It is difficult to be a smart consumer when
choosing dairy products because there are more complex issues to consider than the fat content, yet often people choose low
fat dairy because that’s what they have been told is healthy. (To learn how to include good fats and avoid damaging
fats, read “Getting Smart about Fats.”) Let’s look at some of the important considerations when choosing dairy products.
Dairy products for babies and children After analyzing the fat in breast milk, scientists have found it
to be a saturated fat. This is the fat babies and young children need for good brain, retina and bone health. The saturated
fat helps to assimilate omega-3 fatty acids into the brain and retina, along with calcium absorption for bones and teeth.
Breast milk is considered to be a complete food with a perfect balance of nutrients.
Skim milk Low
fat dairy products, such as skim milk, are deficient in vitamins A and D and should not be a choice for children. Since vitamins
A and D are necessary for growth, energy, and learning, food manufactures fortify low fat dairy products with synthetic vitamins.
Synthetic vitamins are never as beneficial as the real vitamins A and D.
There is another twist to the dairy story. Usually dried milk powder is added to low fat skim milk
products and because of its spray drying process, it contains oxidized or damaged cholesterol. Researcher Dr. Kilmer Mc Cully
found that oxidized cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis. Milk powder containing oxidized cholesterol is a common ingredient
added to skim milk, low fat yogurt, low fat cheese, cheese substitutes and baby formulas.
Hormones There is more to the dairy story. Unless labeled hormone free, most milk comes from cows treated
with a bovine growth hormone called r BGH or r BST to boost milk production. Milk from cows treated with r BGH contain higher
levers of IGF-1, which is a powerful insulin- like hormone that has been linked to cancers of the reproductive system. To
avoid bovine growth hormone, it is important to purchase either organic milk or dairy products labeled from hormone-free animals.
Additional factors to consider about dairy
products
Dairy
products may not be a good choice for you. More people are allergic to casein, the protein in dairy, than any other food!
When fat is removed from a product usually carbohydrates or artificial
ingredients are added for flavor and mouth feel.
The
French diet is high in butter, eggs, and cheese, yet the French have one of the lowest rates of coronary heart disease.
After extensive research and years of clinical practice,
I believe that eating moderate amounts of full fat, hormone-free dairy (organic if possible) is a smarter choice for most
people than low fat dairy products.
