4 Shocking Benefits of Giving Up Dairy

Uhm, so apparently an American consumes 36 pounds of cheese a year and 24 pounds of ice cream or frozen dairy products; shit that’s a lot. Considering I live for cheese, I very well could be one of those Americans. Surprisingly, since 2005, there has been a steady decline in dairy consumption; it’s now at 22% of Americans. So for some time I have contemplated giving up, or at least cutting back, my dairy consumption. Over the past several months I’ve discovered that every time I eat cheese, I feel sick afterwards; it hasn’t stopped me though … yet. The reasons people are giving up dairy varies: weight loss, clearer skin, disease prevention and increased energy. These are a few of the benefits of giving up dairy and adopting a dairy-free diet. Here are additional health benefits of giving up dairy products.

Serious Health Benefits of Giving Up Dairy

1. Clearer Skin

Milk is an acne trigger. If you find that you break out a lot, try going dairy-free. Research shows milk contains testosterone-like hormones that make you breakout. They stimulate oil glands and your skin does not appreciate it. It could also save you a lot of money – you won’t need to buy expensive skincare products to help with the skin flare-ups! Dermatologists recommend going dairy free as a first course of action against acne and eczema. Not only will your skin clear but you’ll feel less bloated and have more energy!

2. Digestion Improvements

65% of the population suffers from lactose intolerance; I think I’m now among that population as well. This is when your body has a hard time digesting lactose, which is a sugar found in dairy. Your body stops producing lactase during adulthood; guess that means I’m now an adult. If you start to feel unwell after eating dairy, consider going dairy-free. People who are lactose intolerant have lower risks of breast, ovarian and lung cancer.

3. Weight Loss

Although we assume consuming dairy helps with growing our bones and being slimmer, it actually has been show that kids who drank more milk, gained more weight. Research has also shown that veganism is the absolute best lifestyle for weight loss. Dairy-free is one way to scale your progress if you desire to lose weight. Even a Swedish study showed those who consumed a lot of dairy fat were more than half as likely to develop obesity. Dairy might be rich in fat and protein and does keep you full but you could replace those with simple carbs. Nuts, seeds, eggs and beans are better alternatives!

4. Bone Improvement

Seems a bit counter-intuitive. We’ve grown up hearing milk is the best way to get our bones strong and healthy. Research has found that those who drank more milk had a higher rate of suffering from hip fractures. I guess not having hip fractures is a serious one of the benefits of giving up dairy. Going dairy-free might be a good idea!

Let us know what you think about the benefits of giving up dairy in the comments below!

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