Did you know that dairy products are not a nutritional requirement for the human diet? In fact, there are many people who can’t tolerate dairy and have to eliminate it from their diets. While those with lactose intolerance have reduced levels of lactase in their small intestine, those with an allergy or sensitivity to milk protein have an immune response to cow’s milk proteins.
A dairy-free diet excludes foods which contain any form of dairy products which includes foods like butter, cheese, cow’s milk, cream, yogurt and ice cream. Some go as far as eliminating eggs and honey from their diet as well.
What Are The Benefits of Having A Dairy Free Diet?
Dairy free diets are most popular among those people who are lactose intolerant. For them, dairy products can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and other symptoms like bloating, gas, and diarrhoea. Dairy free diets are also popular among those people who want to lose weight and those who suffer from acne and skin rashes.
Dairy free diets can provide a number of benefits such as prevention of atherosclerosis, lowered levels of cholesterol in the blood, decreased risk of heart disease, and more. When eradicating dairy from your diet, there are plenty of plant-based protein sources such as soybeans and tofu, so you can still get much-needed nutrition.
The term “dairy-free” refers to milk or milk-derived foods that do not contain any lactose – the sugar found in milk. Being dairy free is highly beneficial for people who are lactose intolerant, allergic to dairy products or trying to cut out animal products from their diet. A dairy free diet usually includes more vegetables and fruits instead of cheese or yogurt. A vegan diet has no animal products at all, so it does not contain any dairy since they are not an animal product.
Why Dairy Products Might be Bad for You
Dairy products are sometimes bad for our health. It doesn’t matter how healthy the dairy is, the saturated fats in the milk can lead to increased cholesterol levels if consumed in excess. A lot of people claim that dairy products are good for us because they contain calcium, which is necessary for bone health. However, this is only one benefit that has been proven.
In addition to calcium, there are other components in milk that may not be as necessary as it’s believed. Other studies have shown that dairy products can cause inflammation and weight gain at the same time as they increase bone density.
Deciding to eliminate dairy from your diet is a big decision, and to ensure you don’t become deficient in any vitamins and minerals, it’s important to fully research the pro’s and con’s of going dairy-free, to ensure it’s the right decision for you and your health.
If you decide to eliminate dairy from your diet, it’s important to ensure you’re taking calcium supplements, and keeping an eye on your vitamin / mineral levels, to ensure you don’t become deficient, so a good quality multivitamin could be beneficial.