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Is all dairy bad Raw milk cheese health paleo primal diet-min

Is ALL Dairy Bad?

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I have always viewed dairy as a collective dietary no-no. Since I initially went Paleo and my asthma vanished, I've been resolute that dairy is problematic – and something I should avoid.

Recently however, I've been reading a lot about hard (i.e. cheese) and soft (i.e. milk) dairy. It seems that many people find they can tolerate hard dairy with no issues – yet need to strictly avoid soft dairy.

What’s Wrong With Dairy?

Milk has high levels of the sugar lactose, which appears to be at the root of many of the issues with dairy. Many people are lactose intolerant, so unable to produce the enzyme lactase to break down these milk sugars. The alpha- and beta-casein found in milk also appears to be problematic as do the components casomorphin and butyrophillin.

Raw dairy is significantly better. During Pasturisation the very enzyme – lactase – needed to digest lactose is killed. Conventional wisdom at it’s finest….

The most common issues I read about in relation to dairy are digestive issues. I'm fairly convinced however that dairy is the culprit behind the Asthma that I no longer have. However, it’s hard to be certain. And if it is the culprit, is it the lactose, the casein – or something else entirely?

Is all bad Raw milk cheese health paleo primal diet-min

It seems that the further away dairy is from milk, the lower the levels of lactose – and therefore the more tolerable it appears to be. Fermented dairy – such as a home fermented yoghurt is apparently almost dairy free, so perhaps that might be tolerable too? Even if it is almost lactose free, it still isn't without problems, since the high level of carbohydrates is very insulin promoting.

One of my main concerns with it is the growth factors it contains, like IGF-1. Raw dairy seems to have much lower levels, but it appears Pasteurised dairy could have very high levels. IGF-1 is great for helping a calf to grow quickly; but it’s perhaps not so great if it encourages our cells to grow faster (hence the concern about dairy and cancer cells).

Should I Avoid Dairy?

I think the only way to identify whether dairy is problematic issue is to go for 30 days without any type of dairy, then slowly introduce back in raw dairy only. I'm keen to further experiment by consuming only raw hard cheese to see if this has any effect, before trying raw soft cheese too.

I’d love to hear what you think about dairy and how it impacts you. Do you find you can tolerate different forms, or must you avoid all trace? Finally, if your asthma has also improved or vanished since you went Paleo, I’d be very interested to hear specifically what you think made this happen.

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Is Raw Milk Coming to Australia and New Zealand?

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What is Raw Milk?

Most milk readily available for sale is pasteurised.  Pasturisation is the process where the milk is heated to high temperatures, to destroy harmful bacteria that may be present.  However, as well as bacteria, the process of pasteurisation changes the nutritional profile of the milk and the insulin response.  Raw milk is increasingly popular and where it comes from properly cared for animals on a good farm, the risk of harmful bacteria is reported to be low.  Pasteurising milk has been the norm in Australia since the 1950’s.

Is Dairy Paleo?

I’ll come back to this issue in the near future, as it is definitely not a quick answer and there are many different views in the Paleo community.

Raw dairy milk cheese australia legal health paleo primal diet-min

I used to consume a moderate amount of dairy (mainly cheese, butter and milk), but I stopped for my Whole30 in August, and just haven’t started again.  I'm not saying I won’t ever eat dairy again, but I feel so good without it; I'm not missing it – and I'm certainly not lacking any dairy specific nutrients in my diet.

I'm often asked how I can possibly get enough calcium from my Paleo diet, but from my research I get plenty of Calcium from green leafy vegetables, for example.  Because I have a good diet, I don't lose much calcium – I have a better calcium balance.  It appears when eating a poor diet, calcium is released from the body; for example, to balance the Phosphoric acid found in soft drinks, as well as the balance the acidity.  This leaves those with poor diets with a far higher calcium requirement than those on a caveman diet.

We’ll see.  If I do have dairy again, I’ll certainly be looking for raw dairy, which I've found quite hard (and slightly secretive) to locate here.

The Food Standards Agency for Australia & New Zealand has currently got a proposal out to consider allowing raw dairy to be sold in Australia and New Zealand.  This appears to be on the back of consumer demand.  The agency is clearly viewing this from a public safety perspective, which is surely a good thing.  Legalising the sale of raw milk would give confidence that the raw dairy available, is produced to high, regulated standards.  With legislation currently forbidding the sale of raw milk, the raw milk that is available is unknown and unregulated (unless of course, you own a dairy cow).  Can you really be certain where it is from and how the animal was cared for?

Unfortunately, it looks like they have recently decided raw (drinking) milk will not be permitted.  They consider the potential health risks too high. This is a shame, as people will continue to find and drink raw milk – which would be far safer were it regulated.  They do however, appear to be relaxing the rules on certain hard cheeses.

 Where to Get Raw Milk in Australia & New Zealand

You'll have to ask around locally, and perhaps befriend a farmer or two…

In the meantime, if you eat dairy make sure it comes from a good source.  It should be organic – or better still from the farmer direct at a farmers market.  I’ve read a lot of reports about cheap milk being watered down with “permeate”, which is created by removing the fat from dairy waste and concentrating the result.  Cheap milk may also come from animals which have been given antibiotics.   Just this week we’ve had reports of a (cheap) Australian milk brand being contaminated with a cleaning solution.  Whilst it costs more, dairy is an area where it really is worth making sure you have got the best possible quality.

Is dairy a part of your diet?  Do you think farmers should be allowed to sell raw dairy?  Let me know what you think, in the comments, below!