Is DAIRY Scary?? Inflammation & Obesity Concerns - 2024

Summary

Dr. Ken Berry discusses the potential health impacts of dairy consumption, exploring its role in inflammation and obesity. He explains the biological purpose of milk, its composition, and how it affects human health. Berry highlights that many people lose the ability to digest dairy properly after early childhood, leading to various health issues. He also ranks different dairy products from worst to best based on their fat content and potential inflammatory effects, advising viewers on healthier dairy choices. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding individual tolerance to dairy.

Takeaways

• 🥛 The primary purpose of milk is to help young mammals grow and gain weight quickly.
• 🍼 Most mammals, including humans, lose the ability to digest milk after infancy, typically between 2 to 5 years of age.
• 🧬 Lactose intolerance is common, affecting over half of the world's population, and is due to the lack of the lactase enzyme to break down lactose.
• 🥚 Milk contains all three macronutrients: carbohydrates (lactose), proteins (casein and whey), and fats.
• 🚫 Low-fat or fat-free dairy products are the least healthy options as they are high in lactose and proteins, which can cause inflammation.
• 🧀 Cheese, yogurt, and kefir can be less inflammatory for some people as microbes have acted on them, reducing lactose and altering proteins.
• 🧈 Butter and ghee (clarified butter) are high in milk fat and can be less inflammatory, with ghee being nearly 100% milk fat and suitable for those with milk allergies.
• 🍦 Dairy products vary in fat content, and the higher the fat content, the less likely they are to cause inflammation for some individuals.
• 🌐 Cultural and racial differences exist in dairy tolerance, with many non-Caucasians experiencing more noticeable negative reactions to dairy.
• 🌱 There are alternative sources of nutrition to dairy, and it is not necessary to consume dairy after infancy.
• 👨‍⚕️ The video encourages sharing this information with those suffering from conditions that might be related to dairy intolerance or allergies, such as migraines, skin conditions, and gastrointestinal issues.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of milk in the mammalian species according to Dr. Ken Berry?

The primary purpose of milk is to help a helpless young mammal gain weight and grow as fast as possible.

Why might consuming dairy lead to inflammation or obesity as suggested in the video?

Consuming dairy can lead to inflammation or obesity because of the lactose (milk sugar), proteins like casein and whey, and the fat content, which can be difficult for some individuals to digest past a certain age, leading to inflammation and weight gain.

What is the 'milk ingestion window' mentioned by Dr. Berry?

The 'milk ingestion window' refers to the period in a mammal's life, usually between two and five years of age, during which they can digest milk without side effects. After this window, many mammals, including humans, lose the ability to digest milk properly.

What are the three macronutrients found in milk?

The three macronutrients found in milk are carbohydrates (predominantly lactose), protein (including casein and whey), and fat.

Why is skim milk or fat-free dairy considered the worst choice according to the video?

Skim milk or fat-free dairy is considered the worst choice because removing the fat leaves a higher concentration of lactose and proteins, which can cause inflammation in some individuals who cannot properly digest these components.

What is the role of the enzyme lactase in relation to milk consumption?

The enzyme lactase helps break down lactose into galactose and glucose, allowing the body to use these sugars. Some individuals lose the ability to produce sufficient lactase past a certain age, leading to difficulty in digesting lactose and potential side effects.

What are some potential side effects of consuming dairy past the 'milk ingestion window'?

Potential side effects include digestive issues, skin inflammation, brain inflammation, migraines, and irritable bowel symptoms, which can be subtle and not immediately apparent as being related to dairy consumption.

Why might some people experience inflammation from consuming dairy proteins like casein and whey?

Some people may have an inflammatory response to dairy proteins like casein and whey due to an inability to properly digest them or an immune reaction, which can manifest as inflammation in various parts of the body.

What is the fat content distribution in most mammalian milk?

Most mammalian milk consists of about 65% saturated fat, 30% monounsaturated fat, and 5% polyunsaturated fats.

Why is ghee considered a viable dairy option for almost everyone, including those with milk allergies?

Ghee, or clarified butter, is 99 to 100% milk fat and has had almost all lactose and inflammatory proteins removed, making it less likely to cause allergic reactions or inflammation.

What advice does Dr. Berry give regarding dairy consumption for those who suffer from conditions like migraines, skin conditions, or gut symptoms?

Dr. Berry suggests that individuals suffering from such conditions should consider the possibility that dairy might be causing or exacerbating their symptoms and consider eliminating or reducing dairy intake to see if it helps.

Outlines

00:00

💡 Introduction to Dairy and Health Concerns

Dr. Ken Berry introduces the video, focusing on the health impacts of dairy consumption, including potential inflammation and obesity. He encourages viewers to subscribe for more insights. The video aims to explore the nature of dairy, its benefits and drawbacks, and its impact on human health. Dr. Berry highlights the role of milk in mammalian development and discusses how dairy can affect weight gain and health.

05:02

🍼 The Purpose of Milk in Mammals

Dr. Berry explains the biological purpose of milk in mammals, emphasizing its role in helping infant mammals grow and develop quickly. He notes that milk is designed to help young mammals gain weight rapidly and that humans, like other mammals, lose the ability to digest milk effectively after a certain age, leading to potential health issues.

10:04

⚖️ Macronutrients in Milk

Dr. Berry discusses the macronutrient composition of milk, which includes carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. He explains how lactose, a milk sugar, is essential for young mammals but problematic for older humans. He also highlights the potential inflammatory responses some people may have to milk proteins like casein and whey, which can cause various health issues.

15:04

🥛 Ranking Dairy Products by Health Impact

Dr. Berry ranks different dairy products from the worst to the least bad based on their fat content and potential health impacts. He criticizes low-fat and fat-free dairy options for being high in sugar and protein, which can be harmful. He then discusses options like whole milk, heavy cream, and butter, and emphasizes the benefits of high-fat dairy products like ghee.

🧀 Benefits of Fermented Dairy

Dr. Berry explains how fermented dairy products like cheese, yogurt, and kefir can be less inflammatory due to the action of microbes breaking down lactose and altering proteins. He notes that while some people can tolerate these products, others, including himself, may still experience inflammation and should opt for higher fat dairy options.

🧈 The Role of Butter and Ghee

Dr. Berry elaborates on the fat content in butter and ghee, clarifying that butter is not purely fat and may still cause inflammation for some people. He recommends ghee as the best dairy option due to its high milk fat content and minimal presence of lactose and proteins, making it suitable for almost everyone, even those with severe dairy allergies.

👶 Dairy Tolerance and Alternatives

Dr. Berry summarizes the key points about dairy tolerance, emphasizing that infants need species-specific milk. He explains that many people lose the ability to digest lactose after early childhood and may develop various health issues from dairy consumption. He suggests that people can obtain necessary nutrients from other low-carbohydrate sources and encourages avoiding dairy if it causes inflammation.

👩‍⚕️ Advice for Specific Conditions

Dr. Berry advises sharing the video with individuals suffering from conditions like migraines, skin issues, and gut symptoms, as these may be linked to dairy consumption. He highlights that many doctors may not recognize dairy as a cause of these issues and stresses the importance of understanding one's own tolerance to dairy products.

Keywords

💡Dairy

Dairy refers to products made from milk. In the video, Dr. Ken Berry discusses the potential health impacts of dairy, including inflammation and obesity. He explores the composition of dairy products and their effects on different individuals.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's response to injury or infection, often causing redness, heat, swelling, and pain. Dr. Berry explains how certain proteins in dairy can cause inflammatory reactions in some people, affecting various parts of the body like the skin, brain, and joints.

💡Lactose

Lactose is a sugar found in milk and dairy products. Dr. Berry discusses how many people lose the ability to digest lactose after a certain age, leading to digestive issues. This intolerance is due to the body's decreased production of lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose.

💡Casein

Casein is a type of protein found in milk. It can cause inflammatory responses in some individuals, leading to symptoms like migraines or skin conditions. Dr. Berry highlights the importance of recognizing casein as a potential allergen for those experiencing unexplained inflammatory symptoms.

💡Whey

Whey is another protein found in milk, alongside casein. Similar to casein, whey can also cause inflammation in sensitive individuals. Dr. Berry explains that reactions to whey may not be immediate, but can manifest as delayed symptoms like irritable bowel or joint pain.

💡Lactase

Lactase is the enzyme required to digest lactose. Dr. Berry mentions that after a certain age, many people lose the ability to produce sufficient lactase, leading to lactose intolerance. This enzyme is crucial for breaking down lactose into simpler sugars that the body can absorb.

💡Macronutrients

Macronutrients are nutrients required in large amounts for energy and bodily functions, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Milk contains all three macronutrients, which Dr. Berry explains are perfectly balanced to help young mammals grow quickly.

💡Heavy cream

Heavy cream is a dairy product with a high fat content, about 36% milk fat. Dr. Berry notes that while it is popular in low-carb diets, it still contains proteins and sugars that can cause inflammation in some individuals. He discusses the varying tolerances people have for heavy cream.

💡Clarified butter (Ghee)

Clarified butter, or ghee, is butter that has been processed to remove most of the water and milk solids, resulting in nearly pure milk fat. Dr. Berry describes ghee as the least inflammatory dairy option due to its high fat content and minimal protein and sugar, making it suitable for most people, even those with dairy sensitivities.

💡Milk fat

Milk fat is the fat content found in dairy products. Dr. Berry emphasizes the differences in fat content across various dairy products, explaining that higher fat content usually means lower sugar and protein, which can reduce inflammation. He ranks dairy products based on their milk fat content and their potential impact on health.

Highlights

The primary purpose of milk in mammals is to help a helpless young mammal gain weight and grow as fast as possible.

Most mammals lose the ability to digest milk after a certain age, typically between two and five years old.

Over half of the human population loses the ability to completely digest dairy without side effects as they age.

Milk contains all three macronutrients: carbohydrates (predominantly lactose), protein (mainly casein and whey), and fat.

Many people can tolerate human milk better than cow or goat milk due to the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose.

Some people experience inflammatory responses to milk proteins (casein and whey) that can manifest as skin, brain, or joint inflammation.

Low-fat or fat-free dairy products are the worst options as they remove fat, leaving mostly sugar (lactose) and proteins.

Heavy cream (36% milk fat) is a preferred option in low-carb, keto, and carnivore communities, though it still contains some lactose and proteins.

Butter contains 70-82% milk fat and can still have some proteins that may cause inflammation in sensitive individuals.

Ghee or clarified butter is 99-100% milk fat and is a suitable dairy option for almost everyone, even those with severe milk allergies.

Many cheeses, yogurts, and kefir are less inflammatory as microbes consume most of the lactose and alter the protein structure.

The ability to tolerate dairy varies among individuals, with some requiring higher fat content or fermented dairy products to avoid inflammation.

Species-specific milk is optimal for infant mammals, with human milk being ideal for human infants.

Non-Caucasians, particularly those of Asian or African descent, are more likely to be lactose intolerant and experience digestive issues with dairy.

The common practice of consuming dairy into adulthood is not necessary, and many of the nutrients found in milk can be obtained from other low-carb sources.

Transcripts

hi I'm dr. ken berry family physician

and in this video we're going to discuss

lots of facts and tidbits of knowledge

about dairy it's very scary will it lead

to inflammation and perhaps even obesity

now if you haven't already done so

please take one second and click the

subscribe button down below this little

video and click the little bell right

beside it and choose all so that every

time I have a bright idea like this

you'll be one of the very first people

to know now let's talk about dairy and

if it's scary I'm going to try to get

several broad concepts and topics about

dairy in this video to kind of give you

a broader understanding and a just a an

awareness of what dairy is where it

comes from why we should or shouldn't

drink or consume dairy products and how

it reflects on your health how you can

actually improve your health as studies

are done watching this video so stick

around to the end I think you're going

to really enjoy the things we discuss

first of all let's talk about the

purpose of Dairy Milk in the mammalian

species

why do mammals make milk why do infant

mammals drink milk so that's the the

first concept I want you to understand

mammals are born very early on in their

development process but most of us are

defenseless or almost defenseless the

moment were born and so a mother has to

give her baby mammals something that's

going to help it grow and gain weight

and develop as quickly as is possible

that is milk the one and only purpose of

milk is to help a helpless young mammal

gain weight and grow as fast as possible

so I've actually told patients in the

past if you want to gain weight as

quickly as you really can drink lots of

the milk and we will talk about which

dairy if you're trying to gain fat

there's definitely a dairy that will

help

that and we'll talk about that later in

this video every mammal on this planet

as an infant can use dairy can use milk

can drink milk and and can't digest it

effortlessly and use it to grow and

develop very quickly there is a window

of milk usability for most mammals most

mammals when we would consider them to

be an infant mammal they can drink as

much milk as they can swallow and they

can grow and develop and become stronger

young mammals from that but there's a

window after a certain age every mammal

on the planet including human beings are

not able to digest milk any longer and

it's usually the sugar in milk and we'll

talk about that more in a second there

so yeah even you even and so over half

of the population of human beings on

this planet after a certain age and that

age is somewhere between two and five

years of age they lose the ability to

completely digest and completely use

dairy or milk without certain side

effects you may be one of these people

some of these effects and side effects

of drinking dairy past your milk

ingestion window some of these symptoms

are quite obvious you drink milk and you

immediately have effects or side effects

some of them are much more subtle and

many people leave including many doctors

don't know to blame it on the dairy and

so that's why it becomes more of a

complex issue of just dairy yes or no

next let's talk about what's actually in

milk and milk is the most common form of

dairy there are actually all three

macronutrients in milk

there are carbohydrates there is protein

and there is fat you have all three in

milk and they are blended at the perfect

ratio of carbs to protein to fat to help

a young mammal gain fat and gain weight

as fast as is possible in nature the

carbohydrates in milk are predominantly

lactose which is a milk sugar all milk

has this when you're a young

developing that when you need some sugar

like this you need lactose there's no

doubt about it but you need lactose that

comes from a species specific milk so if

you're drinking your own mother's milk

or the milk of another mammal that is

your species that's fine and so many

human beings cannot tolerate cow milk or

even goat milk or the milk of any other

mammal but they can tolerate human milk

just fine as long as they're in this

window and that's because we have an

enzyme called lactase that helps us

break down the lactose into galactose

and glucose and then our body can use

those now it's I have a theory that

there are some of us and after we've

passed the milk congestion window when

we're older mammals we can't definitely

can't digest the lactose and we may even

have problems assimilating the galactose

the next macronutrient in milk is

protein as there's actually a variety of

proteins in milk the most common two are

casein and whey you've probably heard of

those too there's actually over a

hundred different proteins and amino

acids in milk but these are the two ones

we talk about most often a lot of people

have not necessarily an allergy to the

proteins in wheat but they do react they

have an inflammatory response somewhere

in their body so for many people that's

in the good a casein or the way they

have they have a gut reaction and then

that inflammation manifests in other

places in the body for some people and

we're going to contain this too talking

about just humans now some humans when

they ingest casein or way that has not

been acted on by a microbe they can have

skin inflammation they can have brain

inflammation they can have all kinds of

different inflammation in their body

that can be quite subtle and obtuse and

not not and seemingly not be related to

the dairy but it is in fact

a Dairy inflammation or a dairy allergy

but not necessarily to lactose and

that's why many people seemingly can

drink milk just fine but then a day or

two later they'll have a migraine or

they'll have a flare-up of their eggs

a'mma or they'll have an irritable bowel

flare not immediately but later a day or

two later you can have joint

inflammation from the proteins in milk

many people don't realize they have this

and many doctors don't even know this is

a possibility but it is absolutely a

real thing

and the final macronutrient in milk is

fat there is quite a bit of fat in the

whole milk which is the milk that you

would drink straight from a mammal we

can actually do things to Dairy whether

liquid or solid forms of dairy to make

it more or less fatty and that's

actually a big deal in something that

you really need to take into

consideration before you consume the

dairy most mammalian milk that we would

drink consists of about 65% saturated

fat 30% monounsaturated fat and 5%

polyunsaturated fats now let's go

through all the dairy choices that you

have at your supermarket and talk about

them and kind of rank them from the

absolute worst to the least bad or the

best dairy products that you can consume

there's a wide range and you know for

the last few decades we've all been

enamored with low-fat or fat-free and

indeed that is the worst possible choice

you can make in the grocery aisle if you

pick a skim milk product or a fat-free

dairy product basically they've removed

all the fat which is the least bad of

the macronutrients in there and so all

that can possibly be left is a lot of

the milk sugar the lactose and proteins

some and as I said earlier some some of

us can seemingly digest the milk

proteins without a lot of inflammation

some of us absolutely

not so skim milk or fat-free is the

absolute worst whether we're talking

about milk whether we're talking about

cheese yogurt it doesn't matter if it's

skim or fat-free then always left is the

sugar and the protein and so we slowly

go up the milk spectrum from worse to

less bad to ultimately probably good and

so 1% dairy products are they have 1%

milk at 99% sugar and proteins and so

for most of us that's that's not going

to be an option and plus it tastes

terrible

next is 2% milk and then whole milk

which is the milk that would come

straight from the cow or the goat or

whatever mammal you happen to milk and

that's going to be about three and a

half to four percent note fat so that

leaves 96 percent sugar and 96 percent

protein left half and half which you

might put in your coffee some few people

drink half and half is about 20% no fat

so you've still got eighty percent left

for the sugar and the protein then we

come to heavy cream which a lot of us in

the low-carb Akito carnivore community

love because it tastes delicious it's 36

percent milk fat and many people are

under the misconception that heavy cream

is all fat absolutely not the case

you still have 70 percent room last 65

70 percent room left for the protein and

the sugar for some of us heavy cream is

a viable dairy option and so we need

dairy that's 36 percent or higher milk

fat probably is going to do okay for

most of us at least at the beginning of

our journey back to good health some of

us and I'm one of these included found

out that after a certain point I

actually stalled on my fat loss and I

still had quite a bit of inflammation in

my joints and skin and other body parts

from using even 36 percent milk fat

dairy products

it still had too much of the lactose and

it had too much of the potential

inflammatory proteins many cheeses and

many yogurts and kefir that you buy have

been acted on by microbe and so this

microbe consumed almost all if not all

of the lactose but it also in the

process some of its byproducts bit the

protein molecule and so for many of us

that makes formed dairy products like

cheese yogurt kefir and other things

like that

cream cheese makes it less inflammatory

for many of us some of us that it's a

thirty-six percent or higher milk fat

and it's a formed solid like a yogurt

kefir or cream cheese or another hard

cheese it seems to not be very

inflammatory for us at all some of us

however may being included even the

higher fat dairy products that are still

inflammatory enough and insulin spiking

enough for me that I noticed the

difference and I do bear it better when

I only stick to the fattiest end of the

dairy spectrum now the next step up is

butter and again many people mistakenly

believe that butter is 100 percent milk

fat it has nothing else that is

absolutely not true

the average butter that you buy and the

grocery is going to range anywhere from

70% to 82 percent milk fat so there are

still there's you know there sometimes

it's just water lip but there's always

gonna be some of the protein solids left

the casein in the way you just almost

can't get it all out of butter just with

the churning or the beating process and

so if you're under the mistaken thought

that butter is 100 percent fat and so

there's no way it can be inflaming me

yet you're still having inflammatory

symptoms somewhere in your body I'm

sorry I'm sorry but it might be the

butter because it's not 100%

milkfat now the the best absolute macros

you can get from dairy is G GA te or

some people call this clarified butter

and so you would beat her with the dairy

into butter then you would take the

butter in and it's one more simple step

to clarify it or to form it into ghee

this is 99 to 100 percent milk fat

you've got rid of definitely all the

lactose or the milk sugar you've also

gotten rid of virtually all of the

inflammatory protein that would be left

in dairy and so even if you have a

severe milk allergy whether it's to the

casein or the way over to the lactose

ghee is a usable dairy option for almost

all of us and as I said earlier it's got

a beautiful breakdown of fats 65%

saturated fat which is very good for

your brain your nerves and other body

parts 30% monounsaturated fat and about

5% polyunsaturated fat that's a great

fat distribution for almost every human

on the planet so sum up keep in mind

that when you are a small infant mammal

you can drink milk just fine but it

really needs to be species specific if

you're a human you need to drink human

milk if you're a cow you need to drink

cow milk and so on some of us can

tolerate cow's milk or goat's milk when

were younger but almost all of us lose

the ability to break down the lactose

the milk sugar and milk at some age now

for most people on the planet that's for

me somewhere between 3 and 6 years of

age you give or take it's different for

every person but some of us even

Caucasians notice that as we get older

in our twenties thirties forties are

beyond we are less and less able to

tolerate liquid milk you can get all the

nutrition that you've been told as in

milk from other excellent low low

carbohydrate sources you don't have to

use any dairy whatsoever after you are a

child mammal or older now when you're an

infant mammal you need milk there's no

doubt about it

drinking even cow's milk or go

is infinitely better for your baby than

the crap garbage soy and corn solid

formulas and infant formulas that you

find on the market and toddler formulas

now that trying to even branch out it

and say that your toddler needs formula

absolutely not true your baby needs milk

of some kind preferably human milk now

some of us can get by just fine on

thirty six percent milk fat or higher

dairy some of us need to be full fat

light or 36 percent fat or higher and to

have been acted on by a microbe to bend

the protein molecules so therefore to

make a cheese or a yogurt or kefir some

of us need the milk fat to be even

higher upwards of seventy percent which

you would find in butter at seventy to

eighty percent that's the only dairy we

can eat in any meaningful quantity

without developing inflammation

somewhere in our body and some very few

of us probably less than one percent

need 100 percent milk fat in ghee or

clarified butter and that's the only

place that we can rest on the dairy

spectrum without risking inflammation

somewhere in our body if you know

someone who suffers from migraines from

skin conditions from psoriasis eczema to

just itchy skin if you know someone that

suffers from any gut symptom from also

that colitis to Kremlin's to irritable

bowel you need to share this video with

them because very commonly a doctor will

just attach a diagnosis to a gut symptom

and say oh you've got Crohn's irritable

bowel

ulcerative colitis and not really know

what they're talking about and that can

absolutely be an allergic reaction to

the protein in milk but plus or minus

the reaction to the lactose in milk if

you are not a Caucasian then you already

know what I'm talking about if you're

Asian or African in descent and have

darker colored skin you know you can't

drink dairy you're gonna you're gonna

pay in the restroom later on for that

and that's actually we've been taught

that that's a curse but that's actually

probably a blessing because there are so

many other subtle inflammations that we

get from dairy that you don't have to

suffer from but many Caucasians in the

world

think that and have been told that oh

you can you can eat there you can drink

there it's fine not true alright thank

you so much for sticking around to the

end

this is dr. Barry I'll see you next time