Glass of kefir. Photo from Your Kefir Source.
One of the thornier areas of the Paleo diet discussion is dairy and all its forms. But putting it that way implies that all dairy can be treated the same, which would also foreshorten the debate by inviting a simple answer.
It’s true that many consider dairy to be outside of the acceptable foods for Paleo. There are a lot of Paleo authorities who take this stance—not least being Loren Cordain himself. Let’s go over the most commonly invoked arguments against dairy as part of a Paleo diet:
- It wasn’t part of Paleolithic man’s diet. The only dairy Paleolithic people consumed was breast milk, and that only when they were babies.
- The lactose in milk isn’t well-tolerated by a lot of people.
- The casein in milk can produce an allergic or intolerant reaction.
- Its consumption can promote insulin resistance, which can hinder proper metabolic activity.
- It can elevate the risk of cancer.
There is certainly some truth to some of these claims. Non-human dairy consumption was most likely seen after the Paleolithic. Lactose intolerance does exist. Insulin resistance can be built up with considerable dairy consumption. There are indeed some studies that show correlations—not necessarily causations, take note!—between carcinogenic factors and dairy consumption. Still, the question is really far from settled if one examines the matter more closely.
Is dairy really always a super-villain?
While very strict followers of the Paleo diet might say otherwise, the general consensus among nutritionists and scientists—not to mention actual medical doctors—is that the mere fact of something not having been consumed by Paleolithic man can be taken as an incontrovertible argument against it. There are many foods today that we know to be beneficial for our health but which weren’t eaten back in Paleolithic times.
Kefir, for instance, isn’t a Paleolithic-era food by any stretch of imagination. It’s produced through fermentation (of milk) too, which isn’t something most Paleolithic men were too familiar with, by all accounts. It’s also a dairy product. But all these things aside, it happens to be packed with beneficial bacteria that serve as probiotic supplementation.
Kefir—more specifically, kefir made with organic, full-fat, grass-fed milk—is best described as a non-sweet drinking yoghurt, perhaps a little similar to buttermilk in its consistency. It’s just one example of potentially “good” dairy, and it’s easily one of the most Paleo-friendly if you’re willing to open your mind a little to the dairy-in-Paleo proposition. For one thing, its production through fermentation renders it less likely to set off lactose intolerant responses than most dairy products. Fermenting milk leads to the lactose in it being consumed by beneficial bacteria. In other words, there are barely any sugars left in it to trigger lactose intolerance—or insulin responses, for that matter.
It’s actually possible to make highly Paleo-friendly kefir, as this indicates. Kefir that’s been fermented longer, for example, will not only have fewer sugars left in it but will also have more good bacteria for your gut. Furthermore, selecting the right milk to ferment can actually reduce the risk of casein intolerance… and possibly even cancer.
About the author: Giselle Cooper is a strong advocate of all things healthy, natural, and homegrown. She enjoys cooking and blogging during her spare time. You can follow her on Twitter and Pinterest.
By Irena Macri
About the author: Hi, I’m Irena Macri. Here at Cooked & Loved you will find simple, delicious recipes worth sharing. From new dishes to old-time favourites with a twist, this is the food I cook and love. More about me here. Sign up for my newsletter here.
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For what it’s worth, I’ve been eating Icelandic yogurt and surmjolk (a kind of kefir). You can take away my paleo card now. 🙂
As you have suggested there are other options such as coconut milk Kefir and even water kefir with the same great benefits – lots of friendly bacteria.
There is no such thing as coconut milk kefir. The micro-buddies won’t grow in coconut milk. They are adapted for dairy milk. Coconut milk is like dairy milk only in that both are white and both are liquid. I mix coconut milk with my kefir before I drink it; so I guess that might be thought of as coconut milk kefir. But otherwise, kefir will not grow in coconut milk.
You can get water kefir grains that can grow in coconut milk and coconut water.
I am so glad you wrote this article … although I am not Paleo, I do align with a lot of their food philosophies, but the one are i really struggled with was eliminating dairy … I have milk kefir made from raw milk every day, and love it … thank you so much for all of this information … it is really interesting!
Beneficial bacteria is one of the most important things you can ingest for your health. Kefir is packed with these probiotics, is easy to make, and is also packed full of other nutrients. I also think raw milk from grass fed cows is a great super food. I drink a glass of kefir each day, along with kombucha and fermented vegetables. I agree with a lot of the paleo ideas….kefir not being a good food is not one of them.
“actual medical doctors” That is a really strange phrase, as though they are authority figures when it comes to health building. Conventional medical doctors, generally speaking, not counting a very few doctors who get it, are the LAST people I would go to for health advice.
I think it’s interesting to note that raw milk does not irritate those of us with lactose intolerance. It contains the very enzymes needed to process lactose. It’s only after it’s pasteurized that lactose and glucose become issues. Again, if I drink pasteurized milk, my blood sugar goes through the roof, but not if I drink raw milk. Pasteurization is evil.
It’s true that lactose intolerance exists, but raw milk contains the necessary enzymes that counteract lactose. It’s the pasteurization process that is evil, not the dairy itself. I’ve been lactose intolerant my whole life, but I can consume raw dairy products with no issues at all.