Myths about dairy
Despite increasing awareness of the health benefits of dairy, there are still a number of commonly held misconceptions.
The following is a selection of answers to the common myths about dairy.
Dairy can increase the risk of heart disease – FICTION
Dairy doesn’t lead to heart disease. A diet high in fat will increase the risk of heart disease. Consuming low fat dairy products such as trim milk and reduced fat yoghurts means people can still get the goodness of dairy without the risks associated with a diet high in fat.
Including dairy in your diet can lead to weight problems – FICTION
Weight problems are caused by a number of factors. But essentially weight gain occurs when you eat more food than your body needs and unused energy (from food) is stored as body fat.
Clinical trials have shown a strong correlation between increased calcium intake and reduced body weight, body fat percentage and waist size. In 2004 a six month clinical trial of 32 obese young adults showed that those who went on a high dairy diet lost 70 per cent more weight and 64 per cent more body fat than those on a standard calorie-reduced diet.
By choosing reduced fat or low fat dairy, adults can enjoy a healthy balanced diet.
Spinach is as good a source of calcium as milk – FICTION
There is more calcium in a 250ml glass of milk than there is in 16 cups of spinach.
Milk causes mucus – FICTION
After drinking milk many people mistake the thin coat of residue on their mouth and throat for mucus. Unless you are one of only 0.4 per cent of adults and five per cent of infants who have a severe milk allergy, what you feel is most likely a normal creamy texture and not excess mucus.
Milk causes asthma – FICTION
While infants with milk allergies are more likely to develop asthma later in life, dairy products do not cause a person to become asthmatic.
People who are lactose intolerant can’t eat or drink dairy - FICTION
Lactose intolerance is not an allergic reaction to dairy. It relates to how your digestive system handles the sugar in dairy products. Normally lactose (sugar) is digested by a lactase enzyme in the gut. People who are lactose intolerant have a decreased amount of lactase enzyme.
While people who are lactose intolerant can still eat dairy, they should choose products that contain less lactose. For example blue vein, parmesan and edam cheese only have trace levels of lactose (no more than 0.1g per 100g). Products such as sweetened condensed milk (11.3g per 100g) are best avoided.
Toddlers shouldn’t drink regular milk – FICTION
Fonterra believes breast milk is the best food for infants in their first six months of life. However during the preschool years, milk and milk products are an important source of calcium and protein needed for maximum skeletal growth. Regular milk can make a very important contribution to a child’s daily nutrient intake.
Dairy causes colic – FICTION
The causes of colic are as yet unconfirmed and both breast and bottle-fed babies can both suffer from the condition.
Calcium tablets are a good substitute for milk – FICTION
Milk isn’t only a source of calcium, it also provides your body with nutrients such as carbohydrate, protein, vitamin A, riboflavin, zinc, potassium and magnesium.
Calcium tablets only contain calcium and will not provide nearly as many nutrients as milk. Fonterra nutrition experts say that eating or drinking calcium-rich dairy foods appears to produce substantially better benefits than taking calcium supplements.
Humans are not designed to drink cows’ milk – FICTION
Humans are omnivores and therefore designed to eat plant and animal products. We are born with the lactase enzyme in our gut. This enzyme helps digest the lactose in mammals' milk. If people stop drinking milk, their bodies may halt the production of the lactase enzyme. This can lead people to become lactose intolerant.
