Is Ditching Dairy Healthy?

There are many reasons individuals may choose to eliminate dairy from their diet. In the past, the most common reasons for ditching dairy were lactose intolerance, milk allergies, and ethical reasons. Lately, however, the benefits of eliminating dairy from one's diet have been a hot topic in online health and beauty communities. Proponents of a dairy-free diet claim eliminating dairy caused improvements in both their health and appearance. These claims have caused dairy-free diets to gain popularity among individuals who otherwise wouldn't have considered them. So, what are these claims and how valid are they? Does ditching dairy have any health risks?

Impact On Acne

One common claim about the benefits of a dairy-free diet is it leads to clearer skin. This claim is partially backed up by studies. However, these studies currently only link milk consumption to acne, and no link has been established between dairy products such as yogurt or cheese and acne. Milk's impact on acne is believed to be due to certain hormones in milk contributing to inflammation in the body. This is important because acne is an inflammatory disease. So, a reduction in inflammation often leads to a reduction in breakouts. For acne-sufferers looking to reduce breakouts, ditching milk is worth a shot, but completely eliminating dairy may not provide significant benefit.

Connection To Weight Loss

Another reason for the popularity of dairy-free diets are claims of their connection to weight loss. However, these claims are anecdotal and are not backed up by any studies. It is possible to lose weight on a dairy-free diet, but this weight loss is not due solely to the lack of dairy product consumption. The most likely scenario is individuals who eliminate dairy from their diets typically consume fewer calories as a result, leading to weight loss. So, if individuals are trying to lose weight, eliminating dairy from their diet is unnecessary unless they're prone to overeating dairy products.