DAIRY PRODUCTS

For those who have looked at me in disbelief during a nutritional consult when I recommended full fat dairy products versus low fat products, a study recently published by the Harvard School of Public Health is especially important for you!

In this study which followed 18,555 women in the Nurses Health Study II for eight years, they found eating low fat dairy products may increase the risk of infertility due to lack of ovulation. Conversely, those who consumed full fat dairy foods decreased their risk for infertility.

Now it gets even more interesting. In the fat extraction process there are significant changes in milk composition which have been found to have some androgenic effects in animals. Intake of low fat dairy foods has been associated with androgen excess which is a component of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and acne.

So if you are going to eat dairy products, please go for the real deal! Purchase products which are full fat, free of hormones and antibiotics, minimally processed (no ultra-pasteurization!), and preferably organic.

It is important to note that this study did not conclude that consuming excessive amounts of full fat dairy products will increase fertility. It is purely a comparison between the consumption of full fat versus low fat products. Everything in moderation please!

To view the full study go to http://www.oxfordjournals.org/eshre/press-release/freepdf/dem019.pdf

I encourage you to learn more about “Real Milk” by going to http://www.realmilk.com/what.html