Myth busting: cheese, dairy & the tooth fairy

Head back into our blog archives and you’ll find a brilliant piece by Pandora, our Community and Loyalty Manager, telling us all about why cheese is so great. After our recent visit to Barber’s Cheesemakers we thought it was about time to dive a little further into the debate, busting some serious myths which risk the reputation of our beloved cheese.

The Myth: Dairy will leach calcium from your bones

Ah, so all those years you spent drinking slightly-warm milk through a tiny straw at school wasn’t worth it after all? Well, not quite. The idea here is that animal protein (of which dairy is a source) will trigger something pretty scary-sounding called metabolic acidosis.

Dairy-haters will claim that absorption of casein (a milk protein) causes build-up of acidity in the body, forcing our bones to compensate by releasing calcium from our bones and excreting this in our urine.

The Science:

The more valid and all-together scientific research tells us that dietary protein (yes, this includes dairy) actually works together with calcium to improve bone health. It all gets rather science-y, but the basic gist is that a particular growth factor we find in protein (called insulin-like growth factor) increases absorption of calcium and improves muscle mass, which, coincidentally, is another crucial factor for bone health.

What about acidosis? Thankfully, we have our lungs and kidneys working closely to maintain blood PH at a steady level. The change in serum PH in response to what we eat is very, very small and is tightly controlled by our hard-working organs. To go into a state of acidosis from a slice of Camembert, put simply, is not going to happen.

On top of this, limiting a good source of protein in the form of dairy could put yourself at risk of protein deficiency – something which is legitimately detrimental to our health. Protein is an essential macronutrient and we need adequate intake of the stuff for our muscles, our bones, our immune system and more.

The Myth: Dairy causes inflammation

This one seems to be everywhere. A number of theories drive the cause including lactose intolerance, hormones in milk and our old friend, acidosis. Claims are wild enough to include a link between supposed dairy-inflammation and autism.

The Science:

If you look at the research, it is widely reported that dairy consumption from sources like milk and cheese actually has an anti-inflammatory impact on the body. Low-fat, high-fat or fermented, this anti-inflammatory effect is seen time and time again.

The only caveat to this is for those who are lactose intolerant. In this case yes, consuming dairy products will cause you some discomfort (however with fairly obvious and unpleasant symptoms, you would know if you’re one of these people or not).

The Myth: Cholesterol and saturated fat in cheese raises risk of cardiovascular disease

Given that for decades we were told to avoid high-fat foods to keep our cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular disease low, it’s not surprising this myth exists. Cheese is a rich source of saturated fat and so naturally fell onto the list of foods to avoid.

The Science:

Science evolved and caught up with itself and we now know that not all saturated fats are created equal. Different types of saturated fats have different structures, and this appears to alter the impact they have on our health. Dairy sources like yoghurt and cheese have been linked to neutral or even positive impacts on cardiovascular disease risk, while fermented dairy has been associated with reduced LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol, reduced risk of high blood pressure and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Our Blacksticks Blue is looking very appealing right now!

The Myth: Dairy is unnatural

Based on more of a funny feeling than solid facts, this is the idea that milk is bad for us because we are the only species on the planet to drink the milk of another animal. We’re also the only species to use computers and hop on transatlantic flights but hey, milk is the real enemy here. Believers of the idea will further go on to state that because we evolved to develop lactase (the enzyme needed to digest lactose) this is not natural and “in accordance with our bodies”. If only Darwin was around to handle this one.

The Science:

Humans evolved to drink milk somewhere in the region of 10,000 years BC, so it’s reasonable to say this un-natural phenomenon has been with us a fair few years.

Humans also developed the intellect to understand nutritional properties of foods. It does not make a valid argument to avoid doing something just because no other animal does it, and particularly-so when this is based on nothing else. In reality, dairy products are nutritious sources of protein, vitamin A, B6, B12, vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, iodine (and more) and fundamentally, humans have survived because we learnt to adapt and thrive in the environment around us.

It’s also worth remembering that eliminating dairy from the diet is a first-world choice. In many developing countries dairy is still an important part of the diet, where people do not have the privilege to pop vitamin pills or drink fortified almond milk when something feels un-natural.

The Myth: Dairy causes excess mucus

Fairly self-explanatory, this is the idea that eating delicious cheese and other forms of dairy will cause a build-up of mucus production from the lungs. Believers of the myth will avoid dairy in an attempt to cure respiratory illness including asthma, cystic fibrosis and the common cold.

The Science:

This myth is believed to date back to the teachings of a Jewish spiritual leader in Egypt who died in 1204. Meaning no disrespect, but there are not many medical teachings from this era which have stood the test of time. A round-up of the evidence published in 2019 (that’s more like it) found no evidence of milk leading to excessive production of mucus, even in those with respiratory disorders like asthma.

So, there you have it. A whistle-stop tour through some of the biggest cheese myths that were bugging us. We didn’t need much persuading, but a cheeseboard is most definitely in order!

(Full disclaimer, we can neither confirm nor deny the existence of the tooth fairy).

Molly is a Registered Nutritional Therapist.

The nerdy bit:
1. Balfour-Lynn, I.M. (2019). ‘Milk, mucus and myths’, Archives of Disease in Childhood, 104, pp. 91-93.
2. Bordoni, A., Danesi, F., Dardevet, D., et al. (2017). ‘Dairy products and inflammation: A review of the clinical evidence’, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 57(12).
3. Gomez-Cortes, P., Juarez, M., Angelde la Fuente, A. (2018). ‘Milk fatty acids and potential health benefits: An updated vision’, Trends in Food Science and Technology, 81, pp. 1-9.
4. Kerstetter, J.E., Kenny, A.M., & Insogna, K.L. (2011). ‘Dietary protein and skeletal health: a review of recent human research’, Current Opinion in Lipidology, 22(1), pp. 16-20.
5. Lordan, R., Tsoupras, A., Mitra, B., et al. (2018). ‘Dairy Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: Do We Really Need to Be Concerned?’, Foods, 7(3).
6. Lordan, R., & Zabetakis, I. (2017). ‘Invited review: The anti-inflammatory properties of dairy lipids’, Journal of Dairy Science, 100(6), pp. 4197-4212.
7. Van den Heuvel, & Steijns. (2018). ‘Dairy products and bone health: how strong is the scientific evidence?’, Nutrition Research Reviews, 31(2), pp. 164-178.