Why Dairy? A Brief History of the Health Benefits of Dairy Products.

Article 1 - August 2, 2021

 

For thousands of years, humans have been consuming milk and milk-based products. In fact, scientists have ample evidence to suggest that humans began drinking raw milk from animals at least 10,000 years ago, when wild sheep, goats, and Aurochs (Wild Cattle) were first domesticated as a source of food and clothing. And while there is no definitive understanding of how and why primitive people began milking their domesticated animals, the prevailing explanation is to allow them to survive and even thrive in conditions where doing so would have been difficult, if not impossible. In short, dairy equaled health. Dairy equaled life.

 

Today, while almost universally enjoyed for the flavor and texture they impart to the foods we consume every day, dairy products remain an important part of a healthy, contemporary diet. Indeed, some of the most popular dairy products consumed around the world are Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, Butter, and Ice Cream. And each of these products offer different nutritional and health benefits. 

 

Fluid Milk: On average, the American consumer drinks 141 lbs. of milk per year. At about 9 lbs. per gallon, that’s almost 16 gallons of milk per year!

 

Fluid milk is the base for all other dairy products, and alone is a great source of:
 

• Protein (whey and Casein)

• Calcium

• Vitamin B12 

• Iodine

• Magnesium (important for bone development and muscle function)

 

Yogurt: As of 2020, Americans consumed about 13 lbs. of yogurt per year. At about ½ lb. per cup, that’s 26 cups per year!

 

Dating back almost as far as the consumption of fluid milk, it is believed that yogurt came about accidentally, as the result of milk naturally souring in warm temperatures. This fermentation (yogurt) was found to be a great way to preserve milk due to the acidity which slows the growth of harmful bacteria. 

 

It was in the early 20th century when “long healthy life” and yogurt became synonymous, thanks to the probiotic bacteria lactobacilli, which is found in both yogurt and the human gut, and which helps the body break down food, absorb nutrients, and fight off "bad" organisms that could cause diseases.

 

Yogurts can be high in:
 

• Protein

• Calcium

• Vitamins

• Live cultures, or probiotics, which can enhance the gut microbiota. These can offer protection for bones and teeth and help prevent digestive problems. 

 

Cheese: As of 2019, the average American consumed about 40.4 pounds of cheese per year!

History suggests that the first cheese was made from sheep’s milk around 8000 BC, when sheep were domesticated before bovines and their milk was consumed. In addition to being a source of milk, the sheep’s gut was often used to store and transport the milk and keep it from spoiling in hot weather. The rennet, which is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of sheep and other ruminant mammals, would curdle the milk to form cheese curds. Over thousands of years, and across different regions of the world, cheese became a part of peoples’ daily diet. Today there are more than 1800 different types of cheese, and each offers unique health benefits. 

 

Most cheeses are a good source of:
 

• Protein

• Calcium

• Vitamins – A, B-12

• Zinc

• Phosphorus

• Riboflavin

 

Some offer additional health benefits that include nutrients to promote gut health, aid in weight loss, improve bone health, and decrease the risk of heart disease.

 

Butter: As of 2019, the average American consumed 23 sticks of butter per year, or about 6 lbs.! As with other dairy products, butter dates back approximately 8000 years and is made by churning the cream from milk. It is speculated that perhaps milk was being transported on a long journey and was agitated enough to harden into butter. Regardless of how it was first made, butter is a huge part of our lives, adding the following to today’s contemporary diet:  
 

• Vitamin D

• Calcium

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin E

 

Butter is also high in beta-carotene, a compound that the body converts into vitamin A. Beta-carotene has been linked to a lowered risk of lung cancer and prostate cancer.

 

Ice Cream: The average American consumes approximately 23 pounds of ice cream, and related frozen desserts, per year! The first recorded evidence of frozen treats dates back to Alexander the Great (356 – 323 BC), who was known to enjoy a mix of snow and ice with honey and wine. It is also believed that Caesar enjoyed a concoction of snow mixed with fruits and juices, but it wasn’t until the 16th century that history reports anything close to what we commonly refer to as ice cream. And while it is not known whether it was Europeans or Italians who first made ice cream, we know that it began as a treat for royalty and was only made available to the public at large around 1660. Ice cream first hit America in the early 1700’s and has since become a dairy favorite. Although high in fat, and recommended only to be eaten in moderation, ice cream provide a wide variety of vitamins to the body, including:
 

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin B-6

• Vitamin B-12

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin E 

• Vitamin K, which prevents blood clotting. 

• Niacin

• Thiamine

• Riboflavin