Dairy and Inflammation: Exploring the Link Between Them

The Overview of Dairy and Inflammation:

Products within the dairy category that include milk, cheese, and yogurt form part of the common diet. They help in provision of dietary needs such as calcium, Vitamin D and the proteins. However, the connection dairy has with inflammation is a complicated one which has also been researched on over time.

Inflammation is a normal bodily response that relates to disease or injury. However, in cases of chronic inflammation where there are continuous episodes there could be ensuing disease conditions.

Types of Dairy:

• Full-fat
• Low-fat
• Fermented

Inflammatory Markers:

Typical inflammatory markers involve:

• C-reactive protein (CRP).
• Interleukin-6 (IL ‘6).
• Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).

Studies done to this point have indicated resistance efforts on what dairy could be detrimental too inflammation which calls for more need to further research on.

Physical assessment: inflammation

It is an inflammatory reaction that occurs in the living tissues in response to any destructive stimuli such as infection/cell injury/chemical injury, etc. It is defensive in nature and includes responses carried out by both immune cells and vessels, and also molecular factors.

Acute Inflammation:

• Short duration response.
• Normal manifestations: redness, puffiness, heat, pain.
• e.g. a wound or a disease.

Chronic Inflammation:

• Long-term and extended duration.
• It is related to a variety of diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, etc.

“Inflammation is a process that is initiated by the body to protect and heal itself from further harm. Its objective is to get rid of the injurious agents and start the healing process.”

Common Sources of Dietary Inflammation:

Some dietary factors have been assessed to be the leading factors in the cause of dietary inflammation. This is due to the fact that such foods contain ingredients or compounds that are inflammatory when consumed in the body.

• Refined Carbohydrates: White bread, cakes and other refined carbohydrates always raise blood sugar levels which can aggravate the inflammatory process.
• Fried Foods: French fries and chicken relate with unhealthy trans fat and AGEs which promote inflammation.
• Sugary Beverages: Soda and any other sugar drinks are too caloric and if taken in high doses are inflammatory.
• Processed Meats: Bacon sausages and other deli meats also have preservatives and other additives which are pro-inflammatory.
• Artificial Additives: Processed food contains preservative herbs, colorants and flavors which are also inflammatory.

Nutritional Components of Dairy:

Dairy products are nutritional foods, which provide one with a plethora of nutrients in sufficient quantities. These components include:

• Proteins: Such as casein and whey proteins which are important in muscle building and rehabilitation.
• Fats: Dancing bears and polar bears take in energy food in the form of saturated and unsaturated fatty molecules and the aid of vitamins.
• Carbohydrates: Primarily lactose is utilized as the source of carbohydrates in the form of energy.

Vitamins:

• Vitamin D: Essential for healthy bones and enhances calcium uptake in the human body.
• Vitamin A: Assists with eye sight and boosts body immunity.

Minerals:

• Calcium: Important for avoiding low bone mineral density and enhances teeth strength.
• Potassium: Aids in the control of blood pressure.
• Magnesium: Assists in muscle and nerve activities.

Dairy products are valuable foods to one’s diet that enable good nutrition.

Historical Perspective on Dairy Consumption:

Historically, it appears that the consumption of dairy products started way back when domestication of animals began. For instance, evidence that:

• Field crops remain the neolithic age with a history of eight thousand years but including dairy consumption children from eight years of age were breastfed.
• Egyptians, Greeks and other ancient people consumed dairy as part of their food.
• On long campaigns, the roman legions made good use of cheese as an important food.

Dairy farming activities were practiced in Europe during the Middle Ages. In contrast, the nomadic peoples of Asia developed derivative products like yogurt made from fermented milk. By the time of the Industrial Revolution, the improvement in technology made possible both mass manufacturing and refrigeration, cementing dairy in almost every household. Given the present economic status in the world, it is evident that unless otherwise prescribed, nutrition and cultural factors will continue to impact dairy use in different populations.

Scientific Evidence: Dairy and Inflammatory Markers

There have been concerns about the effect that taking dairy may have on inflammation. It has been observed that:

• Chronic Inflammation: For the most part, only a few studies have suggested that dairy may be a trigger for some inflammatory markers, this finding is, however, inconsistent in many studies.
• Anti-inflammatory Effects: A number of randomized control trials have pointed towards the fact that taking dairy has an anti-inflammatory effect.
• Biomarkers: Most common biomarkers often used are C-reactive protein, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).
• Types of Dairy: Anti-inflammatory properties are most certain for fermented yogurts.
• Population Variability: Results differ according to age, health, and inflammation level at the start of intervention.

“Multifactorial aspects have to be taken and more clinical trials and meta-analysis has to be done to clearly appreciate the dairy role of consumption.”

Differences in Response: Dairy Types and Processing

Since dairy varies in type and processing, it follows that even response to dairy will also be different.

• Milk Type: Whole milk, skim milk, organic milk elicate different inflammatory responses.
• Fermented vs. Non-Fermented: Users consuming fermented dairy products containing yogurt and ‘kefir’ are sometimes said to have anti-inflammatory activity.
• Lactose Content: Dairy products considered to be lactose-free or are low on lactose are possibly less inflammatory in a lactose intolerant person.
• Fat content: Full fat milk products are likely to elicit a different response from the immune system than low fat or non-fat milk products.
• Processing Methods: Pasterized and raw milk both affects the body differently because of variation in bacteria and enzymes present in these forms of milk.

Once again, all these factors attribute to the quality of dairy for lowering inflammation, or not.

Lactose Intolerance and Inflammation:

Most people suffer from some degree of lactose intolerance that’s because they do not produce the enzyme lactase which is needed for the digestion of lactose. Symptoms appear as abdominal bloating, diarrhoea, and aches in the stomach. These symptoms can trigger inflammatory response.

Mechanism of Action:

• Taken lactose that is not food will be fermented with bacteria in the colon.
• It causes in the generation of gaseous substances and short chain fatty acid.

Activates inflammatory response.

Markers of Inflammation:

• Cytokines in an elevated state.
• There is an increase of C-reactive proteins (CRP).

Management strategies involve:

• Complete cessation of the intake of dairy products.
• Administration of lactase enzyme substitutes for medications.
• Using lactobacillus containing foods or drinks.

Dairy Allergies and Immunology:

The immunological reaction to dairy products is multifaceted. It is in this instance that a body forms an Immunoglobulin E (IgE) against specific proteins such as casein and whey. In some cases, the symptoms may be visible as follows:

• Skin disorders like hives and atopic dermatitis – coughs, wheezing, and eosinophilic bronchitis are some examples.
• Vomiting and diarrhea are some of the examples of gastrointestinal disorders.
• Hoarse voice sputum airway obstruction.

Such people will feel anaphylaxis, this is an acute health hazard and needs quick medical intervention. As seen, the effect of the immune system on dairy allergies highlights the need for the proper evaluation of patients and learning how to treat them so as to avoid negative stimuli.

Dairy Products in Autoimmunity Diseases:

The recent studies are starting to present a link between the consumption of dairy and various autoimmune diseases. There are also a number of publications that support the opinion that proteins of milk may cause autoimmune reactions in certain individuals. This response could lead to:

• Worsening inflammation.
• Worsening autoimmune diagnosis.

Of autoimmune diseases like MS, RA, or type one diabetes, we find some suspect dairy as a possible exacerbator. But their conclusions are extremely varied and individual pattern of reactions can be quite sharp.

“In some autoimmune patients, the removal of milk protein from the diet has led to an improvement in the manifestations of the disease,” the authors write.

Impact of Fermented Dairy Products:

Fermented dairy includes yogurt, kefir, and aged cheese. Such foods result from the fermentation mode of processing using probiotic microorganisms which are likely to enhance gut health.

• Probiotics: good bacteria which are nutrition to the stomach and probably limit inflammation within stomach – microbes.
• Anti-inflammatory Compounds: It has been noted that some peptides and metabolites present in fermented foods are anti-inflammatory.
• Digestibility: This is because melting of lactose and proteins during the fermentation refuge these products from many people.
• Immune function: Consumption of such dairy products, on a continual basis, can also help improve immune function as it reduces diseases related to inflammation.

Studies indicate that these effects might be dependent upon one’s health status and the product used.

Contrary Evidence: Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Dairy

Consumers of one type of food or another should rest assured of benefits from several constituents in dairy foods based on the advice from numerous studies. Cooking bacon in an anti- inflammatory fat.

• Probiotics in yogurt: as already said, yogurt contains probiotics that are good for the gut, which negates problems of inflammation.
• Calcium and Vitamin D: these nutrients come in handy and prove helpful in conditions aggravated by inflammation like osteoporosis.
• Omega-3 fatty acids in certain dairy: other non-vegetable dairy products especially alkaline milk from pasture raised cows contains omega 3 fats that are important anti-inflammatory factors.
• Bio-active peptides: These are components of dairy protein recipes that have anti-inflammatory properties and substitute inflammatory mediators in the blood.
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) : Naturally occurring in dairy fat, CLA has been studied and shown effective in lowering inflammatory markers within human studies.

Cautions for People Dealing with Conditions Associated with Chronic Inflammation:

Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease or lupus are some of those conditions which sub population especially with these conditions should be careful with dairy food products.

• Monitoring Symptoms: Keep track of any increase in symptoms after the consumption of dairy foods by maintaining a food diary.
• Opt for Alternatives: Consider non-dairy milk and cheese options such as almond milk, soy milk or oat milk.
• Consult a Healthcare Provider: You should request for advice basing on your particular medical history as this will be more beneficial.
• Mind Nutrient Intake: Calcium and vitamin D levels may be compromised in non-dairy consumers.
• Consume Foods that help combat Inflammation: Add foods which help lessen inflammation such as green vegetables and oily fish which provides these health benefits.

Range for Consumption of Dairy Products without Shifting into Inflammation Pointers:

Within the network, these evidence-based recommendations and self-care practices should assist in regulating dairy consumption with compromise to inflammation advance.

Portion Control:

• Follow recommended portion sizes.
• It is safe for adults to take 2-3 servings of dairy a day.

Choose Low-Fat Options:

• Use low-or no-fat milk, yogurt and cheese products.
• Reduced fat dairy products will help to reduce total calorie intake and saturated fat.

Incorporate Variety:

• Use milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products.
• Different types brings equal but different nutrition.

Remember Added Sugars in Dairy Food”

• Sugary dairy products should be discouraged.
• Labels can prove useful in regard to hidden sugar.

Monitor Individual Differences:

• Pay attention to personal response to dairy.
• Individualize the intake by paying attention to health/diet.

Such recommendations enable the nutritional goals to be achieved with less possibility of catabolic effects of inflammatory nature as a result of dairy intake.

Conclusion of Dairy and Inflammation:

Attempting to understand the role of dairy food consumption on inflammation would require such factors to be put into consideration. As a general rule:

• There may be an adverse effect in people with lactose intolerance, milk allergy conferred excessive inflammation.
• It is possible that yogurt and other fermented dairy may exhibit anti-inflammatory properties.
• It is possible that full fat dairy has a different effect than low/fat free dairy.

It might be prudent to seek medical advice or that of a registered nutritionist before embarking on dietary changes. This would help in offering appropriate interventions on the nutrition concerns in relation to inflammation and dairy.