Living Dairy-Free

This seems to be quite a hot topic. Very few people are willing to tell the truth about dairy. In fact, criticizing milk in America is like taking on motherhood, apple pie or baseball (Mark Hyman, MD).

I first became curious about others living dairy-free when Aliyah was born. I went to a breastfeeding support group through the hospital that is ran by a board certified lactation consultant. Every week new moms would show up with questions about their breastfeed babies having upset stomachs, digestive issues, gas, eczema, sleeplessness and colic. The more experienced moms would recommend giving up dairy over and over again. The lactation consultant would agree. And when a friend gave up dairy to find a much happier (breastfed) baby, this got me thinking, "What is it about dairy negatively affecting a breastfed baby?!? Milk is supposed to be good for you, right? Got Milk! Right?"

(La Leche League article about lactose intolerance, diarrhea, and allergy in breastfed infants - It's NOT your breast milk, it's the substances passed through the breast milk. Most infants will respond to eliminating cow's milk in mom's diet. Eliminating multiple foods is not necessary as a first line of therapy.)

Cow's milk is nature's perfect food... for a calf!

The majority of humans naturally stop producing significant amounts of lactase - the enzyme needed to properly metabolize lactose, the sugar in milk - sometime between the ages of two and five. In fact, for most mammals, the normal condition is to stop producing the enzymes needed to properly digest and metabolize milk after they have been weaned.

Our bodies just weren't made to digest milk on a regular basis. Instead, most scientists agree that it's better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other food sources, like whole plant foods - vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and seaweed.

Our bodies weren't made to digest milk on a regular basis? This was shocking to me. I kept reading and researching to find an even more shocking fact: About 75% of the world's population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products (lactose intolerant). 75%?!?!

So this got me thinking some more... If babies are benefiting from their moms dropping dairy from their diets and 75% of the world's population have a hard time digesting dairy, why would the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) create a health food pyramid that recommends drinking 3 glasses a day?

Unfortunately, I found that this recommendation is not based on science alone (or even our best interests) - some of the "experts" who helped create the food pyramid work for the dairy industry (WHAT?) And remember in the early 1990s when the pyramid recommended 6-11 servings of bread/cereals a day?!?

What about the Got Milk? campaign? The USDA was asked to look into the scientific basis for their milk mustache ads. The scientists stated this:

• Milk doesn't benefit sports performance.

• There's no evidence that dairy is good for your bones or prevents osteoporosis - in fact, the animal protein it contains may help cause bone loss.

• Dairy is linked to prostate cancer.

• It's full of saturated fat and is linked to heart disease.

• Dairy causes digestive problems for the 75 percent of people with lactose intolerance.

• Dairy aggravates irritable bowel syndrome.

• Dairy may contribute to other health issues like: allergies, sinus problems, ear infections, type 1 diabetes, constipation, and anemia in children

BOTTOM LINE: Dairy is okay for some, but it is NOT crucial for good health!

There are more shocking facts about milk/dairy that I have found since I have first started researching the health benefits of living dairy-free. Here are a few other articles I liked:
LLL: Allergies and the Breastfeeding Family
The Birth Place: Cow's Milk
Huffpost Living: Dairy

When I first thought about taking milk out of our diet I said, "No Way! Nobody in our family has been labeled lactose intolerant... But now that I've actually seen the benefits that our whole family are reaping, it seems like a no-brainer.


Here is what Dr. Walter Willett, (author of "The Fertility Diet" & "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" and current nutrition department chair at Harvard) the second most cited doctor in clinical medicine, recommends:

1. Not sure? Try a dairy-free diet for two weeks and see what you find. (We experience less headaches, sinus issues and problems with allergies. We've also lost weight and gained energy.) If you go back to dairy and feel worse, try giving it up forever!

2. If you can tolerate dairy, use only raw, organic dairy products. Focus on fermented products like unsweetened yogurt and kefir, occasionally.

3. If you have to feed your child formula from milk, don't worry. The milk in infant formula is hydrolyzed or broken down and easier to digest (although it can still cause allergies). Once your child is a year old, switch him or her to almond milk.