



In contrast, when researchers gave subjects pure lactose, their insulin response matched its glycemic index, suggesting something unique about dairy causes it to kick insulin response into overdrive. But research shows that consuming dairy consistently triggers disproportionately high surges of insulin, given its carbohydrate load - by a factor of 3-6 times, according to one study of healthy subjects. Why Dairy Causes Insulin Surgesĭairy contains carbs, in the form of lactose, so we expect it to trigger some insulin release insulin’s job is to clear glucose (produced by breaking down carbohydrates) from the bloodstream. (In fact, as much as 75 percent of the adult population may have some degree of lactose intolerance due to their declining levels of lactase.)ĭairy also contains two primary forms of protein: casein, which is digested slowly and provides a steady release of amino acids into the bloodstream, and whey, which is digested faster. While lactase production is high during infancy, research shows this often declines as we age. The main carbohydrate in dairy is lactose, a milk sugar that the body breaks down with a digestive enzyme called lactase. Yogurt, made by fermenting either milk or cream to convert milk sugar into lactic acid.ĭairy foods are a source of protein, fat, and carbohydrate that also contain nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.Cheese, made by coagulating one of the proteins in milk called casein.Butter, made by separating the butterfat from the buttermilk in cream.Cream, the high-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk.Milk, the base form of all dairy products.There are several different types of dairy products, including: First, What is Dairy?ĭairy is any product made from the milk of a lactating animal, such as cows, goats, and sheep. So, what does this mean for you and that morning smoothie or bowl of unsweetened yogurt? Here’s what the research says. “A lot of this is lost on people if they are just focusing on the spike,” says Titgemeier. “It may blunt the acute spike but make us more insulin resistant the next day.” And while the high-fat content of milk may help temper its sugars in the short-term, all that sugar still has to be processed. That excess insulin can blunt the glucose rise after consumption, according to Titgemeier “Which isn’t necessarily a good thing,” she explains. For example, a study of 13 people with Type 2 diabetes found that their insulin response after consuming dairy products was five-fold greater than expected based on the food’s carbohydrate content. Second, research shows dairy is what’s called an insulin secretagogue-meaning it prompts the pancreas to secrete insulin, sometimes more than we’d expect based on the glycemic index of the food being consumed. The carbohydrate source in dairy is lactose, a naturally-occurring sugar that doesn’t spike blood sugar levels as rapidly as refined sugars do, she adds. First, although milk contains natural sugars, it also packs fat and protein - factors that typically help glucose enter the bloodstream slowly and steadily, says Brigid Titgemeier, MS, RDN, a functional nutrition dietitian. The metabolic consequences of consuming dairy foods are challenging to unpack for a couple of reasons. Regular or lactose-free? Skim or whole fat? Traditional dairy or dairy alternatives? Dairy is one of those food categories that spurs a lot of conflicting nutritional advice.
