DAIRY PRODUCTS TO BE EXAMINED
ARE WE THE ONLY ONE WHO DRINKS OTHER ANIMAL MILK?
We are going to start by commenting on the argument that humans are the only animal that consumes milk from other animals and therefore that is wrong. From the outset that is false.
In the following study we can corroborate this, since the wild cats of the island of Guadeloupe have been seen feeding on the milk of the elephant seals on a regular basis directly from the breasts and also that a good part of their daily energy comes from that milk. .
Why do humans consume more milk than other animals? Well, because to get that milk you have to go to the breasts of an animal that is lactating and extract the milk, which in nature is quite complicated and requires prior domestication of the animals from which the milk is going to be extracted. milk. Which only human beings have done and that is why we can afford more dairy in our diet.
In fact, when animal domestication did not yet exist, dairy was hardly part of our diet, and that is why dairy is often excluded from the Paleo diet since it was introduced in the Neolithic.
The difficulty in obtaining milk from others can also be observed in the study of wild cats, seeing that the milk of the animals that were in the periphery of the herd was consumed, since the females in the center of the group had more status and responded aggressively to those behaviors.
Besides, the human being is the only animal that does many things, such as driving, cooking food, watching TV or doing Sudoku puzzles. Being the only one doing something does not make that something bad by default. Besides, we consume everything from a cow (meat and organs) but is the milk off limits?
In my opinion this argument carries very little weight.
Another argument that I hear very often is that milk is not necessary, so it should not be consumed. In the end, this does not have too much weight since if we have to make and eat only what is necessary for survival and remove from the menu everything that is not strictly necessary ... we will be left with very little on the plate.
Finally, I would like to give a warning to all those who defend to the death that the consumption of milk and derivatives is a crime against health, but who consume Whey protein shakes daily , which are nothing other than dairy derivatives. A little serious gentlemen.
LACTOSE INTOLERANCE
A large part of the population is lactose intolerant. This is a fact.
To be more precise, only 35% of human beings can digest it after 7 years.
Lactose is milk sugar, which is a disaccharide made up of a molecule of glucose and another of galactose. An enzyme called lactase is produced in the small intestine, which allows lactose to break down into its two components and to be able to absorb them.
Humans are well equipped to be able to digest lactose when breastfeeding, as breast milk has more lactose than milk from other animals (6.9 grams in humans and 4.6 in cows, for example) . However, as we grow older, we largely lose the ability to process lactose.
However, there are several studies that show that since the agricultural revolution in the Middle East (it is known that goats began to be domesticated in Iran around 10,000 BC), lactose-reduced dairy derivatives were created that could be included in diet and that, several genetic mutations later and several generations later, lactase could be produced throughout adulthood.
These first ancestors who could tolerate lactose migrated throughout Europe, and that explains why there are many European countries, especially Nordic countries, that tolerate dairy very well, while in Africa, Asia and South America there is a lot of intolerance to lactose and dairy they are hardly part of their diet.
The argument that milk feels bad is usually made by people who have lactose intolerance. Normal thing, on the other hand. But you cannot extrapolate a personal condition to a general public. It can be said without any qualms that the vast majority of people do not tolerate a high amount of dairy, but nothing else.
Personally, milk feels great to me, and I don't extrapolate it to everyone by saying that milk is "milk," worth the redundancy.
MILK AND NUTRITION
The next point to address is whether milk is a nutritious food or not. Objectively speaking, there is not much debate. Milk is very nutritious.
For each glass of milk we have the following:
- Calcium: 276mg 28% of the RDA.
- Vitamin D: 24% of the RDA
- Riboflavin (B2): 26% of the RDA
- Vitamin B12: 18% of the RDA
- Potassium: 10% of the RDA
- Phosphorus: 22% of the RDA
- It also contains significant amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B6, Selenium, Zinc, and Magnesium.
- 8 grams of high-quality protein
- 8 grams of fat , of which 70% are saturated, 25% are monounsaturated and 2-3% are polyunsaturated.
- 146 calories
DAIRY AND OSTEOPOROSIS
Many people say that dairy causes osteoporosis because evidence has emerged that countries that consume the most dairy have the highest rates of osteoporosis. However, it must be taken into account that osteoporosis is a multifactorial disease and that the evidence proposed is observational.
Countries that have high rates of osteoporosis are also deficient in other things important for bone health, such as vitamin D, physical exercise, vitamin K, etc ...
In fact it is the opposite, there is a fairly high amount of evidence that relates dairy products with better bone health ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ). And the reality is that almost all experimental studies find a positive association between dairy and bone health.
However, I am not going to go as far as saying that dairy is essential for good bone health, because it would be a blatant lie. Although calcium is better absorbed from sources such as dairy (between 30-33%) than from vegetables, there are some vegetable sources such as sesame seeds or almonds, which can provide a significant amount of calcium to the diet and are also absorbed quite well (approximately 20%). Tofu is another option that is high in calcium and has a dairy-like absorption.
Therefore, dairy is not necessary at all from a nutritional point of view. This must be made clear.
DAIRY AND WEIGHT CONTROL
Dairy products are very importantly associated with weight control. Specifically whole dairy.
For this a sample:
- HUMAN STUDY 1 : Two groups consumed 3.5 servings of whole milk or skim milk respectively. Weight gain was observed in the group that consumed whole milk. Therefore, it is logical to think that it is not insulin that promotes weight gain, but caloric excess , as we said in the first part of the article.
- HUMAN STUDY 2 : Low-calorie diets that include dairy do not prevent fat loss.
- HUMAN STUDY 3 : An increase in dairy consumption does not alter body composition.
- HUMAN STUDY 4 : Increased consumption of dairy products did not alter body weight or% fat in 135 women for 1 year.
- HUMAN STUDY 5 : An increase in dairy did not prevent adequate body control. The high-dairy group showed greater fat oxidation and allowed them to eat more calories without gaining more weight.
We also have several observational studies that corroborate the same thing ( this , this , this , this ).
A meta - analysis of 16 observationaltudies reached the same conclusion, only with whole dairy products as mentioned above. Not skim milk.
This probably happens because:
- Skim milk is an aberration that continues to make people believe that fats are fattening
- They still make believe that "fat free" means healthy
- They take away the vitamins naturally present in milk when they are defatted and that they need that lipid fraction to be absorbed (what is called fat-soluble vitamins) and then fortify them with those same vitamins that they have previously taken away and that now do not have the fats to be properly absorbed. Chapó !!
Also within weight control we can talk about the relationship between dairy and diabetes, which also seems to be inverse. The higher the amount of dairy, the lower the incidence of diabetes ( 1 , 2 )
There is one study in particular that I think is worth mentioning regarding diabetes. A 105% increase in basal insulin levels was observed in 8-year-old children after milk consumption. It should be taken into account that the study was carried out in 7 days only, with 12 subjects and in addition the children were given 1.5 liters of milk daily. That's 10 glasses. It is a lot. In addition to the normal diet that they chose.
I would take the results of the study with care.
DAIRY AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
Taking advantage of the fact that a meta-analysis has just been published today (January 31, 2016) that observes that dairy consumption may be related to a lower cardiovascular risk, it must be said that it is not the first or the second study to reach these conclusions :
- Study 1 : 2016 meta-analysis. Inverse relationship between dairy consumption and cardiovascular diseases.
- Study 2 : 2015 meta-analysis. Same conclusions.
- Study 3 : Meta-analysis of 2011. Same conclusions.
- Study 4: 2009 Systematic Review: No relationship is found between dairy products and increased risk of coronary heart disease.
- Study 5: No increased cardiovascular risk was observed with dairy consumption.
- Study 6 : 2014 Review. Milk appears to be beneficial for cardiovascular disease.
- Study 7 : Consumption of fermented milk reduces cardiovascular risk.
- Study 8 : Dairy can be beneficial for various population groups.
- Study 9 : The consumption of yogurt and dairy reduces cardiovascular risk.
- Study 10 : Higher dairy consumption is related to lower cardiovascular risk.
- Study 11 : Yogurt, cheese, and whole milk appear to protect against cardiovascular disease.
- Study 12 : Nutritional recommendations for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases: Milk does not appear to be associated with an increased risk.
- Study 13 : There is no evidence that dairy increases cardiovascular risk in men of any age or in middle-aged women.
DAIRY AND DIABETES
It is very common for dairy to be accused of causing diabetes as well, so scaremongering increases dramatically.
The reality is quite different. Several reviews and meta-analyzes have been made in this regard, and no relationship has been found between dairy consumption and an increase in diabetes. In fact, a relationship has been found, but inverse.
- 2009 Systematic Review : Inverse Relationship
- 2010 Revision : Reverse Relationship
- 2013 Revision : Reverse Relationship
In fact, a very interesting study came out in 2016 that talks about the unique properties of yogurt to prevent type 2 diabetes.
So today we can say that there is not enough evidence to claim that dairy increases the risk of diabetes.
DAIRY AND CANCER
In the 1990s, a hormone called rBGH began to be used in cattle, which is a synthetic version of the bovine somatotropin hormone (BST). The goal was basically to increase milk production.
The problem with this is that the use of rBGH increases the concentration of IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor 1) and this has been associated with various cancers, such as prostate, breast or colon.
First of all, it would be necessary to see if IGF-1 can be absorbed when administered orally, since it can be denatured due to the effect of digestion, as happens with the vast majority of nutrients that we ingest.
According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) this is not the case . IGF-1 is said to break down in the digestion process to have adverse effects in humans.
However, the studies they use to claim that are short-lived, in rats, and done by the companies that sell rBGH, namely Monsanto and Elanco.
It is also often assumed that IGF-1 will be denatured because other hormones do not support the process, such as insulin. However, there are hormones that support the digestive process and are absorbed intact, such as GnRH.
One 6study found that although IGF-1 administered in isolation did not resist the digestion process, when administered with casein it was 67% absorbed. Although this latest study was in rats as well, it's worth saying.
Human studies have observed that people who consumed 3+ servings of dairy a day had a serum IGF-1 level 10% higher than those who consumed 1.5 servings.
Also it has been observed that children under 8 years who consumed a high amount of milk had higher levels of IGF-1
Assuming milk increases IGF-1 levels in humans, does this translate into a higher incidence of cancer?
Well, there doesn't seem to be much evidence in this regard:
- BLADDER : There appears to be no link between dairy products and bladder cancer.
- PROSTATE : A meta-analysis of observational studies from 2008, including 45 studies and more than 26,000 cases, found no relationship. However, a meta - analysis of 32 cohort studies in 2015 found a relationship between excess dairy and prostate cancer. This may be due to overstimulation of the mTORC1 signaling presents cow's milk.
- GENERAL : There seems to be an inverse relationship.
- COLORRECTAL : Inverse relationship. The higher the consumption of dairy, the lower the incidence of cancer. The same in 2012
- BREAST : Consuming dairy, but not milk, was inversely related to breast cancer.
There does not seem to be enough evidence to say that dairy causes cancer today, with the exception of prostate cancer, that there is evidence.
However, and related to the increase in IGF-1, dairy is clearly related to acne ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 )
Therefore, if you are prone to acne, I recommend that you remove dairy of your diet, and if it improves, start reintroducing dairy products such as kefir and see if it is well tolerated.
MUSCLE GROWTH
It is clear that milk and derivatives are a great tool to build muscle mass.
Milk from animals (cow, lamb, sheep) is approximately 80% casein, which is slow-release protein, and 20% whey protein, which is quick-release. Unlike breast milk, which is 60% whey and 40% casein.
This makes milk especially good for building muscle mass as it has an interesting mix of fast and slow absorbing proteins. Apart from having, as we mentioned before, IGF-1, which is a growth factor that obviously affects muscle tissue.
Despite that, a note should be made about caseins . Broadly speaking, we can differentiate two types of caseins that are the most important:
- Alpha-caseins
- Beta-caseins.
Among the alpha-caseins there is S1, which is the majority in cow's milk and the one with the most antigenic power (which causes allergies). On the contrary, mother's milk, sheep and goat have the alpha-casein S2 in a higher proportion, which is not usually so problematic.
And within the beta-caseins we have A1 and A2 . Cow's milk has mostly A1, which when consumed a casomorphin called BCM-7 is created after digestion and is linked to heart disease, autism, acne again, etc ... ( 1 , 2 , 3 )
Breast milk, sheep, goat milk, and some cows that must be duly indicated on the packaging, have the A2 variant, so it may be interesting to consume sheep and / or goat milk, since their casein profile is very high. less troublesome.
RAW OR TREATED?
Many people swear and perjure on raw milk since pasteurized milk is said to lose properties and well, there is the idea that "little treated = good", "treated = bad".
It is not the case.
The milk pasteurization process (which is done at 72º for 15 seconds if it is HTST or 138º for 2 seconds if it is UHT) does not seem to greatly affect the nutritional characteristics of the milk, neither at the level of proteins, fats nor vitamins / minerals.
And what it does do is eliminate all pathogenic organisms such as 6, which can cause mild gastroenteritis to death.
In fact, in the United States it can be observed that the states in which it is legal to sell raw milk there are many more outbreaks associated with its consumption.
We are not going to get dramatic either. You are much more likely to get a fish infection (29 times more likely) so you don't have to demonize raw milk either. However, the hypothetical benefits do not outweigh the potential problems, at least from my point of view.
If you are interested in the subject, I recommend that you read the following article from which I have taken the graphic. Worth it.
WHAT ARE WE CONSUMING?
I couldn't stop talking about the consequences of our milk consumption. Although it does not seem that dairy consumption is harmful within moderation for humans, we have to understand that for us to have milk 24/7 we have to have pregnant cows 24/7.
That means:
- Cows must be inseminated so that they are always lactating.
- The young are removed as soon as they are born.
- Cows are connected to machines that suck their breasts almost daily, so infections, mastitis, and other diseases are quite common.
- For this, antibiotic treatments must be applied often, which can be passed into the milk that we later ingest.
- To increase milk production, hormones are injected for that purpose, such as rBGH that I mentioned in the cancer section.
- The cows are usually in very improvable condition, confined in narrow cages, connected to cables and fed cheap feed.
- The Food and Drug Administration states that the somatic cell count cannot exceed 400,000 per milliliter. That's the epithelial cells and leukocytes (come on, pus)
It is clear that reality is not usually as gloomy and savage as organizations like PETA paint it, but it is not usually excessively beautiful either. The reality is what it is and consuming milk and derivatives implies what it implies.
That said, I would like to add that dairy from grass-fed cattle has a much more complete nutritional profile, so it is a good idea to go for these products ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 )
CONCLUDING
Broadly speaking, dairy is a suitable inclusion in my opinion for a balanced diet. However, there is too much obsession with them and it seems that they are more necessary than they really are. In fact, they are completely expendable (like so many other things) and a high percentage of people don't tolerate them, so that's good news for them.
There also does not appear to be a relationship between cancer and dairy, although more research is needed and future studies will probably give us a much more categorical answer on the matter and increase our knowledge of the matter.
In my opinion, dairy has the biggest problem in the ethical aspect, and it can be solved to a large extent by buying quality milk.
Besides, it seems to be a great ally for those looking to gain muscle mass, and consumed in moderation can be beneficial.
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