I recently contacted J. Stanton in regards to high fat dairy products, and this was basically our conversation:

Me: could you go a little more into depth why it's harmful to eat dairy, such as cheeses and yogurts? Is there a difference between raw and pasteurized in terms of how it gets processed in the body, and does it matter from what kind of animal? I'd like to know, since I eat mostly meats and vegetables, but enjoy a good cheese every now and then. Thank you!

JS: I'm not against dairy, as my advocacy of butter should make clear.  As I've said before, butterfat is healthy for the same reason animal fat is healthy, and butter (being 100% butterfat with impurities) is therefore good for all but the frankly allergic.

The potential problems are with lactose and casein.  Many people aren't lactose-tolerant, and lactose is just sugar anyway.  Casein is an interesting and complex case: some of its peptides are psychoactive in the same way that gluten peptides are (though less so), and there are other possibly-bioactive properties of casein that cause me to view it with suspicion.

That's why I limit my dairy consumption to butter (all fat), half-and-half (mostly fat), Greek yogurt (mostly fat), and whey protein.  I see no reason to drink milk, and low-fat milk (like all low-fat products) is just another way to make yourself fat.  My urge for cheese basically vanished since I started eating functional paleo, though I will occasionally enjoy cheesecake or a slice of fresh mozzarella.

As I say in "Eat Like A Predator", my advice is to try eliminating dairy and see if it makes a difference for you.  If not, then I don't view occasional cheese as anathema.  Mainly dairy is a bad idea for anyone trying to lose weight!

Raw dairy will have far more vitamin K2-MK4 in it, as well as the other fat-soluble vitamins (which are stripped out to some degree by pasteurization, K2 being one of the hardest hit).  And most raw dairy comes from smaller farms whose animals eat and live more healthy lives.

Me: Is there a reason you view casein with suspicion, but still consume whey protein? I have no dairy intolerances. Also, how do you feel about heavy whipping cream? Would it be in the same classification as butter, and can I use it liberally if I actively give up other forms of dairy?

JS: I eat whey protein: it's of good quality and bioavailability.  Some people don't like it because it's absorbed very quickly and has a high-ish complement of insulinogenic amino acids...but if you're trying to lose weight, you don't want to be eating liquid food anyway.

Heavy cream is like butter: it's fine nutritionally, keeping in mind that the way to lose weight isn't to smother everything in it.

As I stated before, the problem with casein is that it has some bioactive peptides in it.  Unlike wheat, those proteins don't cause gut permeability, so I suspect that a gluten-free diet might make them less of an issue.  But I don't know of any airtight evidence, which is why my advice is "try eliminating it and see if it makes a difference to you."

Hope this helps anybody who is having issues or wondering about issues with dairy!