Dairy is probably not a bad choice afterall

When it comes to dairy, I find it hard to advise for or against it. On one hand, most strict paleo eaters avoid it like it’s plague. It was not available to our ancestors until the domestication of cows, so we should not eat dairy. Most of us are simply not genetically adapted to consume it. On the other hand, some embrace raw full fat dairy. Some of them are influenced by the Weston A. Price Foundation. The WAPF states that dairy played an important part in most traditional cultures. Others refer to Masai to claim that dairy is healthy. The diet of Masai is a mix of blood, milk, meat and animal fats. It’s hard to make a choice because both sides have good arguments. Anyhow, let’s take a look at why you should – or should not – eat dairy.

You should not consume commercial dairy because it is highly processed. Really, modern milk is just another type of processed food. Don’t believe me ? Take a look at the dairy section of your grocery store. Most of the products in that section bear little resemblance to the raw dairy we get straight from the cow :  yogurt with added fruits (read : added sugar), chocolate milk, low fat milk, pasteurized milk, kids ”healthy yogurt” ( e.g. Minigos, yops), etc. On top of that, most of us don’t have the genes to properly digest lactose. Others react to casein (a protein present in milk). People who are allergic to milk are lucky, in a sense, because they know right away the effect of milk on their body. Those who are intolerant to milk tend to either notice it or ignore it. Dairy often produces what I call ”silent damage”. Allow me to explain it further. Most of us believe we can drink milk and not feel the ill consequences. That’s just what happens. We don’t feel the consequences, but that does not mean there aren’t any. Often, that’s because we are used to the ill effects of dairy consumption. A good way to find out if it’s the case for you is to make a full month (maybe even more) dairy fast. When you finally break your fast by eating some dairy, if you get stomach cramps or if the taste of milk is not that great, you should stay away from it. If not, then you probably can eat dairy without much problem.

On the other hand, you should eat raw dairy if you can tolerate it. Raw dairy is a great source of fat, and nutrients such as calcium. It’s also fun to cook with dairy. It should not be a staple food, but I guess if you can digest dairy (a few of us can actually do it), there are no reasons to avoid it. I know that some of the most hardcore paleo will argue that dairy is evil. It’s a neolithic food since it required the domestication of cows (a process that happened about 5000 years ago depending on the area). I would argue that most of what we are eating today is neolithic. The meats, the vegetables and even the fruits we eat are not the same as they were 10 000 years ago. I am a firm believer that a sensible diet is based on foods that enhance your health.

By this I mean that you should not consume any foods that make you feel ill even if it is a paleolithic food (yes, there are paleolithic foods that are actually not that healthy). Dogmatism is never a great idea. So, just because Cordain says we should not eat dairy does not mean we should not. We should evaluate for ourselves. It’s all a matter of context. Let’s illustrate it with an example. You just finished playing soccer with your friends outside. You and your friends are thirsty so you guys head to your friends’ home. Your friends want to drink something refreshing so they go for a beer or a soda (depending on your friends and your age). You, on the other hand, know that post exercise nutrition is important. So, you decide to drink a glass of the raw milk your friend has in his refrigerator. Instead of drinking sugar, you will be drinking protein, fat and a whole lot of nutrients. As you can see, it’s a matter of context and if there really are no reasons – except to be a strict paleo – for you to not consume dairy, I think it is right to sparingly eat dairy.

That’s all for today! I hope you enjoyed reading my unbiased primer about Dairy. When it comes to food, making the right choices is about personal goals and needs. Most of the dietary guidelines of the paleo diet are useful to about anyone who will try them. However, in some cases – such as with dairy – I think some guidelines need to be adapted to our own needs. In my case, I tend to stay away from dairy because I don’t have access to raw dairy. However, once in a great while (every 2-3 months), I do have access to raw cheeses and raw yogurt (when my mother makes some!). In those cases, I do eat my dairy and I do so without feeling any guilt about it!