When we talk about dairy, we are mainly referring to cow's milk as well as any product made from cow's milk such as cheese and butter. Milk is produced by mammals to feed and nourish their child. It's interesting to note that humans naturally begin to lose the ability to digest milk between the ages of 2-5.
Milk and milk products contain a sugar called lactose that requires an enzyme called lactase to digest this sugar. Although we naturally product this enzyme when we're born, at around the age of five, we begin to product less of this enzyme. For some people, they become lactose intolerant, meaning that their body does not produce the enzyme lactase, so when they consume milk or milk products, they are more likely to experience digestive discomforts. Some symptoms include:
- Gas
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal Pain
It would really depend on your genetics, whether you are lactose intolerant or not, as well as how much you dairy you are consuming. If you are lactose intolerant and still want to incorporate dairy products in your diet, you can try taking digestive enzymes which help your body digest foods that are normally difficult to break down. FarmHaven Digestive Enzymes supplement contains 10 different enzymes, including lactase, as well as 12 probiotic strains, and 7 soothing herbs to help support your digestive health.
Just like any food product, organic is the best option. In this way you can avoid synthetic hormones, GMOs, chemical fertilizers, and other toxins being found in your milk.
In recent year, in order to increase the production and profit of dairy products, some places keep their cows indoors and feed them grain-based feed, normally consisting of corn and soy. However, cows naturally are supposed to eat grass. Studies have shown that dairy from grass-fed cows showed higher amounts of vitamin D and omega-3 in contrast to cows that are fed grain-based foods. So choosing grass-fed dairy is may be a more nutritious choice.
Many people assume that fat-free milk is healthier. In the grocery store, they sell whole milk (natural state), 1%/2% milk (which has some of the fat removed), and of course skim or fat-free milk (all fat removed). Although removing the fat from milk can help reduce your calorie intake and saturated fat (which can cause weight gain), fat is also important for digesting fa-soluble vitamins.
