The Benefits of a Dairy Free Diet

The dairy free diet is just that; no cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream, butter (although mostly good fat, if organic), or any product that has dairy hidden in it. 

Breast milk is meant for the initial survival and development of babies but is not needed past this stage of life. Humans are the only mammals that consume milk past infancy and are the only species that consume the milk of another species.  Milk is promoted, almost exclusively, for its calcium, B vitamins, vitamin D fortification, and water. But there are many faults here (discussed below) and all of these nutrients can be found in much better sources.  The non-dairy milks on the market don’t have the side effects of dairy and are fortified with these very nutrients.

It is important to note that milk is a processed food.  Through pasteurization and homogenization, the milk available on the grocery store shelves is a far cry from natural or raw milk.  Processing destroys healthy vitamins and minerals and alters the state of nutrients in a way that we don’t yet fully understand.  Many physicians believe that homogenization and pasteurization are linked to increased incidences of high cholesterol and heart disease. Homogenized milk contains more casein and whey, which could explain the jump in milk allergies since homogenization began.

Milk doesn’t contain fibre or complex carbs. In fact, dairy has been known to contribute to the epidemic of constipation in our society.  Milk consists of about 5% sugar (lactose). Believe it or not, a glass of milk contains half the amount of sugar found in a serving of pop!  Lactose intolerance causes suffering to about 70% of the world’s population.

Dairy most often refers to cow’s milk and its derivatives like cheese, butter, yogurt, and cream. However, cow’s milk has many hidden purposes in our food supply today.  The proteins, fats, and sugar in milk are commonly extracted to be used in processed foods to add flavour, structure, or other enhancements.  This makes it very hard to track whether there is dairy in a food you would not suspect and it makes it very important to read carefully read labels. In some people, even trace amounts of milk (parts per million) can cause a reaction (which leads to my next point).

Allergies, sensitivities and intolerances are at an all time high in the Western world and cow’s milk contains top allergens: casein and whey.  Dairy milk contains over 25 different molecules that have the potential to elicit an allergic reaction.  When an allergen is suspected to be causing symptoms in an individual, often the first suspect is milk. A food allergy is defined as an abnormal and heightened response of the immune system to certain components within an offending food. Two kinds of allergic reactions are immediate hypersensitivity and delayed hypersensitivity. The former is an immediate reaction. The latter can cause symptoms begin within 4-24 hours, peak at around 48 hours, and subside over 3-4 days. These may also be called food sensitivities.  Immediate hypersensitivity involves an immune response and which makes it easy to determine the offending food.  Delayed hypersensitivity can make it extremely difficult to determine the cause. Often these responses are much more subtle making it difficult to recognize that it was something they ate that caused the symptom.  

There are four major categories of milk allergies: skin (eczema, hives, canker sores, etc.), digestive (pain, cramps, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.), respiratory (mucus congestion, sneezing, watery/itchy eyes, coughing/wheezing, recurrent colds and/or ear infections, sinusitis, etc.), and behavioural (fatigue, migraines, irritability, hyperactivity, anxiety, muscle/joint pains, etc.).  These symptoms can present from mild to life threatening and could occur anywhere from immediately to days after the food is consumed.   

The media has led us to believe that the almighty glass of milk is the ultimate answer to declining bone health but recently, many have put this theory to the test and found it to be false.  The results showed findings such as: 

“…women consuming greater amounts of calcium from dairy foods had significantly increased risks of hip fractures, while no increase in fracture risk was observed for the same levels of calcium from nondairy sources”  (American Journal of Public Health, 1997, volume 87).

These findings suggest that dairy in fact CAUSES hip fractures from osteoporosis. Yale University discovered that the countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis are the countries with the highest dairy consumption: United States, England, Sweden, and Finland.  The reason behind these findings may be that high intakes of dairy provide large doses of animal protein, which is rich in sulfur-containing amino acids.  The body buffers the effects of these amino acids by releasing calcium from the bones and excreting it from the body. Also, milk contains very high levels of phosphorous, which interferes with calcium absorption. It could also be that people are thinking they are getting enough calcium because they read the amount on the label, but what the label doesn’t tell us is the absorbability. Non-dairy sources of calcium tend to be easier to absorb than dairy sources. Just because you consume 1500mg of calcium per day does not mean you are absorbing that amount. 

Another reason to go dairy-free is that we don’t know exactly what is in milk.  Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) is a naturally occurring hormone that causes milk production in cows.  In 1993, the FDA approved a synthetic hormone (rBGH) which is now given to cows to unnaturally increase milk production by up to 20% (Canada does not use this hormone). By using rBGH, the cow’s milk has a 2-10x greater amount of IGF-1.  This has shown to increase the human level of IGF-1 by 10%.  Higher levels of IGF-1 in humans has been linked to significant increase in prostate, colon, lung, and breast cancers.  It doesn’t end here. The use of rBGH causes a host of problems in the cows including udder infection, uterine disorders, digestive disorders, and lacerations. This leads to an increase in antibiotic use (both legal and illegal) in which the residues cause allergic reaction in susceptible humans.  This may be an important factor in the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Even though Canadian dairy farmers don’t use rBGH, it is important to note that most of the population does not know that there is a difference between Canadian and American milk.  Many Canadians living along the border do a lot of shopping in the US because it is cheaper (milk certainly is a lot cheaper). Meanwhile they do not know that there is a difference. And of course, many Canadians travel to the US and eat dairy while on vacation, without knowing that there is an issue. 

Non-dairy calcium has absorption rates as high as 50-70% compared to dairy which only has an absorption rate of 32%.  Here are some good non-dairy sources that contain high amounts of calcium: kelp, almonds, Brazil nuts, tofu, amaranth, and canned sardines.  The following contain moderate amounts of calcium: tempeh, collard greens, turnip greens, figs, baked beans, bok choy, salmon, and blackstrap molasses.  Just as important as getting calcium into the body is making sure it gets absorbed and properly utilized. There are many things we can do to maximize calcium absorption. Weight bearing exercise assists in the bone building cycle. Getting enough magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, and vitamins D, C, K, and E is critical for absorption.  Alcohol weakens the bones by reducing the body’s ability to build new bone and replace normal losses.  High caffeine intake accelerates bone loss.  Smoking promotes bone loss.  Many medications such as steroids cause bone loss.

It used to be that a person would only go dairy-free if they had to – if they had an allergy or were lactose intolerant or had one of the rare diseases that meant eating dairy was impossible. In the present day, going dairy-free has become an answer to many diseases and syndromes and has also contributed to an overall feeling of vitality. It would be impossible to recommend this diet to only a few groups of people because almost everyone who has tried it says they feel better and find that they can get more out of life. There are many positive side effects of the dairy-free diet but the one making the most people happy is the weight-loss aspect of it.

I would certainly recommend dairy free to anyone, of any age.  After reading this book I have begun this lifestyle change myself.  It has only been a few weeks but I can say I have much more energy and find that I need much less sleep than before.  Because of this, I get more out of my days, drink much less coffee, and have more energy to do things like clean the house and babysit my nieces and nephews!  I noticed these positive changes after only a few days.

Alexa Ashby

Edison Institute of Nutrition – Student

The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living

By: Alisa Marie Fleming

Published by Fleming Marrs, Inc  (2008) – USA