Do I need it?
Is it best for calcium or can I get all I need from broccoli?
^^ A question I had the other day as a post online was shared with me..
And there definitely WAS a moooooooovement to ditch dairy..
Which seems to be passing..
Especially with everyone talking about gut health and the role of fermented dairy like Kefir and Greek yoghurt…
Which brings me to this:
we have to consider that you can’t just paint all dairy with the same brush as dairy products vary so much
From butter which is high in fat and low in protein and sugar
To Greek Yoghurt which is fermented, contains good bacteria for your gut, high levels of calcium and a great source of protein.
You then have full fat milk,low fat milk and fermented milk.
I could go on…
And when you look at research, you see:
→ Cheese and yoghurt (fermented dairy) associated with a 12% reduction in cardiovascular disease
→ Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease amongst Swedish populations with high intakes of cheese, accounted for by their high dairy calcium intakes
→ Some evidence showing that the fat in cheese does not seem to have the same impact on cholesterol and lipids than fats founds in butter, with some evidence that cheese can even lower LDL (bad) cholesterol
→ Higher levels of dairy intake are associated with a 14% reduction in risk of Type 2 Diabetes
→ Calcium from dairy seems to have a more beneficial effect on bone density than calcium from supplements (and plant based)
→ There seems to be reduction in risk of certain cancers such as colon cancer and breast cancer but an increase in risk in prostate cancer and breast cancer in some populations
→ Dairy is a great source of potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, creatine, and protein
→ Broccoli, kale, spinach and bok choy and good sources of calcium and their absorption varies however due to oxalates and phytates in plants which do compromise their absorption
So the question really should not be ‘is dairy bad for you?’
But rather:
Which nutrients are you missing by omitting [insert dairy product here] and where can you get them from in sufficient amounts?
Is it fortified cereals?
Is it supplements?
Is it broccoli? Can you eat enough to get sufficient amounts without gut distress?
Matt