). It’s great for replenishing electrolytes after illness or a workout.

Coconut milk is made from a blend of coconut fats and fibers. You’ll find healthy fatty acids in coconut milk, but not as much as in coconut oil. It’s also a good choice for kids because of the healthy fats. You can even try making your own!

Canned coconut milk is less processed than the carton in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. It also works differently in recipes.

Goat Milk

Goat milk is more like human breast milk so some think it’s a better alternative to drink. It does tend to create less of a reaction for some than cow’s milk. You can find goat milk kefir and cheese at most grocery stores. You might be able to find raw, pastured, or organic goat’s milk from local farmers.

Camel Milk

Uh yep, it’s a thing! We’ve actually tried it and my kids love it! Camel milk has a different protein structure from dairy and a whole variety of naturally occurring nutrients. Give it a try, although I’m guessing you’ll want to read more about it first.

Is Dairy Healthy? The Bottom Line

In the end, dairy is a subject of much debate in the health community. At our house, we eat moderate amounts of raw, aged cheeses and high-fat dairy like butter, raw, heavy cream, and ghee. We don’t drink milk or eat processed dairy foods. We also eat lots of fish, leafy vegetables, and nuts for calcium. For vitamin D we’re sure to get healthy sun exposure.

Tolerance to dairy varies by person. Some have no trouble with it, and others react heavily. Some people find that they’re unable to lose weight on dairy. To find out how your body responds, try getting rid of it completely for a month and see how you do.

Do you eat dairy or use dairy alternatives? Share below!

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

117 responses to “Is Dairy Healthy or Dangerous?”

  1. Shelly Avatar

    I have just recently been made aware of a different type of milk called A2 Milk. My granddaughter had milk sensitivity, but seems to be doing well on this milk. I was wondering if you have heard of it and what your thoughts were on this product.

  2. Carla Avatar

    I’ve just heard about A2 milk. There’s not much available on the internet yet. Are you able to comment on how it compares to regular raw, organic, grass-fed dairy? Thanks! Love your blog!

  3. Xena Ferrario Avatar
    Xena Ferrario

    I didn’t see raw milk at my local grocery store. I will check around.

  4. Xena Ferrario Avatar
    Xena Ferrario

    Is raw milk available in grocery stores?
    With regards to include nuts in our diets some doctor’s do not recommend. I love nuts!

  5. Amanda Avatar

    I just made rice milk for the first time yesterday. Usually in our home we make almond, cashew, walnut, or hemp milk from scratch, and use it mostly for coffee and smoothies. But since it has been getting hotter in LA, I found myself craving yogurt, and we’ve been drinking lots of kombucha — not without a noticeable affect on my skin (bummer). I’ve read that hot weather makes your body send blood to vital organs and the digestive system is left behind. Even with stomach work outs, finding the balance my body needs as the seasons change is not easy. Especially when my cravings aren’t for vegetables…

  6. Kat Avatar

    I grew up drinking milk and loving cheese and as a kid I was pretty healthy. We used to buy milk from farmer but if we wanted to drink it on it’s own, we’d cook it first (so technically home pasteurised it).
    I let my little one drink couple glasses of organic full fat milk a day, not homogenised but pasteurised as raw is hard to get in UK, unless you have a farmer who does it nearby. He started school and they gave him boxed low fat milk (longlife uht non organic milk) and he was feeling sick from it.
    I occasionally opt out for coconut, rice or nut milk for my coffee but otherwise don’t drink milk on its own. And everyone in the house loves cheese. So we buy bit of organic cheddar, occasionally goat cheese or sheep cheese.
    Basically everything in moderation is the motto of our household :-).

  7. Alexandra Avatar
    Alexandra

    Raw goat milk has helped me drop weight. Use it like you would Slim-Fast (which BTW has lots of sugar). I replaced a meal or two with a cup or two of raw milk and the pounds came off. Probably because milk is a complete food, and when you eat food that’s lacking in nutrients your body is crying out for more.

  8. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    Hi Katie,
    loved the article. We don’t drink cow’s milk per se, but I use raw milk for milk kefir, which my kids love. I just read about the difference in the type of casein even in raw milk depending on the breed of cow.

    https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/09/the-devil-in-the-milk.aspx

    That sounds scary – even though raw milk is supposed to be great. the supplier I get milk from would have Friesian cows which are classed A1.
    What’s your view on this?

    Thank you!

  9. Brian Avatar

    We are not baby cows, hence we should not be drinking their milk. End of story.

    1. John Bilsbury Avatar
      John Bilsbury

      In order to make dairy products other than milk and I also mean things such as cheese, yogurt or butter or cream things one has to start from a milk source and get it from an animal which is not a human – either a cow, sheep or goat one way or another its the same phenomenon. So we are consuming milk/dairy past breastfeeding stage and consuming another species milk which are two things that may not be correlated with our environment in nature – though hunting and eating meat might be to our nature as a protein source and one could say eggs if meat was not available

      Therefore whether dairy is something we should ever consume for that reason is a good thought although there are many things if not everything we should not consume for one reason or another – including bread (carbs) and fruit (lots of sugar in some). Dairy may be better than margarine which is known to be bad for you although some sources state that it depends on the butter or the margarine. Also soy is controversial and it tastes like they have already got sugar it even though it says unsweetened on it

      So I do say it is like anything else – although it is probably the last of animal products that is the best source of food for us to nourish ourselves on

  10. Beth Avatar

    I have a unique advantage of owning a dairy farm, with my husband. We drink our milk straight from the bulk tank. It is a nutritious and cheap food to feed our 4 boys. I also make cottage cheese, amd occasionally yogurt. We are technically “conventional”, but in the southeast US, that is not what people think it is. Most SE dairy cows are fed large amounts of fresh grass, and silage, with just a bit of grain. Many are pasture based. Because of the many organic regulations, some of which are brain twisters, and our inability to buy organic soybean meal without trucking it half way across the country, we have chosen to stay conventional. It hurts that a product we work hard to produce, that is very healthy when it leaves our farm, is turned into a demonized product.

  11. Diana Walker Avatar
    Diana Walker

    My Grandson is 16 months old and has been consuming raw milk since the age of 7 months in his homemade Baby formula. He has thrived on it How much milk should he be drinking now? He still has 6/7 baby bottles of it a day mainly at night
    Diana

  12. Hasel Avatar

    Hi Wellnessmama, I really enjoy a lot of your articles, thanks! I only wondered if it is better to consume home cooked milk(bought raw) during pregnancy or does it become just as bad as store bought? Thanks in advance!

  13. Andrea Hawkins Avatar
    Andrea Hawkins

    I have not found anything on yogurt from Wellness Mama. I read about milk in this post but, what about yogurt? I have tried Fage, Greek yogurt and others. I have seen a brand called Noosa and I know they don’t use cows with the rbst(I think that is the correct abbreviation of the hormone). But there is something called bovine gelatin in their products.
    I read a post about gelatin on wellness mamma. Is the the kind used in foods different from the kinds in your blog? Any advice would be great because I love yogurt!

  14. Ron Avatar

    Per: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22081694

    Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

    Summary:
    Recently the lay press has claimed a hypothetical association among dairy product consumption, generation of dietary acid, and harm to human health. This theoretical association is based on the idea that the protein and phosphate in milk and dairy products make them acid-producing foods, which cause our bodies to become acidified, promoting diseases of modern civilization. Some authors have suggested that dairy products are not helpful and perhaps detrimental to bone health because higher osteoporotic fracture incidence is observed in countries with higher dairy product consumption. However, scientific evidence does not support any of these claims. Milk and dairy products neither produce acid upon metabolism nor cause metabolic acidosis, and systemic pH is not influenced by diet. Observations of higher dairy product intake in countries with prevalent osteoporosis do not hold when urban environments are compared, likely due to physical labor in rural locations. Milk and other dairy products continue to be a good source of dietary protein and other nutrients. Key teaching points: Measurement of an acidic pH urine does not reflect metabolic acidosis or an adverse health condition. The modern diet, and dairy product consumption, does not make the body acidic. Alkaline diets alter urine pH but do not change systemic pH. Net acid excretion is not an important influence of calcium metabolism. Milk is not acid producing. Dietary phosphate does not have a negative impact on calcium metabolism, which is contrary to the acid-ash hypothesis.

  15. Mariyam Avatar
    Mariyam

    Hi, my daughter suffers from anaphylaxis and i have been giving her soy milk from supermarket. Please can you suggest some good alternatives i can give her instead of soya. Thank you.

      1. sherri Avatar

        do emphasize that homemade almond milk is significantly different than homemade. the homemade has simple ingredients, while the store bought has factory added, difficult to pronounce ingredients that are completely unnecessary and possibly harmful. it is very easy to make, and with a small amount of sugar, vanilla, etc can be made quite tasty.

  16. Jamie Avatar

    I know this is an old post but I just want to make sure about consuming homemade yogurt made from a regular supermarket milk?I get the whole milk (3.5%)? We don’t have access to raw milk as it is banned here in Canada. What are your thoughts? Do you suggest I don’t consume yogurt or is it better than nothing? I also use the whey from it and make yogurt cheese as well. Thanks alot! Super love your blog!!!!!!

  17. Kelly Avatar

    Sorry Wellness Mama, but there is a big myth in this article that I feel inclined to debunk, but Chris Kresser does it better over here: https://chriskresser.com/does-dairy-cause-osteoporosis/. He also debunks the acid alkaline food myth in a link within that link. Instead of asking whether a food is acidic or alkaline I like to ask whether it has the potential to be inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. There are quite a few components of food that will determine this. As for dairy, Chris showed that dairy is not an acidic food and does not leach calcium from bones, and the calcium is actually made more bio-available from the phosphorus also present in dairy. He shows that many different groups consuming dairy have better bone health. So, sorry but people do not need to worry about their bones when consuming dairy. I do advocate the right kind of dairy, and the homogenization and pasteurization of it may cause problems. Raw or at least organic/pasteurized, full-fat dairy is what you want. But you might want to edit this article after reading the link. I think having the best and most accurate information backed by the right kind of studies are important. A simple hypothesis or data that has been cherry picked can often be misleading or just plain wrong. The acid alkaline debate is often used in vegan communities and it has been used to vilify meat as well. It has been busted for meat and I want to ensure it is busted for dairy.

  18. Kate Avatar

    A child died recently in Australia due to drinking raw milk. The raw milk contained bacteria that although the mother could handle, the wee 2 year old could not.
    There is a reason pastueurisation exists and it’s because raw milk products killed many a child all those years ago.

  19. April Avatar

    Hi Katie,

    My daughter is 16 months old and just weaned from breast feeding as I am pregnant with our 2nd child. Her last doctor visit we were told that she should be consuming 20-24 ounces of full fat cow milk a day. My husband and I thought this seemed like a lot of cow milk… I was wondering what your thoughts were on this and what suggestions you had for milk after breast feeding is done? Would coconut milk suffice if we supplement some vitamin D3 drops? Should we provide calcium in any other way?

    Thanks!

    1. Ash Avatar

      April,
      I have the same question. My doctor continues to ask me how much milk my 3 year old drinks at each check-up. After I weened him at 21 months (I was also pregnant with my 2nd) I decided to not push milk on him. My husband tried to get him to drink it a couple of times and he refused it. I grew up lactose intolerant and never ate or drank dairy products, so I just assumed it was fine….. We eat as much whole foods as possible and I sneak leafy greens into everything I can. He is a strong, growing boy and the doctor has no concerns with his health. When he asked me how much milk he was drinking, I lied and said some here and there because I didn’t want to hear the speech. He told me he should have at least 3 glasses a day. I said okay and went on my day. My husband thought I should have pushed back. Do you think I need to bring it to his attention that he is dairy-free? Should I find a new doctor?

      What did you decide to do?

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