Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

6

I enjoy heavy cream but I cannot find what I consider reliable information about it. (I do not consider anything published by the government or the milk industry as "reliable.")

1) Here in the U.S., in my part of the country, I can only get cream at the grocery store and it is always labeled "Ultra-pasteurized." Why does a fat need pasteurization, ultra or otherwise? Is it because of the (so-called) low amounts of carb and proteins?

2) In the next week or so, after a project at work winds down, I intend to experiment with a menu that is as low-carb as possible for 30 days to observe any results. Has anyone tracked their blood glucose after having taken a large dose -- a cup or two -- of commercial heavy cream?

Any other information, beyond what one finds on a carton or calorie counter, would be much appreciated.

Phocion Timon Jan. 21, 2011

flag	asked Jan 21 2011 at 16:11 Phocion_Timon 387●2●5

luckybastard · Answer 1 · 2011-01-21 18:04:05Z UTC

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on a new post on robb wolf's site, there is a very informative pro vs con dairy discussion going on in the comments section with input by chris kesser and kurt harris. very very good stuff on both sides. http://robbwolf.com/2011/01/19/nutritional-relativism/

answered Jan 21 2011 at 18:04

luckybastard♦
12.5k●1●14●65

Thank you very much for posting this link. I appreciate being able to read Dr. Harris' comment. He always cuts through the opinions and nonsense and gives clear help. – PaleoGran Jan 21 2011 at 22:32

Which is the comment made by Dr. Harris? – Wozza Jan 22 2011 at 0:49

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Scroll all the way down in the comments section. It's one of the last comments. – luckybastard♦ Jan 22 2011 at 1:32

Dr. Harris' comments are easy to find on blog pages, using the "find" on my computer, or the search function on the blog site. – PaleoGran Jan 22 2011 at 10:04

malac · Answer 2 · 2011-01-21 17:08:57Z UTC

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post coffee and cream I test around 60-70....there is little to no lactose/lactase in heavy cream as it is 99.9 % fat. Most people who dont tolerate dairy well can usually have cream and butter (just heavy cream churned). There is conflicting information depending on which board or author you find...but even robb wolf allows it and kurt (paleonu) thinks its a marvelous neolithic creation.

answered Jan 21 2011 at 17:08

malac
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	basis for the negative vote? – malac Jan 23 2011 at 3:49
	Heavy cream is about 40% fat – animalcule Aug 13 2011 at 16:30
	Yes, and there's a bunch of water in there too, and some solids. This is all evident when cream is turned to butter, and again when butter is clarified to ghee. Cream is not 99% fat. – Christopher Gagnon Jan 15 2012 at 18:23
	I think he meant heavy cream is 99.99 % fat from a macronutrient perspective (so not many harmful sugars and proteins that are associated with the negative aspects of dairy). Obviously most foods contain water, but that doesn't seem very relevant. Just my two cents – jared Apr 20 2012 at 14:16

David Moss · Answer 3 · 2011-01-21 18:47:20Z UTC

Peter looks into a study testing insulin and blood glucose in response to heavy cream. After eating 300 calories of cream, blood glucose drops from 5.16 to 4.47, 4.86, 4.86mmol/L (at 1, 2, 3 hrs). This is doubtless due to insulin increasing from 39.6 to 49.2 before subsiding to 37.2 and 30pmol/L.

By comparison 300 calories of casein move blood glucose from 5.3 to 4.37, 4.88 and 4.83 due to the commensurate massive increases in insulin from 39 to 108.6, 117, 90 (though presumably also accompanied by glucagon, offsetting the effects of the insulin).

PaleoJoy · Answer 4 · 2012-01-15 16:49:10Z UTC

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In the UK we just get cream from a cow. We have cornish cream with a skin and single cream, double cream, extra thick, organic, whipping, whipped, etc...

answered Jan 15 2012 at 16:49

PaleoJoy
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	It's not nice to rub it in, you know! :-)) A long, long time ago that was true here too. – Nance Jan 15 2012 at 17:20
	processing food is a scourge upon the earth! – PaleoJoy Jan 18 2012 at 17:22

rafi · Answer 5 · 2011-01-21 18:19:47Z UTC

My local Whole Foods had grass fed, not ultra-pasteurized heavy cream sold in $4 pints by a different brand - not Natural by Nature. But I went to by some 2 days ago and it was off the shelves. In its place I picked up a quart of 365 Everyday (The Whole Foods white label brand) for around $5.40 I think. Not grass-fed but on the bright side it's regular pasteurization - not ultra. So it's thick and just cream - no Carrageenan or gum. The grass-fed one seemed really rich and delicious. But this one is still a step above the regular supermarket options.

I find it odd that the Fairway and Trader Joe's near me don't sell any high quality heavy cream and the nearby farmers markets seem to have everything but dairy. Cream is basically the only reason I make the occasional trip to Whole Foods.

Futureboy · Answer 6 · 2011-08-13 05:31:17Z UTC

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Evan's Farmhouse brand from upstate NY sells WONDERFUL grassfed, non-homogenized, low-heat pasteurized heavy cream from Jersey cows.

I drink almost a pint a day...I'm obsessed. Some fiends have a bag a day coke habit. I have a pint a day cream habit.

Watch out for the commercial crap, it's usually chock full of crageenan.

answered Aug 13 2011 at 5:31

Futureboy
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yah see I used to eat a lot of cream but even at my most, I might have been eating half pint a day, usually less. Lately though, I haven't even been going through a pint a week. – Jack Kronk Aug 13 2011 at 5:44

How much is too much? I'm gonna make a question about it. – Futureboy Aug 13 2011 at 7:12

What do you mean by low heat ? Regular pasterizaton (non UHT- Ultra High temperature)? – Ikco Aug 13 2011 at 10:47

the bottle says "Lowest heat pasteurized, non-homogenized Grade A whole milk cream." Sounds great to me! – Futureboy Aug 13 2011 at 20:01

That sounds very "it's just regular pasterization but since UHT exists, let's rebrand the term to low heat to creat even more confusion". Can't front on heavy cream thought ! – Ikco Aug 14 2011 at 15:41

FanOfSunshine · Answer 7 · 2011-01-21 16:33:17Z UTC

I wish it wasn't ultra-pasteurized, but for obvious reasons, consumers, would want it because they think it would last longer, and the producers are asked to make it by the "buyers" being the grocery store owners; longer shelf life. It must be a slow moving item. (not in my house, it used very fast and sometimes find it regular and not ultra pasteurized.)

I really am interested in your # 2 question.

wjones3044 · Answer 8 · 2011-01-21 16:56:09Z UTC

I've never tested myself for the quantities you mentioned. I've tested myself one and two hours after having about 3 ounces heavy cream with coffee. Baseline readings were about 85-90 mg/dL. Readings post-coffee/cream were about 100 mg/dL.

The Food Lovers · Answer 9 · 2011-01-21 17:49:44Z UTC

We found grass fed heavy cream at whole foods that was wonderful. The brand is called Natural by Nature. On their site it says they use "low temp pasteurization", and all their products are certified organic, kosher, and gluten free. It was more expensive than our local grocery stores generic brand but worth it. We have since switched to just using coconut milk, but we highly recommend that brand of heavy cream.

Heavy Cream (Heavy Whipping Cream)

9 Answers