36 | The Raw Truth: Does Milk Cause Inflammation?

How to: Fitness

It’s 2024 so of course milk is a controversial topic! In this deep dive we discuss the recent trends in social media concerning milk's nutritional value and potential health risks, such as inflammation and cancer. The episode also explores the environmental impact of dairy versus plant-based milks, and addresses the rise in questionable practices like drinking raw milk.
5:04 In this episode, we’re solely discussing the nutritional implications of dairy rather than environmental impact and animal welfare due to limited time and wanting to stay in our scope.
6:22 Explaining lactose intolerance, what causes it, and how it differs from a dairy sensitivity
10:33 How the Got Milk campaign of the 90s-2000s made us all drink milk: ‣https://www.fastcompany.com/40556502/got-milk-how-the-iconic-campaign-came-to-be-25-years-ago
13:30 Milk is a fantastic post-workout/recovery drink due to hydration, cost, and macro and micronutrient breakdown.
16:15 We talk through the scaremongering surrounding inflammation from drinking milk and the hormones in milk and whether they are linked to disease (specifically cancer). The literature does not show any main markers of inflammation from dairy. This doesn’t minimize individual experiences around how individuals feel when drinking dairy.
23:00 Learning more about dairy and what the literature shows helps us make food decisions that support us individually as opposed to what the internet or current fads are telling us. 25:51 There are some significant differences in milk production between the UK and US, especially regarding the US’s use of BST growth hormone though the impact of use of BST is not conclusive. The pasteurization processes are also different between the UK and US.
31:28 The recent rise in Trad Wife content has also led to popularity of raw milk (amongst other fads such as carnivore diet, etc.). Pasteurization does not lead to loss of nutrients in milk, and there are some major risks to drinking raw milk — from food poisoning to Guillian Barre syndrome. The risk of contracting disease from raw milk is much higher than from pasteurized milk.
39:12 Plant milks are becoming far more popular, especially with younger generations. They tend to have a smaller environmental footprint but are also typically nutritionally inferior to dairy milk (though more comparable when fortified). You can find a breakdown of the environmental impact of plant milks here: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042
For a list of resources cited in this episode, please email [e-mail]

Don't miss future episodes! Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
Follow along with Michael at @michaelulloapt on IG, Threads, Twitter, and Tik Tok
https://www.michaelulloa.com/
Follow along with Kate at @klnutrition on IG and threads
https://www.katelymannutrition.com/

Kapitler

1. Welcome to the How to Fitness Podcast (00:00:00)

2. Kate's Health Update (00:00:33)

3. Smartwatch Story (00:02:13)

4. Deep Dive into Milk (00:04:48)

5. Lactose Intolerance Explained (00:06:51)

6. Nutritional Benefits of Milk (00:12:51)

7. Milk and Inflammation (00:16:13)

8. Hormones in Milk and Cancer Risk (00:19:26)

9. Personal Experiences with Dairy (00:22:49)

10. Health Implications of Dairy (00:23:21)

11. Differences in Milk Production: UK vs. US (00:25:38)

12. The Rise of Trad Wives and Raw Milk (00:31:11)

13. Nutritional Comparison: Dairy vs. Plant-Based Milks (00:38:55)

14. Environmental Impact of Milk Choices (00:42:36)

15. Final Thoughts and Recommendations (00:45:54)