Does dairy products cause inflammation?
All you need to know about dairy products
Needless to say that dairy products are extremely healthy and rich in nutrients. Both science and Ayurveda believe that including dairy in your diet is a healthy choice. Being one of the important sources of calcium, dairy products like curd and milk are considered good for your bone and tooth health. However, dairy products are no stranger to controversy, which makes many people shun this important food product from their diet completely. One of the most common ones is that dairy leads to inflammation. In this article, we have tried to uncover the truth behind this common notion.
What causes inflammation
Inflammation is the natural response of the body's white blood cells to foreign pathogens like bacteria and viruses. Whenever your body detects a foreign intruder, it releases special chemical messengers like histamine, prostaglandins, and bradykinin. These chemicals convey the message to your immune system to fend off pathogens, which leads to inflammation.
Inflammation can be acute or chronic. While acute inflammation is the body's first response to the invasion of foreign pathogens or injury, chronic inflammation can be due to untreated injury or underlying health condition.
The connection between dairy and inflammation
Dairy products contain numerous important nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B. Apart from this, they also contain a high amount of saturated fats, which is believed to be associated with inflammation in the body. Saturated fat present in dairy products is believed to worsen the inflammation. But there is no solid proof that it leads to inflammation.
What science says
There are contradicting views as far as dairy and inflammation are concerned. Some observational studies suggest that milk and dairy products may increase the risk of acne and inflammation, while as per others it is unclear if dairy really promotes inflammation unless the person is allergic to the protein present in it. Several studies have been suggested in this regard, but till now no clear conclusion has been drawn on the issue. A lot more research is needed in this direction to establish the theory.
However, a lot of people experience bloating, cramping, and diarrhea after consuming dairy. But this happens in rare cases.