Dairy products

Hello, I have a question regarding (in)appropriate foods. Yeast is listed among pro-inflammatory foods, but sourdough bread is included in the allowed foods. I'm also unsure about dairy products. You recommend fermented foods, but with the exception of those containing lactose (because Candida feeds on these sugars). In the question of whether "a roll, broth, or plain yogurt" is an inappropriate food, I chose yogurt (lactose), and I considered the roll (the correct answer) to be appropriate, as it is not stated that it would be made from prohibited white flour. I considered it to be, for example, soy, graham, buckwheat, etc. In general, with similar test questions, I am sometimes unsure about the correct answer if the options are not sufficiently specific (see roll), and I tend to think about it in depth.

The classification system for pro/anti-inflammatory foods is not uniform. It essentially cannot be, as a number of characteristics are considered—not only their nutritional composition and content of undesirable substances are calculated, but also the method of processing, including final culinary adjustments. The result for pro-inflammatory foods must be a condition in which their consumption triggers processes in the body that lead to inflammatory reactions, whereas for their anti-inflammatory counterparts, the situation is the opposite, where inflammatory processes in the body are suppressed. From a professional standpoint, it is not a completely well-proven methodology, and therefore no unified list of foods exists in this field.

In the case of the difference between yeast and sourdough, it is considered that sourdough, due to the significantly broader spectrum of probiotic-acting microorganisms, leads to the production of a larger amount of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which have the ability to prevent the development of pathogens in the intestines (compared to monocultural yeast).

Yogurts contain probiotic microorganisms; therefore, consider them as a suitable food, provided there is an absence of added sugars and additives. Rolls are typically made from flour and yeast; thus, they are deemed unsuitable = pro-inflammatory in the listed foods.

Test questions are deliberately designed to make you think; this is an educational intention. Nutrition is specific in that it often lacks fixed rules. The necessity of contemplating individual situations is thus part of nutritional literacy, which you gradually develop over the course of your studies.

Is heme iron blocked when combining meat with dairy products? Thank you.

If you are asking about the bioavailability of iron from food, i.e., the combination of meat with a dairy product on the same plate, it is important to note that divalent elements, which include calcium abundantly found in dairy products, hinder the absorption of iron. Such a combination is not the most advantageous.

When dealing with the intake of dietary supplements, they should always be taken with a time interval from meals (preferably in the morning on an empty stomach). Otherwise, you significantly reduce the effectiveness of the supplement, to a greater extent when consuming foods containing concentrated sources of calcium, magnesium, or zinc...

Good day.
My question concerns calcium. Which sources of calcium should be used if all dairy products are excluded from the diet? I know that even when consuming them, the absorbability of calcium is debatable. What should be focused on to ensure adequate calcium intake? Can poppy seed oil serve as a better supplement than calcium tablets? If so, approximately in what quantity should it be used? We know that poppy seeds are quite fatty, so as not to unnecessarily burden the gallbladder and digestive tract.
Thank you.

Once you eliminate all dairy products from your diet, it is important in the initial phase to focus on providing well-absorbed sources of this element from food (always consider supplements as a substitute and complementary option, and tailor the quality of your dietary plan accordingly). In addition to bones (bone broths), various nuts and seeds (almonds are particularly interesting) are rich sources, as are whole grains. For plant-based mineral sources, it's generally important to focus on reducing the content of antinutritional factors during their culinary preparation, as they significantly impair the absorption of elements. This means using methods such as soaking, sprouting, a range of cooking techniques, and fermentation...

Calcium in the diet is primarily bound to amino acids or phytochemicals - therefore, plant oils contain minimal calcium and other minerals, making it pointless to try to use them as a source of these elements.

Hello,
I have come across the opinion that it is not necessary to supplement calcium even if I don't consume any dairy products, and that sufficient vitamin D3, K2, and magnesium is enough. Is it true that I don't have to worry about having a calcium deficiency? Otherwise, I eat a normal varied diet, it's just that I simply don't like dairy products.
Thank you.

For calcium, it is not so much the amount consumed in the diet that matters, but whether the digestive tract has the ability to effectively absorb this element. Theoretically, there is no problem if the long-term intake of calcium is below its reference values - as long as the intestinal mucosa is healthy, there is sufficient vitamin K2 and subsequently vitamin D3, and last but not least, a reasonable intake of magnesium and phosphorus, which have an antagonistic relationship with calcium, is ensured, the body should not exhibit signs of its deficiency. The outcome is, of course, influenced by the metabolic individuality of the individual, so we are not talking about certainty, but "only" a higher probability that the situation will proceed according to our expectations/plans.

Hello, we will soon be introducing dairy products, and this brings a question to mind. We are very particular about the origin of these products and exclusively use products with A2 casein (Jersey, goat, sheep), which suit us. Therefore, I would like to know if it is advisable for a toddler to deliberately include conventional products with A1 casein. If they are not exposed to this type of dairy product, won't they have difficulties when consuming it later, which they will certainly encounter? By conventional products, I mean even high-quality yogurts starting with BIO Hollandia. Thank you very much for your response.

If you are trying to carefully consider these differences in dairy products, it certainly makes sense because the range of proven negative impacts of long-term consumption of A1 casein sources on health is quite broad. They primarily relate to chronic issues, which theoretically means that occasional inclusion of A1 sources should not result in any serious problems. However, this is not guaranteed; you basically only obtain certainty through practice, when you conduct this "experiment" yourself.

At the same time, the fact is that anxiously avoiding everything that is nowadays labeled as "unhealthy" is not entirely correct during a child's development, because it prevents gaining experiences that shape the organism. In a way, it's a certain form of extremism, which does not absolutely protect the child; therefore, it is reasonable to approach nutrition in a liberal manner.

Hello Mr. Jelínek,
Due to breastfeeding, my pediatrician recommended a dairy-free diet. Does this mean I can consume lactose-free dairy products? Can I use whey protein?
Thank you.

In this case, no, because the reason will be a reaction to milk protein, not lactose. It is necessary to avoid such dairy products that contain proteins, which are practically all except for ghee.

Good day Mr. Jelínek,
a question regarding a child who does not consume dairy products (due to allergy/veganism, etc.).
Is it possible to measure a potential calcium deficiency in the body? (Are blood tests useful/informative?)
Additionally, what dietary supplement is suitable for the child?
Thank you very much.

It is possible to measure the level of calcium in the blood, similar to a number of other minerals. The informational value of such an analysis is somewhat diminished by the fact that the body, through homeostatic systems, tends to maintain a constant level of nutrients in the blood, supplementing from its own depots in case of dietary deficiency. Thus, it can happen that the body suffers from a deficit (for example, a lack of calcium can lead to a disorder of neuromuscular coordination or even to the demineralization of bones, even though the calcium level in the blood appears normal).

When it comes to supplementation, addressing the form of the element is crucial. For minerals, opt for organically bound forms (either chelate or bound to phytochemicals). Additionally, vitamins K2 and D3 play a crucial role in absorption and subsequent metabolism.

Greetings,

I am curious about the response you receive when you recommend people reduce their intake of meat and dairy products to the "ideal" one serving per day, as you state. Among those who eat a conventional diet, it is usually predominantly based on meat and dairy products. Everyone I have spoken to thus far about reducing meat consumption has reacted very negatively.

Thank you.

Differentiate between situations where you present certain facts or recommendations to your surroundings, and those where you are asked for recommendations. Generally, information is more likely to be well-received when it is targeted at the requester; the probability is inherently much higher. Still, be prepared in practice for some resistance or disagreement with advice, regardless of how well-intentioned it is. If, as a consultant, you have an idea of how and to what extent a diet should be transformed, the next challenge is to present this idea to the client in a way that fulfills the proverbial "You can't have your cake and eat it too." The goal is dietary change, where you must accept in advance that the defined goal may not be fully realized. In most situations, this is not a problem; it is always important to make a change and move forward as much as possible.

A typical meat-eater is most likely not willing to reduce the daily number of meat servings from four to one, and rational arguments usually won't significantly convince them. In such a situation, consider it a victory if you reach a compromise of two servings—you as the consultant won't feel that you have failed, and the client will make real progress. Generally, everything takes time, and you should not expect rapid changes in a short period; this idea simply does not work in practice.

Good evening,

I would like to ask your opinion on the combination of fruit with dairy products, such as yogurt. This is often presented as a suitable breakfast/snack (accompanied by, for example, flakes and nuts). However, dairy products should not be combined with sources of sugar, is that right? And if this combination is not advantageous, where would you recommend including fruit? (I read somewhere that it is best to eat fruit on its own, but that seems nonsensical to me—high GI, poor macronutrient ratio,...).

Thank you very much for your response.

This combination is not problematic until the point when it starts causing any "issues" for a particular individual. Generally, a healthy individual can digest such a mixture without any complications, so it is unnecessary to restrict the diet just because the individual components might digest slightly better when consumed separately. In situations where a person suffers from digestive problems (dyspepsia, inflammation...), it is instead advantageous to consider and preventively avoid certain combinations, which may (but not necessarily) apply to dairy products with fruit.

Hello,

I would like to ask for your opinion on sugar intake. The WHO recommends a maximum of 50g, ideally 25g, of simple sugars, but this seems unrealistic to me. Two portions of fruit at 150 grams already add up to 30g, not to mention the inclusion of dairy products, vegetables, and other foods. I understand that this is an averaged value, but simple sugars are very often cited as the cause of various health issues, yet 25g of sugars is really a very low threshold.

Thank you.

Current recommendations from the WHO regarding sugar intake aim for a maximum of 90 g per day, with 50 g being added sugars, and there is consideration to reduce this amount to 25 g. When assessing the quality of nutrition, it is important to distinguish between naturally occurring sugars in foods and those added during processing. The fact is that fruits and fruit products (juices, compotes, jams, etc.) are the richest sources of naturally occurring sugars, so it is advisable to monitor the proportion of this food group in the diet. The same applies to the category of foods with added sugars, where there is a significantly higher risk of excess. This is one of the many meaningful examples and essentially a reason why it pays to monitor the nutritional quality of food, as numbers can sometimes speak clearly.

25 g of added sugars per day may initially seem like a low limit, but when converted, this amounts to 6 sugar cubes, which, when visualized in this way, takes on a different dimension than an abstract value. You are correct in stating that reaching this limit is not easy, especially in the long term. On the other hand, it is necessary to realize that this is a dietary component that we actually do not need and that does not benefit our health. This topic should lead to reflection on how strictly we will monitor the proportion of natural and industrially processed foods in our diet.

Hello.
I'm a bit confused about which dairy products are considered fermented and which are not. Besides the obvious yogurts, buttermilk, and acidophilus milk... Skyr is fermented. Curd? Fresh cheeses? Aged cheeses?

A fermented product is one that has undergone fermentation (aging). To classify it, it is necessary to know something about the method of production, i.e., whether fermentation cultures or a natural aging process were used, or not. The use of fermentation cultures should be indicated on the product label, so this information is available; there shouldn't be a problem classifying a dairy product in this regard.

Skyr is fermented, while quark generally is not, although fermented types are also produced. Cheeses are made by coagulating milk using rennet or lactic acid; it depends on the manufacturer to decide what type of cheese they want to produce—most are subject to an aging process, i.e., the influence of used bacteria or noble molds.

Fresh cheeses (such as mozzarella, feta) and processed cheeses do not usually age (i.e., they do not ferment). On a general level, it is more complicated because, technically, during the processing of milk—its coagulation, molding, and pressing—preliminary aging occurs through so-called primary cultures (microorganisms naturally present in the food), which affect the structure and consistency of the product.

Hello,
I would like to inquire about the suitability of consuming dairy products as a source of calcium. Especially vegan or even paleo websites claim that countries with higher dairy consumption suffer more from osteoporosis. Is this information taken out of context, or what is the reason for the higher incidence of this disease?
Thank you

Consider dairy products as the most advantageous source of calcium. This means that these products contain a relatively large amount of calcium, and this element is relatively well absorbed. However, this in itself does not mean that they are a panacea for preventing or mitigating the onset of osteoporosis or its symptoms. For optimal calcium metabolism, it is important to ensure an adequate proportion of magnesium in the body, which acts as its antagonist. Additionally, vitamin D3 (calciferol), thyroid function (which produces the hormone calcitonin), sufficient protein intake, and intestinal microbiota activity (which produces vitamin K2, regulating calcium absorption) are crucial. If any of these factors deviate from balance, calcium metabolism becomes complicated. Therefore, attributing the higher incidence of osteoporosis to the consumption of dairy products is very unfortunate and, from proponents of some alternative dietary regimes, purposeful.

Hello,
I am interested in how to supplement calcium with lactose intolerance if a person will not consume dairy products at all. Is it possible to obtain enough calcium from the diet, or is supplementation necessary?
Thank you for your response.

Even though animal dairy products are presented as the most efficient source of calcium, they are by no means the only one. Significant amounts of this element can be found in many other foods - most notably in bones (using bone broths), with nuts and seeds being very rich sources as well, and in smaller amounts in meat, eggs, and certain types of vegetables. In the educational application ZOF, you have the opportunity to sort foods in various categories based on the content of selected nutrients, which can certainly be useful when creating meal plans.