Dairy products: benefits and harms

Almost every day we eat different dairy products. Some do it to lose weight, others for the benefit of the body, others simply because it is delicious. But is all this true? Cheese, milk, yogurt, sour cream – how they affect our health, says Nataliya Samoilenko, a dietician and endocrinologist at the Centre of Health of the Pechersk District of Kiev.

Milk is not for adults

The main advantage of milk is that this product is a wonderful supplier of calcium and phosphorus, without which it is impossible to keep strong bones and teeth. In addition, these elements are involved in the construction of brain cells and contribute to the well-coordinated work of the nervous system. As for vitamins, they are also abundant in milk.

But at the same time, nutritionists believe that adults should not use milk, because there is more harm than good. One of the downsides is poor lactose absorption (milk sugar). As a result, those substances that have not been fully digested cause gastrointestinal disorders, bloating and diarrhea. And the ability to absorb this drink is gradually lost as a person ages.

– Milk is the food of children and adolescents. Adults should refrain from it altogether. In addition to food intolerance, this drink can cause various allergic reactions. Another thing – sour milk products, they are shown to almost everyone – informs Natalia Samoilenko.

You have to be friends with kefir

The most useful of fermented milk products medics consider kefir, simpleton, ayran. They can (and should) be consumed daily. The main condition is that these drinks are fresh. People suffering from dysbacteriosis are shown biokefirs containing increased amounts of beneficial microorganisms. Nutritionists are more wary of yogurts, especially those sold in stores.

– Those yoghurts, which are sold in the retail chain, contain many different and not always useful for the human body additives – all kinds of preservatives, colorants. Therefore, I do not recommend them for frequent use, – said Natalia Samoilenko.

Is it worth buying cheeses

Glazed cheeses are even less healthy. They’re nothing like natural cottage cheese. There is a lot of butter and sugar in this product, which makes it very caloric – in this sense, two cheeses can replace the whole dinner. Except it won’t satisfy hunger. In addition, the person will receive in food harmful colors and preservatives contained in glazed cheeses. The same applies to all sweet cheese masses, in which fat and sugar can be more than cottage cheese. Nutritionists advise to eat these products occasionally – as a delicacy. But it’s not recommended to give up pure cottage cheese.

The cottage cheese is a protein concentrate and is enough to eat 200 grams a day. It is best to choose a product of average fat content (4.5 – 5%), degreased is not recommended, as it is worse absorbed by calcium. Children can be given cottage cheese daily (50-100 grams), by the way, 100 grams of this product will make a child a good breakfast. As a delicacy, kids can cook cheese mass. To do this, you should take cottage cheese, add a little milk, fresh berries, fruit and knock it all down in the mixer – enlightens Natalia.

Sour cream and butter are chosen correctly

Cautiously and in moderate quantities, you should eat sour cream and hard cheeses. It is necessary to treat the choice of these products particularly carefully, because many of those sold in stores contain non-dairy fats (such savings resort to unscrupulous manufacturers), which is harmful to the body.

I am for the butter (especially it is necessary to include it in the children’s menu), but the fat content of this product should not be less than 82%, otherwise it is a mixture of butter and margarine, and such “butter” is very harmful to health, – said a dietitian endocrinologist.

One of the undeservedly forgotten high-protein milk products is whey and buttermilk. They are poor in fats, but rich in protein-lecithin complex (protect blood vessels from cholesterol aggression), easily digestible calcium and vitamins. For those who want to maintain muscle mass, to recover from injuries and fractures, in atherosclerosis, women after 50 years of age (when calcium is washes out of the bones and they become brittle) – buttermilk and serum-based drinks and dishes are indispensable.