Facts You Should Know About Dairy

I'm sure most of the people by now have been exposed to all kinds of "truths" about milk - it's good for you, bad for you, milk heals, milk kills, it's evil, causes birth defects etc.... You see endless commercials aimed to make you buy their dairy products, and you also hear the horror stories from some of the scientists and other
sources on all the bad stuff milk can do to you. So what should we do?

First, some of the facts about milk:

• Just under a century ago, fresh milk was considered as the best anabolic among athletes;
• Milk mainly consists of two types of proteins: slowly digested casein, and quick release whey protein.
• Fermented dairy like kefir, sour cream and yougurt are great sources of lactobacilli, a common probiotic.
• Whey contains high concentrations of BCAAs.
• Milk pasteurization kills lactobacilli as well as many nutrients a fresh milk is rich in, however it also kills any potentially harmful bacteria and viruses.
• Many people who are considered lactose intolerant can actually drink raw milk without consequences.
• Historically, humans get milk from cows, goats, sheep, horses, but most of the people in Western World never tried any other but cow milk.
• Cottage cheese is primarily made of casein. Because of it's slow digesting rate, it's good to take at night.

As you can see, dairy products deliver many nutritional benefits, worth adding to your diet. However, there are a few rules you should follow:

• Dairy must be raw: unpasteurized, without artificial additives, it preserves it's valuable qualities, while having lower glycemic index than the processed kinds.
• Make sure you can digest it: this is the only time dairy can be benefitial. Not only food allergies are an indicator of intolerance to it, but just an upset stomach can signal some form of food sensitivity. Avoid dairy if it happens often.
• Milk must come from the right cow: the cows giving milk must be grass fed, the only proper food for them. This is the only way to ensure they get the right nutrients and forming the right omega-3 to 6 ratio. Needless to say their pastures should be free of environmental toxins as well, that are transferred into the milk.