Summary of ZOE Science And Nutrition Podcast Episode: Is dairy good or bad for you?
— Description —
Dairy myths have been debunked, but new ones persist due to commercial interests Dairy does not cause inflammation for most people, and it's not necessary to drink milk during menopause for bone protection High cholesterol doesn't necessarily mean giving up dairy, and US government advice on milk is not considered good
Dairy foods are not necessarily high in fat or linked to allergies, and they don't increase the risk of heart disease Higher dairy consumption is associated with lower inflammation, and milk drinkers have no protection against hip fracture Other sources of calcium like green leafy vegetables and nuts are more accessible
Consuming more dairy is linked to lower rates of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease There's no evidence that full-fat milk is more harmful than low-fat milk, and yogurt and cheese are packed with nutrients and do not increase cholesterol Fermented dairy has a potent anti-inflammatory effect, and small portions are recommended for health benefits
Differences between cheeses in terms of health benefits and microbes are highlighted Overall, dairy, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, is not as bad as previously believed, and there's a lack of evidence supporting the health benefits of low-fat dairy products Jonathan Wolff promotes Zoe's personalized nutrition program for improving health.
Is dairy good or bad for you?
Key Takeaways
- Dairy myths debunked, but new ones persist due to commercial interests
- Dairy does not cause inflammation for most people
- No need to drink milk during menopause for bone protection
- High cholesterol does not necessarily mean giving up dairy
- US government advice on milk not considered good
- Dairy foods not necessarily high in fat or linked to allergies
- Dairy does not increase the risk of heart disease
- Higher dairy consumption associated with lower inflammation
- Milk drinkers have no protection against hip fracture
- Other sources of calcium like green leafy vegetables and nuts are more accessible
- Consuming more dairy associated with lower rates of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- No evidence that full-fat milk is more harmful than low-fat milk
- Yogurt and cheese packed with nutrients and do not increase cholesterol
- Fermented dairy has a potent anti-inflammatory effect
- Small portions of fermented dairy recommended for health benefits
- Differences between cheeses in terms of health benefits and microbes
- Dairy, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, is not as bad as previously believed
- Lack of evidence supporting health benefits of low-fat dairy products
- Promotion of Zoe's personalized nutrition program for improving health
Dairy Myths Debunked
- Many myths about dairy have been debunked over the years, yet more myths continue to circulate due to well-funded commercial interests.
- Dairy does not cause inflammation in the body for most people, and it is not necessary to drink milk during menopause to protect bones.
- Having high cholesterol does not necessarily mean giving up dairy, and the current US government advice on milk is not considered good.
- The belief that dairy foods are high in fat and linked to many allergies is a misconception, as well as the idea that dairy increases the risk of heart disease.
Dairy Does Not Cause Inflammation
- Dr. Sarah Berry and Prof. Tim Spector discuss the misconceptions around dairy and its impact on inflammation.
- Dr. Sarah Berry explains that there's no evidence that overall dairy is related to inflammation, and that a small number of people with dairy allergies have led to overgeneralization.
- Prof. Tim Spector highlights that population studies show people with higher dairy consumption have lower circulating inflammatory measures, and randomized control trials have shown that high dairy diets reduce inflammation.
Dairy Impact on Bone Health
- Bone fragility fractures, or hip fracture, wrist fracture, fracture of your spine are common as you get older.
- Milk drinkers have no protection against hip fracture compared to non-milk drinkers. Other sources of calcium like green leafy vegetables, kale, broccoli, and nuts are more accessible.
- Consuming more dairy is associated with lower rates of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, better weight, and may be protective against some cancers.
- There's no evidence that full-fat milk is more harmful compared to skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. Low-fat dairy has a favorable impact on health, but full-fat dairy also has some favorable impact.
- Yogurt and cheese are packed with nutrients and have a special food structure that doesn't increase cholesterol. Fermented dairy has a more potent anti-inflammatory effect.
- Small portions of fermented dairy like kefir, artisanal cheeses, and diverse cheeses are recommended for their health benefits. Standard supermarket cheddar is also beneficial. Soft cheese is not necessarily better than hard cheese.
Cheese Microbes: The Surprising Truth
- Dr. Sarah Berry emphasizes that even dry acidic cheese can have as many microbes as wet ones, and even ultra-processed cheese like Philadelphia spread contains at least three detectable microbes.
- Dr. Sarah Berry points out the differences between cheeses, stating that mozzarella and feta cheese are healthy with microbes, while ricotta and most cottage cheeses are pasteurized and lack microbes.
- Jonathan Wolff summarizes that dairy, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, is not as bad as previously believed, and the fermentation process and presence of live bacteria make them healthy. He also highlights the lack of evidence supporting the health benefits of low-fat dairy products.
Promote Zoe's Nutrition Program Now!
- Jonathan Wolff expresses gratitude for the discussion on a difficult topic and looks forward to the follow-up on butter. He promotes Zoe's personalized nutrition program for improving health. The podcast is produced by Yella Hewings-Martin, Richard Willen, and Alex Jones at Zoe.