How to choose “your” fermented milk product  

Maltseva Oksana Alexandrovna

Nutritionist

The question of whether or not adults should drink milk has broken more than a dozen copies. Some talk about the incredible benefits of milk. After all, milk is life itself. Others say that milk and adults are incompatible things.

Who is right in this dispute?

But first, let's define the terminology.

Many people confuse it - they call lactase deficiency lactose deficiency. This is not true. There is no such term as lactose intolerance.

It's correct to say:

• Lactose intolerance
• Lactase deficiency
• lactose intolerance
• lactase deficiency

It's simple. A person lacks the enzyme lactase, so he is intolerant to lactose, a substance that this very enzyme breaks down.

Now let's get back to our milk.

Is milk and milk products normal food for an adult?

One of the main arguments of opponents of eating dairy products is the unnaturalness of this type of nutrition for humans.

And that's true. If you think about it, humans are the only living creatures on planet Earth that drink milk as adults, not only milk of their own species, but also that obtained from other mammals.

Milk is intended to quickly nurture newborn offspring. But an adult does not need rapid cultivation. So then why does he drink milk?

Before the agricultural revolution, people drank milk, but in the same way as all other mammals on the planet. That is, only breast milk from their mothers during infancy. In other words, the human species was formed in the complete absence of milk feeding in adulthood.

Everything is clear and logical.

However, scientific research shows that because people in many regions of the Earth have been eating dairy products for many thousands of years, their genes have changed. And now, even as adults, they are able to digest milk much more efficiently than their distant ancestors or those representatives of the human race who come from “non-dairy” regions.

Why is milk and some dairy products so difficult for adults to digest?

The main carbohydrate in milk is lactose, or “milk sugar,” which is made up of two simple sugars—glucose and galactose.

In infancy, the human body produces the enzyme lactase, which successfully breaks down lactose in mother's milk. But as a person gets older, lactase production decreases, the ability to digest lactose decreases and may completely disappear.

It has now been established that 75% of the world's population is not able to digest lactose in adulthood, that is, they have lactose intolerance (lactase deficiency). Not everyone has severe intolerance. But to one degree or another it happens to many people.

It must be said that lactose intolerance has different distribution in different regions of our planet.

As can be seen from the data presented in the figure, our country, Europe, North America and Australia suffer from lactose intolerance much less than Asia, Africa and South America.

Symptoms of lactase deficiency in adults

Symptoms of lactose intolerance in adults range from severe to mild, depending on how much of the lactase enzyme the body is able to produce.

Symptoms of the disease begin to appear in the range from 30 to 120 minutes after dairy products enter the gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms of lactase deficiency include:

• bloating
• pain (usually cramping) in the lower abdomen
• rumbling in the stomach and passing gas
• diarrhea (sometimes loose, foamy stools)
• nausea and vomiting.

Typically, symptoms of lactase deficiency increase with age. And as someone gets older, a person who calmly drank milk in his youth may lose the ability to even eat ice cream. This is a completely normal development of events. No worries.

Symptoms of lactase deficiency in infants

Lactase deficiency in infants is very rare. Symptoms of this condition are:

• severe diarrhea with foamy stools
• vomit
• dehydration
• diaper rash
• extremely slow weight gain

In addition to lactose intolerance, there is also a food allergy to the protein components of milk. Unlike lactase deficiency, which is more common in adults, food allergies usually occur in children.

Symptoms of a milk allergy

Symptoms of the development of an allergic reaction to milk protein occur within a period of several minutes to several hours after milk enters the body.

The symptoms that appear first are:

• hives
• difficulty breathing
• vomit

The following may appear:

• diarrhea (often bloody stools)
• abdominal cramps
• cough and wheezing when breathing
• runny nose and watery eyes
• rashes around the mouth
• babies have colic

Milk allergy is a much more dangerous condition than lactose intolerance. It could potentially end in death due to anaphylactic shock.

The essence of the approach

The main goal of the diet is not only to reduce weight, but also to maintain it at the desired level. Fermented milk products help:

• restore the immune system;
• ease the work of the stomach after a feast;
• eliminate constipation;
• help digest fatty foods faster. At the same time, it does not pack on the intestinal walls, which promotes weight loss.

The essence is rapid weight loss in a minimum period of time. This is a strict mono-diet in which you can only consume natural fermented milk products. The composition should not contain preservatives, additives, dyes or thickeners.

All permitted products contain large amounts of protein and calcium, which are essential for the proper functioning of the entire body. In addition to weight loss, such a fermented milk diet helps improve the condition of the skin and hair, and also strengthens the cell structure.

Advantages:

• the menu is planned in such a way that, thanks to the satiety of the products, there will be no feeling of hunger between meals;
• the weight will come off quickly;
• all products are inexpensive, so the diet will not require large amounts of money;
• The fermented milk diet is prescribed not only to those who want to lose weight on their own, but also to pregnant women.

Doctors did not find any deficiencies. If you follow all the recommendations and do not exceed the recommended time, there will be no harm to your health.

Problems you may encounter on a fermented milk diet:

• it is difficult for those with a sweet tooth to withstand all the restrictions, since sweet foods are completely excluded;
• dairy products can quickly become so boring that you don’t have enough willpower to finish what you started;
• Kefir can cause discomfort in some people, which manifests itself in the form of rumbling in the stomach or upset stomach.

You can buy kefir at any store or make it yourself.

Important! It is best to prepare homemade kefir every day so that it does not lose its freshness.

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How to distinguish lactose intolerance from milk protein allergy?

You can usually diagnose yourself at home simply based on your medical history:

• intolerance increases with age and rarely manifests itself before adolescence - the allergy occurs in the child
• symptoms of deficiency include only gastrointestinal troubles - allergies manifest themselves as breathing problems and skin rashes
• intolerance symptoms develop more slowly than an allergic reaction
• in case of intolerance, the symptoms become more severe the more lactose enters the body - the development of an allergic reaction occurs even with microscopic ingestion of milk protein
• lactase deficiency does not manifest itself when consuming fermented milk products, cheeses, butter - an allergy to milk protein occurs when any dairy products are ingested

As you can see, there are quite a lot of differences, and they are significant. However, if we are talking about a very young child with a severe reaction to breast milk, the diagnosis should only be made by a doctor and only on the basis of tests.

What is better to combine dairy products with?

Dairy products are best combined with grains - bread and cereals. Grains contain practically no important amino acid lysine
, necessary for tissue repair, immune system function, hormone production and calcium absorption, but there are many carbohydrates and practically no calcium.
In milk, the opposite is true. Therefore, these two types of products complement each other well in chemical composition and are easily digested
together without creating additional stress on the digestive tract.
Conclusion:
the best breakfast is whole grain porridge with low-fat milk. A cheese sandwich is best made without butter and on a slice of grain bread.

So can you drink milk?

Both milk and cream can be drunk as tolerated.

That is, if you digest milk very well, you can drink it.

But if after a dairy meal you feel a certain discomfort, there is no need to force yourself to consume this product, guided by the fact that it is supposedly healthy.

If it is useful, it is not for you. Because if the absorption of any product is poor, there can be no benefit from it in principle.

When it comes to milk, it is important to understand the following: natural milk is healthy - not pasteurized and obtained from free-grazing cows.

You can’t just buy this kind of milk in a store. The same milk that is sold in the store contains a very small amount of useful substances.

So, there is no reason to poison yourself with something that you do not assimilate or assimilate very difficultly.

Which dairy products are healthy?

What dairy products can and should almost everyone eat? With the exception of those who are allergic to milk protein.

1. Butter, which is the same healthy saturated fat that protects a person from many diseases, including excess weight gain.
2. Fatty foods, which, among other things, are also one of the best snacks for weight loss, include cheese.
3. Fermented dairy products - kefir, yogurt, sour cream, etc. All of these foods contain probiotics, which are essential for proper weight loss and overall health.

What dairy products should no one consume?

Low fat.


Fermented milk products are products that are produced by fermenting milk under the action of lactic acid, acetic acid bacteria and (or) yeast. Such products have a wide range of beneficial properties for the human body: from normalizing digestive processes to reducing mortality from cardiovascular disorders. In this article, we analyzed the available research regarding the benefits of fermented milk products and their possible harm.

Types of fermented milk products

There are several approaches to systematizing fermented milk products. The most common classification is by type of fermentation:

Products of lactic acid fermentation . Bacteria break down milk sugar to form lactic acid, and casein precipitates in the form of flakes. The absorption of such substances, when compared with milk, is much higher. This group includes: cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, fermented baked milk, yogurt, katyk, ayran, snowball.

Mixed fermentation products . Along with lactic acid, carbon dioxide, alcohol and a number of volatile acids are formed, which also ensure good absorption of all nutrients. Products in this category are: kefir, kumiss, shubat.

Beneficial features

Milk fermentation products contain valuable amino acids (valine, arginine, lysine, etc.), saturated fatty acids, lactic acid bacteria and yeast, vitamins (A, B2, B12, B6, B8, D, PP), micro- and macroelements ( calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc). It is this composition that provides the entire range of beneficial effects.

• Fermented milk products are a complete source of protein and calcium, which we need for the full functioning of the cardiovascular, skeletal and nervous systems. Moreover, calcium in such products is contained in an optimal ratio with phosphorus, due to which it is well absorbed.
• Fermented milk products are absorbed much better than milk. And all thanks to lacto- and bifidobacteria, which break down milk protein. As a result, if milk is absorbed by the body by only 32%, then fermented milk products are absorbed by more than 90%.
• Fermented milk products are an ideal option for those who suffer from lactose (milk sugar) intolerance, as lactic acid bacteria produce substances that promote the absorption of milk sugar and hard-to-digest proteins.
• Lactic acid helps increase the number of beneficial bacteria, which, in turn, protect the intestinal walls from infections. Therefore, fermented milk products are recommended for normalizing intestinal microflora in cases of dysbacteriosis, constipation and colitis, as well as when using antibiotics.
• Fermented milk products normalize intestinal motor function, reducing the formation of gases.
• Consumption of fermented milk products improves metabolism, because thanks to the fermentation of whole milk, vitamins B, E, D, A, calcium salts, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as essential amino acids remain in the products.
• In childhood and adolescence, fermented milk products help strengthen the skeleton.

Reducing the risk of developing cancer

Fermented milk drinks can prevent the occurrence of cancer pathologies. Scientists from Japan have discovered that probiotics block the malignant proliferation of cancer cells. Against the background of consumption, a reverse development of tumor processes is noted. According to Chinese experiments, kefir blocks the growth of tumors in rodents in 65% of cases, increases the activity of the synthesis and secretion of immunoglobulins, and induces macrophages, which ensure the capture and destruction of malignant cells. Probiotics, according to foreign studies, reduce the risk of developing cancer of the stomach, colon and mammary glands. Probiotic products have pronounced antitumor activity and can complement standard methods of treating oncological diseases.

Thus, fermented milk products are extremely beneficial for health, which is confirmed by numerous studies. According to scientists, regular and reasonable consumption (taking into account contraindications) not only improves the functioning of many systems of the human body, but even prolongs life.

Valeologist of the State Healthcare Institution "City Clinic No. 1 of Grodno" Sipach E.V.