Dairy products - Yes or no?

The consumption of dairy products and milk is often demonised. We constantly hear conflicting opinions from all sides about whether it is appropriate to eat dairy products or not. So let's take a look at whether dairy products should be included in the diet and which types to include or avoid altogether.

The role of dairy products in the human diet

First of all, let's say that dairy products as such are indeed nutritious. They always contain all three macronutrients - protein, carbohydrates and fat - but also a relatively high proportion of micronutrients such as calcium or vitamin D. Milk and milk products therefore contribute to bone formation and help preventprevent the development of various cardiovascular diseases or prevent obesity and some cancers.

Despite the increasingly loud voices, we cannot say that dairy products should disappear from the diet. On the contrary. The role of milk seems to be irreplaceable in our diet . However, everything has its pros and cons.

The problems of dairy products

The most frequently mentioned problem with milk and milk products is, of course, lactose. This carbohydrate is the main reason why some nutritionists believe that dairy products should not be consumed.

However, this is a very individual matter and although lactose intolerance can occur at any age, it is certainly not true that everyone can develop it. To generalise the role of lactose and claim that it will be harmful to everyone is completely misguided. So always watch your body language and learn to listen to it. This will always come in handy.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance

Lactose, for example, is the main nutritional source for infants and they simply need it to develop properly. However, with decreasing intake of dairy foods with age, tolerance to it can decrease. Although this may not be the case for everyone, it is important to watch for certain signs and understand your body.

The main symptoms of lactose intolerance include:

• Stomach cramps
• Waterlogging
• Bloating after taking milk
• Diarrhoea
• Exceptionally, vomiting

All these symptoms can significantly reduce the quality of life, but they do not lead to the outbreak of any serious illness. Nevertheless, in these cases, it is good to use lactose-containing dairy productsand consult your doctor to find alternatives.

Which dairy products are best?

It's no secret that milk proteins are nutritionally some of the highest quality and most valuable. To deprive yourself of their intake, especially in relation to muscle growth and exercise, would be a real shame. Yet there are dairy products that are better than others.

The absolute best solution is sour dairy products. These are the most natural to the body, because before pasteurization and preservation of milkthey were the only way to keep milk fresh and edible for as long as possible. In addition to their excellent nutritional value, they also provide live cultures, which can be seen, for example, in probiotics. This greatly aids digestion and the maintenance of a healthy gut microflora. They should therefore definitely not be missing from our diet:

• Greek-style yogurts
• Kefir
• Sour buttermilk
• Acidophilus milk
• Yoghurt

When choosing these products, always avoid flavoured variants, which often have addedsweeteners or sugars are added and add energy to an already calorie-rich product. However, even here it is not the case that sour products are suitable for everyone. Always go with what your body is telling you.

Milk alone, on the other hand, may not be such a win. It causes constipation in many people, and intolerance to it is the most commonly observed. This is mainly due to its processing procedures, and it usually doesn't have such good nutritional values either. If you still can't forgive yourself for a glass of milk, reach for a variant with added CLA.

The ideal dairy products with great values are then:

• Cottage
• Cottage cheese
• Cheese
• Whey

Cottage and cottage cheese are probably the most ranked products in the fitness world, and for good reason. They have the advantage of being high in protein and are generally extremely nutritious. They can even partially replace the role of casein and if you are not lactose intolerant, they can be an interesting option.

Whey, which is the main ingredient in the production of proteins, is a separate chapter . Thanks to the processing procedures, it is often completely lactose-free, soso you can get the best out of milk without risking any health problems.

TIP: What is the optimal protein intake?

So are dairy products good?

In general, it is not possible to say that dairy products are good for everyone or bad for everyone. You need to monitor your body and assess its reaction to lactose individually. However, it is true that the best products are sour products, which, in addition to their very good nutritional benefits, arenutritional value, they also offer probiotic cultures that help to improve gut health.

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