Whether drinking milk is beneficial or harmful is one of the most contentious topics in the field of nutrition. What about people with diabetes? Should you avoid milk? The quick response is that it depends. If you choose to include dairy products in your diet, this article will assist you in making the best decisions and deciding whether or not to drink milk.
What ingredients are in milk?
It can be helpful to understand the makeup of milk before we begin discussing the things to think about before ingesting it. In summary, the contents of cow’s milk include water, around 3–4% fat, 3.5% protein, 5% lactose, a natural sugar, and a variety of minerals and vitamins. This table displays the nutritional makeup of different varieties of milk.
As the following table illustrates, animal milk has a far larger protein content than human milk. This is because calves need a lot more protein because they must grow considerably faster than newborns. Is it bad to drink another species’ milk? To find out, continue reading.
Is there a connection between drinking milk and Type 1 diabetes?
Certain studies, which are contentious, have linked the consumption of cow’s milk to juvenile onset diabetes, or type 1 diabetes. Researchers have discovered that cow’s milk differs greatly from human milk in terms of its protein makeup, particularly the A1 beta-casein molecule, which can be very difficult for people to digest.
Studies indicate that this A1 beta-casein and the bovine insulin found in cow’s milk may cause an autoimmune reaction in genetically predisposed kids with a specific HLA (human leukocyte antigen) complex, while more research is required in this area.
The body produces antibodies against the beta-cells, or the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, as a result of an autoimmune reaction. a gradually destroys the beta-cells and sets the stage for type 1 diabetes.
In summary, moms should aim to breastfeed their children exclusively until they turn one year old, if at all possible.
Is there a connection between drinking milk and Type 2 diabetes?
It may surprise you to hear that full-fat milk may really help prevent diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, according to a study of 16 studies. Trans-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid included in milk fat, seems to have the ability to raise insulin sensitivity and levels.
In fact, compared to individuals with the lowest amounts, people in one study who had the highest blood levels of trans-palmitoleic acid had a stunning 60% decreased chance of getting diabetes.
Additionally, butyrate, which is found in milk fat, is known to enhance gut flora and reduce inflammation, both of which have been linked to the development of chronic illnesses including diabetes and heart disease.
Conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), a naturally occurring trans fat in milk, and phytonic acid, another fatty acid found in dairy fat, have also been shown to lower the incidence of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Read Also: You Cannot Get Diabetes by Eating Sweets
How about milk from camels?
It has been discovered by researchers that camel milk has a protein similar to insulin that can tolerate stomach acid and absorb effectively into the bloodstream. Therefore, consuming camel milk can help lower blood glucose levels.
In fact, researchers showed that individuals with type 1 diabetes who drank camel milk on a daily basis were able to cut their insulin requirements by 30%! Furthermore, zinc, a mineral required by beta cells for the synthesis of insulin, is abundant in camel milk.
Conclusion: Although dairy fat may help prevent diabetes, if you don’t already consume dairy products, you shouldn’t start. This suggests that you would get a lot more benefits if you switched from skim or low-fat milk to full-fat milk.
If you have diabetes, is it safe to drink milk?
If you have diabetes, is it safe to drink milk? This is dependent upon the subsequent elements:
- Do you have a milk allergy?
Infancy to adulthood, the prevalence of milk allergies ranges from 1.9% to 4.9%; however, this decreases to 0.1 to 0.5%, indicating that many outgrow the allergy.
- Do you have an intolerance to lactose?
Did you know that lactose intolerance, a disorder that results in diarrhea and digestive pain, affects up to 65% of people worldwide? The primary cause of the digestive issues experienced by a large number of people with dairy products is the absence of the enzyme lactase, which is necessary to break down the lactose in milk in the stomach.
Having said that, lactose intolerance can be cured, albeit this is outside the purview of this article. To produce kefir or yogurt in the interim, try fermenting milk; they have less lactose and are typically well-tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant.
For those who are lactose sensitive, lactose-free or reduced lactose milks are frequently suggested. But based on my professional experience, those with diabetes or insulin resistance (such PCOS) frequently have blood glucose rises after consuming these kinds of milk.
If you decide to continue drink these milks, be sure to measure your blood sugar levels before and thereafter. This will allow you to ascertain the impact these milks have on your blood sugar levels.
- Are you experiencing increased permeability of your intestines?
The bloodstream’s tight connections with the intestinal wall can no longer stop partially digested proteins, bacteria, or pieces of bacteria from escaping into the circulation when the intestinal lining is destroyed. These drugs can cause the immune system to go into overdrive once they enter the bloodstream.
Potential allergens in milk, such as butyrophilin, casamorphin, beta-casein, and alpha-casein, may also cause the immune system to react. For this reason, if someone has a weakened intestinal lining, consuming milk is likely to cause negative effects including diarrhea, heartburn, and bloating.
- Do you have a gluten sensitivity?
Wheat, rye, barley, and triticale are sources of the protein gluten. Professional experience tells me that people who react to gluten (getting heartburn, feeling bloated, or having joint pain after eating gluten-containing food) frequently also react to milk. This is typically due to the fact that gluten intolerance frequently results in increased intestinal permeability and poor gut health.
- Do you have an excess of bacteria in your small intestine?
One of the primary causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which is, as the name implies, an excessive multiplication of bacteria in the small intestine. Because the bacteria in their intestines can gladly feast on and digest the lactose in milk, people with the condition may react to milk, leading to gastrointestinal problems like gas, diarrhea, and bloating.
- Do milk consumption and blood glucose spikes go hand in hand?
Checking your blood glucose levels before and around 30 minutes after ingesting milk is the best method to find out.
As one might expect, it’s best to stay away from milk if you have an unhealthy stomach, are gluten sensitive, have severe lactose intolerance, or have excessive blood glucose spike after consuming milk.
- What happens if you’re not sure if you can tolerate milk?
The best course of action would be to entirely cut out dairy products and milk for 30 days, and then gradually reintroduce them one at a time to check whether you are allergic to them. For example, you could begin with clarified butter, then go on to butter, yoghurt, and milk. For a week, try to eat one item at a time before going on to the next.
- Which kind of milk is suitable to drink if you have diabetes?
If you have diabetes and you choose to drink milk, don’t waste your money on so-called “diabetic milks”; they are nothing more than deceptive marketing gimmicks. Rather, opt for full-fat, preferably raw (unpasteurized) milk from grass-fed animals to avoid the unwanted addition of hormones and antibiotics to your milk. Full-fat, grass-fed milk would be the next best option.
- How much milk is permissible to consume if you have diabetes?
This question lacks a definitive solution because no two people with diabetes or insulin resistance will respond in the same way. Testing your blood glucose levels 30 minutes after consuming milk and before is the best technique to determine how much you may safely consume.
Remember that insulin sensitivity varies throughout the day. If you enjoy drinking milk in the morning and at night, check your blood sugar levels before each meal.
- Can someone with diabetes use non-dairy milks?
Depending on the kind of nondairy milk, yes. Let’s start with the non-dairy milks that, because of their high carbohydrate content, might cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate: rice milk, oat milk, and any kind of non-dairy milk that has been sweetened.
Additionally, you should stay away from non-dairy milks that have fillers or components you can’t pronounce. Since the majority of soy in the US is genetically modified, heavily processed, and unfermented, I also advise against drinking soy milk.
While it is true that a large number of research point to the health benefits of soy, an even greater number show that soy consumption is hazardous. Why jeopardize your well-being?
Try full-fat coconut milk or almond milk instead of soy, oat, or rice milks; the natural fat in these products will keep your blood sugar from rising too high. Naturally, the unsweetened varieties devoid of chemical additions like guar gum or sodium metabisulphite are what you want.
Choose BPA-free cans or cartons whenever possible. Native Forrest and Arroy-D (the cartonized version) are two brands of coconut milk that you can choose from.
Now that you know the basics, let’s move to commonly asked questions.
Question and Answers
If I have gestational diabetes, can I still drink milk?
As you can see from the section “When consuming milk may not be a good idea,” it depends on a number of circumstances.
Can diabetes be acquired via chocolate milk?
A single food or beverage does not create type 2 diabetes; rather, your entire lifestyle does. Having said that, prolonged use of sweetened chocolate milk can exacerbate insulin resistance; the excessive amount of sugar added to the milk is the real culprit in this case.
Can you get diabetes from milk?
See the sections titled “Is there a connection between milk consumption and Type 1 diabetes?” and “Is there a connection between milk consumption and Type 2 diabetes?”
Does milk cause diabetes?
See the sections titled “Is there a connection between milk consumption and Type 1 diabetes?” and “Is there a connection between milk consumption and Type 2 diabetes?”
Is milk harmful to diabetics?
Depending on your tolerance level, see the section titled “When consuming milk may not be a good idea.”
Is almond milk safe to consume when diabetic?
Sure, as long as you sip unsweetened, genuine almond milk devoid of artificial ingredients.
The best milk for diabetes is which one?
Think about selecting one of the choices provided.
Have a pleasant day, and we hope we were able to answer your questions about milk!
diabetes councils Article | Reviewed by Dr. Christine Traxler MD updated on 22.10.2022
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