I’m genuinely interested if whole grain barley/farro or grass-fed yogurt/cheese is bad for you? A lot of health and fitness influencers keep saying that it causes inflammation. If you have no celiac and lactose intolerance does it cause any inflammation?
I became lactose intolerant for no apparent reason. It happens to a lot of people as they age. I also started to have stomach pain and my doctor said to cut out bread because it is hard to digest. Had tests done and nothing is really wrong so they are guessing IBS.
There are an increasing number of individuals fighting auto-inflammatory diseases, with the medical community lacking real know-how to diagnose and support these issues.
A lot of these individuals are seeing real difference when they cut or minimuze gluten and dairy, leading to an increase in this messaging.
70% of the world’s population is actually sensitive to dairy, their sensitivities showing up in different ways other than digestive distress. The sensitivity actually shows up for a large number well into adulthood.
If you find yourself happy with your quality of life with gluten and dairy as a part of it, there’s no real reason to cut them out. Barley is one grain that can really help if you’re good with gluten.
While I perfectly understand why there are medical reasons to avoid gluten and dairy for some individuals, every time I see an influencer lists everything that is terrible about dairy and wheat, I cannot help but think about the French, and how 50% of their diet (mine, I’m French) is bread and butter or cheese, and how they all seem quite fine. And have been for centuries.
Dairy is not tolerated by some people at least at times. Some if they don’t produce lactase but it could be for other reasons less permanent. Individual brands and additives can cause issues so trying different brands can be helpful to find one you tolerate.
Gluten is also not tolerated by some but also is somewhat difficult to digest generally. Sourdough breads and sprouting the grains offset this somewhat
None of the foods you named are bad for the body. They are good for daily consumption. Dairy do not have to be necessarily grass-fed.
Gluten causes problems for people with celiac disease, lactose causes problems for people with lactose intolerance. If you don’t experience any problems, there is no need to eliminate any foods. If you do experience problems, see your doctor.
Influencers promote different types of diets without proper education just for likes and money. Simply put, there is always a fad where a food group is put in a bad light (or certain diet is showed as “life saver”). It used to be any fat, for example; now it is carbohydrates. And the influencers are just encouraging this and not caring what kind of problems they might cause.
If I can give you any advice, try to follow people with nutrition education - there are many of them on social media as well, and they post information that is based on facts and research.
EDIT: I need to add other indicators of a trustful RD or Nutritionist - they will not try to sell people their own special products and supplements, they will not promise miracles, they will not tell people to cut out whole food groups without health indications.
I used to be one of those guys that eye rolled at all the “dairy and gluten are bad for you”, but I am more than willing to admit that I was completely wrong. My wife was having some health issues, and her Dr recommended she cut out dairy and gluten as much as possible and “see how it goes”. I’ve never had issues with either, but I cut it out as well to be supportive. Ever since, I notice I don’t feel as “uncomfortable” after I eat, my clothes fit better and my wedding ring is looser. I haven’t changed any other eating or gym habits. Aside from cheese on a burger, pizza, or nachos, I don’t consume cow based dairy.
Cutting out gluten and sugar because I believed they were evil and unhealthy quickly went from health consciousness to an eating disorder for me, and I saw the same thing happen to others around me. My roommate got to the point that “clean eating” was so important to her that she refused to go to restaurants and when she did she would bring a huge glass jug of water (bc she was scared of fluoride) and ask the server 300 questions about foods and where they were sourced and then barely eat anything. I realized after a while this ‘diet’ I had been following with her was actually way more detrimental to my mental and physical health than having a little bread or ice cream could ever be. It’s called orthorexia- an unhealthy focus on eating a specific way. After a year or two of it I had got used to feeling unsatisfied, lost weight and hadn’t put any actual thought into overall nutrition (I believed the way I was eating was nutritious but it wasn’t)- so I wasn’t feeling great. And worse, I was seriously preaching to others to cut out sugar and gluten because I had… lost so much weight? I was 100 lb and simply wasn’t eating enough, because I attached so much stress to food. Now I allow myself to eat whatever I want and focus more on listening to my body, nutrient density, general satisfaction, and staying active doing things I enjoy. I feel and look better than I ever have and know that I’m actually eating healthy now.
Obvious note: some people, of course, have very real allergies and conditions that prevent them consuming certain things like gluten, sugar, dairy, etc. if something is legitimately making you feel ill a doctor visit and if recommended, elimination diet to figure out what it is may be the best way to go.
Dairy contains heavy saturated fats, hormones given to cows to constantly lactate in dairy farms. And of course the ethicality of dairy farms in how terrible they treat the cows, kill the male babies, constantly trick their bodies to think they are pregnant, separate calves from their parents, etc.
It’s because so many people have intolerances to dairy or gluten.
You should try to find out for sure if you do, since it can cause serious damage.
Otherwise it’s fine if you are consuming grassfed organic
Gluten is bad for you only if you suffer from celiac disease.
Dairy is the #1 risk factor for breast and ovarian cancer in women, and prostate cancer in men. It’s also highly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. It also raises the risk of colorectal cancer of people who consume it early in life. https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy
The source and dose is important.Grains are not what they used to be as they are nearly all GMO.Whether your clinically sensitive to it or not, gluten attacks the gut lining breaking it down over years of ingestion. This can cause leaky gut which allows some unwanted molecules the enter the blood stream via this pathway, when it should have went through the digestive tract and expelled out back.
The source and dose is important.Grains are not what they used to be as they are nearly all GMO.Whether your clinically sensitive to it or not, gluten attacks the gut lining breaking it down over years of ingestion. This can cause leaky gut which allows some unwanted molecules the enter the blood stream via this pathway, when it should have went through the digestive tract and expelled out back.
Personally, I don’t have celiac but gluten make me tired and makes my skin break out in hives, so I avoid it. I can tolerated sprouted grain like an ezekiel muffin in smaller amounts. I think if you don’t have symptoms, you are all good.
I’m surprised no one mentioned casomorphins or gluten exorphins
From Wikipedia:
>Gluten exorphins are a group of opioid peptides formed during the digestion of the gluten protein. These peptides work as external regulators for gastrointestinal movement and hormonal release.[1] The breakdown of gliadin, a polymer of wheat proteins, creates amino acids that stop the gluten epitopes from entering the immune system to activate inflammatory reactions. During this process, gluten does not fully break down, thus increasing the presence of gluten exorphins.[2] Because of this, researchers think this is what might lead to various diseases.
>
>Research shows the benefits of gluten- and casein-free diets for people with diseases and disorders connected to gluten exorphins. The mechanism behind this is still unknown.[3] There is a possibility that gluten has deleterious effects on the human digestive system. When people are more susceptible to gluten and casein allergies, the weakened intestinal lining allows gluten exorphin to flow.[2]
That’s almost a stub article, poorly worded. I’m no expert, but is seems like an active area of research.
Gluten isn’t a problem for most people. It’s what people eat with that gluten that’s the problem for most people.
For healthy people a low gluten diet doesn’t change inflammation markers, and alters the gut microbiotia in significant ways which diminish carbohydrate digestion and generally produces less bloating.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07019-x
Cheese is universally good. Fermented dairy is also great in general.
Low-fat(especially skim) unfermented dairy has been weakly associated with some disorders, though. Attributable to lactose and calcium, notably. Also added sugars of flavored milks aren’t good. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to minimize, remove, or invert some associations. Which is why milk is often fortified with D - it’s important for calcium absorption.
Fermented(yogurt) and acidified milk lowers inflammation after a high fat meal.
I think one of the issues is the diet of the cow. Grass-fed heifers produce more Omega-3. Fat contains the omegas, regardless. So consuming milk fat mediates the inflammatory effects of lactose. Whole milk contains 90 times the essential fatty acids of skim. Fermented dairy has much less lactose.
Sugar is very inflammatory. Milled grains, even whole, are digested much like sugar and promote inflammation.
Milk allergy is fairly common, though. Probably one of the most common, right up there with wheat. Probably the top two food allergens. So, obviously avoid them if they cause issues for you. But otherwise, fermented wheat would be great. Sourdough bread reduces carbs, antinutrients, and the bacteria produce various beneficial compounds. But some people are sensitive to fermented foods. One-size-fits-all recommendations will never work.
I have been wheat free for almost 12 years now. I was never tested for celiac, but I had serious muscle and joint stiffness and joint and bone pain and after eliminating causes like undiagnosed lymes disease, I was able to recognize that it was wheat. Felt pain free after a couple weeks without it.
In the US in particular there are a lot of food products being consumed in abundance…high carbs and dairy are two of them, sugar is another. Lack of fiber, fruit, and veggies causes a lot of problems later down the line. There isn’t anything wrong with indulging every once in a while, the problem is indulging too often.I see a lot of it as a racket from marketing teams to sell ‘health’ food but some of it has basis. If you don’t have a problem, cutting out certain nutrients, such as gluten, can potentially do more harm than good or even give your body an intolerance.
Neither are inherently bad, so people that demonize it are likely those who have had bad experiences. Milk and wheat actually have great benefits.
NOW, that said, that is if you don’t have an intolerance to them. If you don’t have milk intolerance (to the proteins or lactose), then I’d definitely recommend milk in your diet. It provides calcium, fats that help produce steroid hormones, and it’s a complete protein source. Fun fact, if it’s the lactose you have intolerance to, then you can possibly still handle 8oz at once (but don’t drink fast). I’m lactose intolerant and I am able to handle an 8oz glass. This is a mix of anecdotal evidence and information I read about. So, give it a shot and see what happens.
Wheat, it’s mostly the fiber I go for, but, to my knowledge, doesn’t have as many great benefits that milk does. Hell, I barely eat it myself.
Bottom line, they aren’t “bad” foods and actually have benefits. So, if your body can handle them then include them if you want to. If your body struggles with them, then don’t eat them. It’s that simple.