All mammals start their life with milk, then transition to solid foods for the remainder of their life. Humans are the only mammals that use milk from other species (cows, goats, etc.). Why do we drink other mammals' milk and consume dairy products? Is dairy even good for us or should we switch to a dairy alternative?

Why do we use dairy?

Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.) have been around for thousands of years. As humans evolved and started to move to different areas of the globe, our food sources had to evolve with us. The ability to have a cow or goat with you that provided milk year-round proved to be an invaluable resource to humans.  

Milk is a pretty unique food source that provides protein, carbs, fat, and is a calorie dense food product (whole milk). In areas that were not suitable for growing grains or other crops, milk was the perfect answer to our body’s and brain’s need for calories.

Fermented dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and kefir provided an easy solution to keeping the milk we collected from spoiling too fast. Keep in mind that refrigeration is a rather recent invention and our earlier ancestors had to find other ways of preserving their food sources.

Is dairy good for us?

Do a quick google search on dairy and you will get swamped with results for and against dairy. For many years I avoided dairy products myself thinking they were not natural for humans to consume. 

Being in the science backed field of human nutrition, I searched for evidence to back my claims against dairy. After combing through countless databases and research articles over a few years, I never did find any concrete evidence that dairy is bad or unhealthy for humans. 

In fact, I found quite the opposite. The healthy basics of dairy are the exact reasons our ancestors started using it. Dairy provides a compact source of calories, protein, fat, and carbs. It also provides certain essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, vitamin A, and calcium.

Fermented dairy products take it one step further and provide probiotics (healthy bacteria) to our GI system. To read more about probiotics and our gut microbiome, check out this prior blog on it!

Dairy (from cow’s milk) also helps decrease the risk for breast cancer in women, one of the most common forms of cancer in our nation. However, there is evidence that high intake of dairy (from cows milk) could increase the risk of prostate cancer in men.  

Why can’t some people drink or consume dairy?

Lactose is a sugar naturally found in milk and requires the enzyme lactase to break it down in our body. We are all born with our body producing the lactase enzyme to allow us to use our mother’s milk for energy. However, if we stop consuming dairy products after our first few years of life our body will decrease the production of the enzyme. Having low levels of the lactase enzyme is what is known as being lactose intolerant.

For people with lactose intolerance, the sugar in lactose does not get broken down and is instead processed by the bacteria in our colon. This can result in uncomfortable symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, and gas.  

Lactose intolerance can also be caused due to a GI injury or illness such as a GI infection, bacterial overgrowth, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease. In some cases, treating the underlying issue can result in increased lactase production overtime.

There are also rare cases of genetic lactase intolerance where the body does not produce lactase at all from birth. 

Luckily, there is an easy solution for people suffering from lactose intolerance besides avoiding dairy like the plague. OTC lactase supplements are cheap and effective in preventing the dreaded symptoms of lactose intolerance. 

If you think or know you have lactose intolerance and want help managing it, schedule a consultation to learn which dairy products are okay to consume, what to look for in ingredient labels, and how to live a life free of symptoms.

What about dairy alternatives?

Dairy alternatives are a pretty new product but have exploded in popularity over the last several years. Almond “milk” was the first dairy alternative followed by other milk alternatives such as cashew “milk”, oat “milk”, coconut “milk”, etc. 

Go into your grocery store today and you’ll find dairy alternative yogurts, cheese, ice-cream and many more. But what is a dairy alternative and is it healthy or healthier for us than milk?

Nut and oat “milks” are made from crushing and grinding a given nut mixed with water and then filtering out the remaining liquid. Coconut milk is made by boiling coconut flesh and then straining the liquid.

 

The end product of all milk alternatives is a milky white liquid that slightly resembles dairy milk. However, the milk alternative is not actually a replacement of milk itself. It is a completely different food product with a name causing confusion at grocery stores.  

In fact, the very process of making milk alternatives resembles more of the process of making juice. Even the nutrition profile is more similar to that of juice than milk.

The majority of milk alternatives provide very little to no calories (unless sugar is added), low to no protein, and no fat. In addition, these alternatives do not provide any naturally found vitamins and minerals, requiring the addition of these in the production process.

For people who suffer from lactose intolerance, these dairy alternatives provide an easy solution to enjoying a bowl of cereal or ice cream again. 

Besides being a solution for those with lactose intolerance, dairy alternative beverages do not provide any health benefits for us. 

The key takeaway

Milk and dairy products have been around for thousands of years and have provided humans a great source of calories, protein, carbs and fat along with many essential vitamins and minerals that our body needs daily. 

Besides being an issue for people with lactose intolerance, there is no strong evidence to show any negative effects on our health. 

Although milk is not necessary to stay healthy and live a long life, it is a great option for many to get the nutrition needed to do so.

Dairy alternatives such as almond and oat “milk” are no more than a juice providing very little to no nutrition and health benefits. If you have lactose intolerance they offer a great option to dairy products but should not be seen as a nutritionally equal alternative. 

If you do prefer dairy alternatives, they are safe to consume. However, it’s important to remember that they do not provide much nutrition to your body besides keeping you hydrated and full. 

Written by: Adam Skowyra MPPD, RDN, LD