What Happens To The Body When We Give Up Lactose

The Truth About Dairy Benefits

From childhood, we remember that milk is healthy. And some of us even found the times when a glass of milk was given in hazardous industries to replenish the balance of vitamins. Since then, many of our ideas about what is useful and what is not have changed. For example, we know that it is not worth stuffing a child with food if he does not feel like it, that semolina does not give strength at all, and fruits are not always healthy.

So what is worth knowing in order to decide to give up milk and its derivatives? Here are six science-based reasons.

Improve digestion

About 65 percent of the world’s population suffers from lactose intolerance, a gastrointestinal disease in which the body cannot easily digest the type of natural sugar in dairy products. Reason: Most people actually stop producing the enzyme needed to digest dairy products as adults. And it’s not just that. In nature, nothing is random at all. It turns out that this feature is part of our body’s natural defense system: people with lactose intolerance have a lower risk of getting lung, breast and ovarian cancer (according to a 2014 study published in the British Journal of Cancer). However, many people drink milk even if they feel discomfort. The problem can be even more pronounced in those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, so if you are one of those who get sick after a milkshake, try a lactose-free diet.

Skin problems will disappear

Instead of buying expensive beauty products, just try cutting out milk and cheese. Many dermatologists recommend a lactose-free diet as the first step in dealing with skin conditions such as acne and eczema. Cow’s milk and dairy products contain casein and whey protein, which increase levels of a certain hormone (insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1). It is associated with increased production of sebum, which causes the development of acne. According to medical studies, dermatologist patients have reported that acne disappears and their complexion improves when they follow a dairy-free diet.

Waist size will decrease

“Drink, children, milk, you will be healthy.” This phrase, it turns out, should be taken literally. Children will be healthy not from the word “healthy”, but from the word “big”. The Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which analyzed 30 studies, said there is no conclusive scientific evidence that eating dairy will speed up weight loss or help you keep it off. In fact, a study of more than 12,000 children in the archives of pediatric and adolescent medicine found that the more milk they consumed, the more weight they gained. And given that recent studies have shown that veganism is the best way to lose weight, switching to a dairy-free diet could be the start of a path to veganism or vegetarianism and, as a result, to a smaller number on the scale. In addition, as you know, the result of the processing of lactose by bacteria is carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and water. The gasses formed in the lumen of the large intestine stretch its walls, causing bloating and pain in it, and water causes the development of diarrhea. So, giving up lactose, you will immediately get a flat stomach.

Bones will get stronger

Doctors today unanimously say: follow a lactose-free diet to strengthen bones. But isn’t milk the best way to get bone-strengthening calcium? No. Firstly, because pasteurized milk contains practically no vitamins. And secondly, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2014, the more milk people drank, the more likely they were to have a hip fracture.

We tend to associate dairy and calcium, but there are plenty of plant-based sources of this bone-building mineral. Leafy greens, beans, nuts, fruits (especially oranges and figs), cereals, and nut milks are high in non-dairy calcium. For example, a bowl of cereal will give you a day’s supply of calcium, but… before you add cow’s milk to it.

But if you find it difficult to give up dairy products once and for all, replace them with yogurt. For example, as a base for breakfast with granola or smoothies. This product really has useful properties; this may be due to the fact that much of the lactose in yogurt is broken down by the bacteria that ferment it, or due to the protective properties of the bacteria themselves. According to a study published in the journal Arch Osteoporosis, those who eat yogurt have higher bone density than those who eat other types of dairy products. And the British Journal of Nutrition writes that the probiotics in yogurt, which are not found in milk, can significantly help you lose weight.