3 Things to Keep in Mind When Buying Dairy

Dairy can be a polarizing subject. Some say it’s healthy and the calcium will give us strong bones, others say to avoid it because it isn’t well tolerated by the digestive system. The one thing to keep in mind is that everyone’s body and digestion are different, and different people will have different reactions to dairy, due to variance in their gut microbiome. In this post, I’ll get into how quality is of utmost importance when it comes to choosing dairy, how low-fat products should be skipped, and why raw, unprocessed milk and dairy products are the healthiest options, for most people.

Focus on Quality

When purchasing dairy products, the number one thing to look for is quality- what was the animal eating? Was it allowed to roam on a pasture, eating grass and getting sunshine? They say ‘you are what you eat, eats’, and that same adage is absolutely true for dairy. Cows that are fed an organic, grass-fed diet yield much more nutrient-dense milk than cows fed a conventional diet of nutritionally-sparse corn and grains. Grass-fed dairy products (and meat) contain much higher levels of beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, and other fat-soluble vitamins than cows fed a standard grain diet. And don’t skip the butter- a certain compound called butyrate (found in high levels in grass-fed butter) is highly beneficial for gut health and has anti-inflammatory effects.

Avoid Low-Fat

The health industry told us for years that full-fat dairy products should be avoided; that they would cause you to ultimately gain and get fat. In reality, full-fat dairy is correlated with a decreased risk of obesity. Why? Full-fat dairy products are more satiating and satisfying and don’t cause a spike in blood glucose levels due to their fat content. Low-fat dairy products like skim milk cause a spike in blood sugar and often contain higher levels of sugars and other additives, to make them taste better and more satisfying.

Unprocessed is Best

Many studies show that raw milk can be exceptionally healing for the body. If you can find it- buy raw. Raw milk and dairy products contain bioavailable nutrients, fats, proteins, beneficial enzymes, vitamins, and minerals in a natural form easily recognized and utilized by the digestive system. Because these beneficial enzymes and other natural compounds are destroyed during the pasteurization process, many people have a hard time digesting pasteurized, processed dairy. Raw milk facilitates the production of a certain enzyme (called lactase enzyme) within the digestive tract, allowing most people who are lactose intolerant to digest it with no issues.

Raw milk cheese is much easier to find than raw milk itself- you can find it at most grocery stores. Only a handful of states actually allow raw milk to be sold in stores, and otherwise, you need to get it from the farmer themselves. This website shows an interactive map of farms that offer raw milk for sale all over the U.S. and makes it easy to find it in your area.