The 7 Best Benefits of Going Dairy Free
Moms [how they love us!] are likely to encourage their kids to have a glass of milk per day for good reason: Milk contains calcium [for proper heart and nerve function], protein [a ready source of energy and muscle tissue repair], and vitamin A [for immune system and vision support] -- to mention a few.
However, dairy products are not all good news. In fact, there are enough reasons to consider giving up milk and cheese altogether [even if that doesn’t go down well with mom].
Don’t think so? Well, let’s take a quick look at 7 benefits of going dairy-free – shall we?
#1: Weight loss
An archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine study of over 12,000 kids showed that the more milk they consumed, the more weight they gained.
So, if you’re looking for an easy way for your bathroom scale to start trending downwards, going dairy-free is a good place to start.
#2: Stronger bones
Huh? Isn’t milk associated with strong bones? Well, not according to a 2014 study in the British Medical Journal, where studies found that the more milk people consumed, the more likely they were to suffer hip fractures.
What’s more? Study and population reviews have found that the countries who feature as the largest consumers of dairy products are also the countries with the highest cases of osteoporosis [a medical condition in which the bones become fragile from tissue loss].
#3: Clear Skin
Sure, you can go the expensive route and invest in pocket-draining products that stall the aging process -- or you can try a more pocket-friendly approach by simply staying off dairy.
While the exact link between going dairy-free and having clear skin is not clear yet, the millions of people who have seen their acne vanish after they cut out every trace of milk and cheese from their diet is more than enough inspiration, no?
#4: Lower risk of diabetes
Okay so dairy products now come in all kinds of attractive tags like, ‘skim,’ ‘fat-free,’ 1% fat and so on, and that’s cool because it shows manufacturers are adjusting to society’s ‘fat-cutting’ measures.
But…low fat dairy is bad news for your body according to a 2015 study of roughly 27,000 people in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. One likely reason for this is that manufacturers might be substituting the missing fat from cow milk with sugary substances that may lead to diabetes.
#5: Improved digestion
About 65% of the population suffer from lactose intolerance [a fancy term for a digestive condition that results from not being able to digest the lactose in dairy products].
If you’re one of those, this might be a good time to let go of dairy so your insides can digest stuff better.
#6: Reduced risk of unhealthy hormones
Thing is antibiotics are given in large doses to cows to protect against infection. Incidentally, humans take in these antibiotics when they consume dairy products.
Studies have shown that cow milk increases the serum level of IGF-1 in humans by 10%, and higher levels of IGF-1 in humans have been associated with all kinds of cancers, including prostate, lung, colon and breast cancers.
#7: Animal protection
Going dairy-free does some good to our animal friends. It’s like taking a stand against animal cruelty.
It also helps protect the environment as milk production affects air and water quality and leaves a huge footprint on the soil and surrounding ecosystems.
So, there you go!
Sure, milk has its benefits and all -- but this might be a good time to consider going dairy-free so you can reap the benefits outlined above.
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