Milk is good for the body, right? A growing number of researchers and doctors are challenging that notion, saying we may not need dairy at all, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.
Relying on dairy products to obtain certain nutrients is not necessary, says Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of medicine and nutrition at Tufts Medical School.
“We probably don’t need all the calcium and vitamin D from dairy products,” he told CBS News. “There are other sources that you can use, herbal alternatives who have supplemented with calcium or vitamin D has led to a weakening of the recommendation for dairy products.”
Plus, like any other food, you could cut out every single food and “still ensure a healthy diet so you don’t have to eat dairy,” he said.
However, there are reasons not to empty your cheese drawer yet.
Dairy dietary recommendations, which recommend eating three servings a day with an emphasis on low-fat options, have so far been based on “overly simplistic theories about a few nutrients we need,” said Mozaffarian, namely calcium and vitamin D. “But that kind of theory is now being replaced by real research on the health of dairy.”
Mozaffarian gave some examples of the benefits of dairy products:
- Milk reduces the risk of high blood pressure and stroke
- Cheese and yoghurt reduce the risk of diabetes
- All dairy products appear to be associated with greater muscle mass and less fat mass
“These benefits really seem to have nothing to do with the traditional fat, calcium or vitamin D content, but with other things, for example the fermentation of cheese or Probiotics in yogurt,” he said. “Probiotics in yogurt are good for our Gut microbiome and probably reduce the risk of diabetes. And cheese is actually the most commonly fermented food consumed in the United States, and we are learning more and more about the health benefits of fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut.”
So how much dairy should you eat?
Mozaffarian says he recommends that patients who eat dairy products consume a daily serving of unsweetened yogurt and cheese.
“It’s more about cardio-metabolic benefits than calcium and vitamin D,” he said, adding that the health benefits are not affected by whether the products are low-fat or full-fat. “For years we’ve recommended fat-free or skim dairy products, which don’t taste particularly good. And I tell people, until we have more evidence, choose low-fat or full-fat products for now, whichever you prefer.”
