From Whole9, as a preface to our Manifesto series:
As we wrote in It Starts With Food, “We have a theory about food that directly influences the rest of this book. The food that you eat either makes you more healthy or less healthy. Those are your options.”
Of course, we spend the rest of the book explaining why a concept that sounds so simple is not that simple at all in practice. That’s why our Good Food recommendations are based on not just one foundation, but a combination of three:
Based on the science as we understand it today, and our vast clinical experience with the tens of thousands of people who have completed our Whole30 program, we make some general recommendations as to which food groups may make you less healthy. The discussion of dairy*, however, has no simple, black-and-white answers. There are many functional components of dairy that, depending on the source and the individual consuming it, could be highly problematic, generally benign, or even beneficial.
Below, we’ll outline the basics of our case against regular consumption of dairy, based on the potential downsides. But until you undertake your own self-experiment (via the Whole30) for yourself, you’ll never know for sure how consumption of dairy products are affecting how you look, how you feel, and your quality of life.
*While the vast majority of dairy consumed in the United States is from cows, you can also apply these concepts to sheep or goat milk.
Milk: The Perfect Food (in Context)
Milk is an excellent source of energy and building blocks to rapidly grow mammals that are too young to eat adult food, such as grass (cows) and a wide range of plants and animals (humans). Until a mammal’s digestive system has completely developed and it can eat whole food, mother’s milk supplies optimal nutrition.
But mother’s milk is not just an inert supply of carbohydrate, protein, and fat—though it contains significant amounts of all of those macronutrients. Milk is an energy-dense hormone-delivery system–a blend of bioactive substances that not only promote aggressive growth of a very young mammal (doubling or tripling bodyweight in a very short period of time), but also ensure the complete development of the young one’s immune system. In this context, milk is the perfect food, and the perfect messenger.
However, when the biological messages intended for a calf are being received loud and clear by your adult human body, they are far less appropriate—and potentially downright harmful.
Milk Proteins: Casein and Whey
Casein makes up about 80 percent of total milk protein, and acts as a source of amino acid building blocks. In addition, protein sequences embedded in casein’s molecular structure are released during the digestion process and send a message from mother to young. The effects of these potently bioactive “food hormones” from another species on human adults remain largely unknown.
Casein, especially when it comes from aged cheese, also causes a specific type of immune system reaction called a histamine response . Histamine intolerance can cause headaches, GI upset, exacerbations of asthma, and seasonal allergies. It is unclear what percentage of the population has this response, but until you have completely removed all dairy proteins from your diet for a period of time, you won’t know whether or not you are affected.
Finally, casein shares some structural similarities with components of gluten. This means that gluten-sensitive individuals (including those with celiac disease) are less likely to tolerate casein-containing dairy products. Research suggests that at least 50 percent of celiacs are also sensitive to milk.
The other major category of milk protein is whey. Whey is a blend of multiple types of smaller proteins and hormones, including immunoglobulins, insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), estrogens, and other growth factors. (Remember, milk is a powerful growth promoter!) For this reason, milk is a highly insulinogenic food, which means that the combination of lactose plus whey dairy proteins causes the release of very large amounts of insulin when consumed.
The remarkably large amount of insulin secreted in response to milk and whey protein intake may prove problematic for those with metabolic syndrome, as in this population, it does not promote a healthy hormonal response. Anyone seeking to improve insulin sensitivity (or avoid becoming insulin resistant) would be best served by avoiding dairy products.
Insulin is not the only potentially detrimental hormone increased by milk. Milk consumption also significantly elevates IGF-1, another powerful growth-inducer. IGF-1 promotes growth in children, but it is also associated with promotion (or indirect facilitation) of various cancers, such as breast, colon, and prostate. Of course, we’re not saying that if you drink milk, you’ll get cancer, but if you’re at high risk, consuming substances that increase the growth of cells, including abnormal cells, seems unwise.
Milk Sugar: Lactose
The carbohydrate component of dairy products can also pose problems. The kind of carbohydrate found in milk is called lactose. While there are not huge amounts present in milk (and some other dairy products have very little because of processing), lactose is an issue for a surprisingly large percentage of people.
If lactose cannot be properly digested, bloating and gastrointestinal upset may result. In addition, consuming even small amounts of lactose may contribute to an imbalance of gut bacteria, promoting dysbiosis. In addition, many people who consider themselves lactose-intolerant (by observing that dairy makes them feel poorly) may have a sensitivity to dairy proteins as well.
Milk Fat: Butter and Heavy Cream
You may have noticed that we haven’t expressed any specific concerns about dairy fat. We consider pastured, organic butter (especially when it’s clarified) and heavy cream as generally healthy choices.
Research studies that compare full-fat dairy with reduced-fat dairy demonstrate better health outcomes with full-fat dairy. This is not an endorsement of whole milk—these benefits are largely due to the health-promoting properties of dairy fat. As one example, pastured, organic butter contains little to none of the protein fractions, growth promoters, or hormones found in milk but has many beneficial compounds including vitamin K2, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and even those famous omega-3 fatty acids. You can further ensure butter is a healthy choice for you by clarifying it, thereby removing any of the potentailly problematic milk proteins.
What About Raw Milk, Fermented Dairy, and Calcium?
Proponents of raw milk will say that raw (unpasteurized) milk is a superior choice, since the pasteurization process destroys enzymes (such as lactase) that help digest some components of the milk. However, aside from those issues, all of the other concerns mentioned above still apply to raw milk.
Fermented dairy (such as yogurt or kefir) does have some advantages over regular milk. Since the bacteria in these foods have broken down a significant amount of the lactose and dairy proteins, people generally have greater tolerance for it. The most commonly cited benefit of fermented dairy is its health-promoting bacteria, which help to maintain the balance of gut bacteria. While you can obtain some benefits from consuming these bacteria, the delivery mechanism may still prove imperfect, and individual tolerance varies greatly.
We address the issue of how to maintain strong, healthy bones without consuming dairy in our article, What About Calcium?
It Starts With Food
These manifestos are not intended to be a comprehensive dissertation of our research or recommendations. For more information on the psychological impact of our food choices, the effects of grains on health, and scientific references used to support our position, please refer to our book, It Starts With Food. For more articles in this series, visit our Manifesto series.
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Thanks for the article guys, I am currently leaving the station on the whole30 train…
1 question that I had in relation to Dairy after reading your book were your thoughts on A1 and A2 cows and in turn the milk they produce? Majority of the USA’s Milk is comes from A1 cows
Not sure if you are familiar with Dr Keith Woodford’s latest book “Devil in the Milk”? His book presents research showing a direct correlation between a population’s exposure to A1 cow’s milk and incidence of autoimmune disease, heart disease, type 1 diabetes, autism, and schizophrenia.
Lots of info on this can be found online…
Great article! My local Trader Joe’s sells organic pasteurized milk. But I most other brands are ultra-pasteurized. What are the health concerns when comparing pasteurized vs ultra-pasteurized milk, if any?
Thanks!
I have completed reading “Wheat Belly,” The Diabetes Miracle Diet,” and “It Starts with Food.” As I churn the information gleaned from these books, it seems that all agree that wheat (et al) are bad for the body, and that good fats (olive, avocado, esp.) are good for the body. It was revealing that your book, “It Starts with Food” does not allow peanuts (because they are a legume, not a nut), but “The Diabetes Miracle Diet” states that I can have as much as I want, same with “fake” sugars, which you pan completely; and the nail in the coffin for me is, they say cheese is great to eat, and you say NO CHEESE. I make my own cheese, and I am torn up over this news. Because I am on “The Diabetes Miracle Diet,” in the first 8 weeks, I cannot have any fruit whatsoever, which seems fine with “It Starts with Food,” as those healthy nutrients, etc. can be found in plants. I love fruit. I am hungry, feel deprived, and try to still make “enticing” meals each day, though I suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, PBD, IBS, RA, fibro, and now Diabetes. I’m not certain I can find a path through all of this science of good/bad, do/don’t in order to get any relief and drop some weight, plus bring by BG, A1c, triglycerides, etc. in line. Just plain overwhelmed.
Kitty,
I recommend that you try the Whole30 first. I started last November and have been able to bring all my numbers way down. All of them! A1c, BP, lipids, triclycerides, and even kidney and liver function numbers are better. I am 71 and have a number of health problems. I have dieted off and on since I was12. Whole30 is NOT a diet! Even my doctors are paying attention now and asking how I’m doing it. I am never hungry, nor do I feel deprived. I was careful with fruit for the first month because of my diabetes, but now enjoy some every day! I have added very few things to the Whole30 food list, because I feel too good to chance going back to my former health woes. AND – I have lost 15 more pounds since my story was on the Whole30 blog last February, that’s a total of 36. Give it a try!
Gerry C.
Dylan,
Sorry for the delayed response. The A1/A2 variant issue with milk deals mainly with the casein constituent of milk, which is a non-issue if you skip milk, cheese, and other casein-containing dairy products. In my opinion (and I’ve read the research that you’re referring to), the A2 variant is *possibly* less problematic, though it’s certainly not a get-out-of-jail-free card to drink milk. But to be clear, “less bad” is still not optimal, and we think that the health-promoting properties of milk lie almost wholly in the dairy fats, which is why we recommend organic, pastured butter and, possibly, heavy (whipping) cream. It’s also worth noting that much of the A1/A2 research was funded by the A2 Corporation (http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/a2-milk-author-breaks-his-silence-dw-133929), which (not surprisingly considering the name) sought to convince consumers that A2 dairy products were far superior to other (A1 or other) sources.
Dallas
There is also a respiratory type of dairy allergy. I wish you had addressed that in the Manifesto. For years I had bronchitis and sinus infections, ate lots of cheese and always put cream in my tea, plus ate ice cream, yogurt, etc. Finally I ran across a short reference about respiratory problems caused by dairy and dropped it from my diet. No more bronchitis or sinus infections!
I would like to get some opinions on goat milk yogurt. Is it as problematic ad cows milk?
Nancy, you’re right–we talked about that in the book, but we should have included the immune response in reaction to the immune factors in milk proteins here. Thanks, and glad you are feeling better!
Phoenix, some folks would suggest that goat or sheep’s milk yogurt might be less problematic, but it’s highly individual. You’d have to test it for yourself and see how you do. I do find sheep’s milk yogurt easier to tolerate, but I still reach a point (after eating it for several days in a row) where it’s just not okay on my digestive tract any more.
Melissa
Is it ok to drink unsweetened almond milk on the whole30 program?
I have to say that I most emphatically disagree with your take on dairy. You’ve oversimplified things, and quite frankly aren’t experts, so of course I wouldn’t listen to you even if I’d agreed with what you said, but by and large, I thought I’d write this rejoinder.
There are people in the world whose sole dietary source is dairy, and they do not have any of the problems with it that you’ve enunciated. No, I’m not talking about the Maasai. To them, milk is a complete whole food, beginning with the colostrum, which is highly prized for its immune boosting qualities, to the milk, to the fat, and so on.
I’m talking people such as the Fulani of Nigeria, the Bahima of Uganda, the Tutsi of Rwanda, the Borana of Ethiopia, the Ngoni of Malawi, etc. Yes, most of these examples are from Africa, not by accident, but because these are people who’ve continued to largely subsist on their traditional diets of milk and milk derivatives, particularly in the rural areas. Not coincidentally, these people all have that characteristic tall stature that many say is the result of their milk-heavy diet, and not some result of genetics.
It would be unthinkable for them to shun milk because of some supposed defective casein protein here, or some immunoglobulin, or insulin-like growth factor there. To them milk is the perfect food.
This form of over-zealous scrutiny is much akin to the person who first does not like something and then decides to zero-in on some quality that might not be ideal for some people, but blow it out of proportion. It’s no different than the person who’s veggy-unfriendly that focuses too much on the oxalic acid in spinach.
It’s okay to dislike a food because of one’s taste preferences, or if it doesn’t agree with somone because of the absence of enzymes that digest certain components of that food. It’s wrong to pillory it as “bad” just because of these reasons.
Hi John!
Thanks for your perspective. I’m afraid, though, you’ve misinterpreted our point here. Take this line, from the beginning of this article, into consideration:
“The discussion of dairy*, however, has no simple, black-and-white answers. There are many functional components of dairy that, depending on the source and the individual consuming it, could be highly problematic, generally benign, or even beneficial.”
We’re not at all suggesting that all dairy is “bad”. We’re certainly not suggesting that those tribal populations shun their traditional foods in favor of our non-dairy approach. We simply encourage folks (who are in a situation to do so) to do an elimination and retest with the dairy products they choose to consume.
Thanks for chiming in.
Robin
so then what kind of protein powder should I use?
@Megan – We would rather you eat your protein vs. drinking it.
Wow! After reading a particular comment, I’m speechless…#peacenotwar #tryitasproof Ok, back to the article. I am on day 7 of my first Whole30. I already knew that I had a buttermilk and casien sensitivity after I had an iGg blood test. I avoided it when possible (more like when I wanted to!) but I still had some inflammation (pain in feet, joints, and my sinuses always feel like I have cotton in the lining that restricts my breath) since eliminating all dairy (except for Ghee) my inflammation is significantly reduced. I can only imaging what it will be like at the end of 30 days! Thanks for posting great little reminders that I can read for motivation each day. :-)
@Sarah – That is WONDERFUL news! Please let us know how much better you feel at the end of your 30 days!
Is it okay to drink unsweetened almond milk on the Whole30 program?
Hi Lisa. If you havn’t already, check out this page for details on what you can and can’t have during your Whole30: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/
Hi John!
Thanks for your perspective. I’m afraid, though, you’ve misinterpreted our point here. Take this line, from the beginning of this article, into consideration:
“The discussion of dairy*, however, has no simple, black-and-white answers. There are many functional components of dairy that, depending on the source and the individual consuming it, could be highly problematic, generally benign, or even beneficial.”
We’re not at all suggesting that all dairy is “bad”. We’re certainly not suggesting that those tribal populations shun their traditional foods in favor of our non-dairy approach. We simply encourage folks (who are in a situation to do so) to do an elimination and retest with the dairy products they choose to consume.
Thanks for chiming in.
Robin
It is you who does not get the point of my rebuttal. With that, I’ll clarify it here.
Again, my disagreement with your analysis of dairy is total. I think milk is a food, and it should be given its due. Just as spinach is a food that should be given its due.
Are there aspects of dairy that prevent some people from consuming it? Certainly. Are there ways that some animals get raised that leave a lot to be desired? Sure. But one can say the same thing about any food.
If you think this is an exaggeration, read “Wheat belly,” by Davis. He decided to write a whole book about why people shouldn’t be eating bread. You, on the other hand, have written only a blog entry.
Does that mean that Davis is right that we should completely abandon wheat products? Well, to many people, wheat is the only food they know.
I also don’t quite like your depiction of people who thrive on dairy in rural African enclaves as “tribal populations.” Perhaps it might help to add some elucidation to that description.
In sum, dairy is an absolute and deeply nutritious food that doesn’t need to be consumed by everybody, just as wheat grain, or spinach, or tofu, don’t have to be consumed by everybody. But to simply assert the premise that dairy is problematic because of “x” or “y” or “z” is completely off the mark and deserves repudiation.