To many, the idea of eliminating dairy from their diet seems an impossible request. We love our dairy....we love our cheese! Many of us won't give it up without a fight, but once we do..we see clearly why dairy is just for baby cows!
Dairy is a very common allergen for many individuals. We do not make the lactase enzyme along our gastrointestinal tracts after childhood, and so many people experience gas, bloating, increased mucous production, indigestion, weight gain, fatigue, headaches, seasonal allergies , inflammatory conditions like arthritis and some autoimmune disorders from continued consumption into adulthood. Continuing research also shows links between dairy consumption and heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, prostate and breast cancers.
Dairy includes milk, cheese, half and half, cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, butter, and ice cream. Hidden sources include casein, whey, rennet, lactulose, lactalbumin, lactglobulin, and curd. Furthermore, dairy products such as "milk solids" are very widely used as an additive for numerous types of products. Whether these products need to be avoided depends on the reason for the dairy-free diet. Some products that often contain milk solids or other dairy items include: Breads, margarine, muesli bars, processed meats, soy cheese.
Milk Alternatives: Oat milk, Rice Milk, Hemp Milk, and Almond Milk. Soy milk is not recommended for everyone (ask your doctor if it is a good alternative for you).
Take the Dairy-Free Challenge and see for yourself what it can do for you and your health!
Lakeshore Wellness Center: Naturopathic Holistic Medicine and Acupuncture in Chicago.
http://www.lakeshorewellnesscenter.com
http://www.rxacupuncture.com
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Written by Susan W.
Dr. Susan J. Wojcik ND, LAc, DiplAc is a Naturopathic Physican and Board Certified Acupuncturist practicing at Lakeshore Wellness Center in Chicago. http://www.lakeshorewellnesscenter.com More About Susan »
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Beth S. says:
Weeks can go by without my eating a drop of dairy, and I feel fine. Then I have a bowl of yogurt for breakfast or succumb to a cappuccino - and I still feel fine.
Obviously no one with an allergy should eat dairy, but speaking as a vegetarian who is allergic to soy, milk, yogurt and an occasional piece of cheese are an important part of my diet. Since I also have celiac disease, it's not unusual for me to discover that a glass of milk is the only thing on a menu that I can eat.
Greg I. says:
I agree, this post is pretty overblown in the way it associates diary products with things like seasonal allergies (aren't they cause by pollen?) and "increased mucous production".
Indeed the article seems to conflate an allergy to milk (i.e an active immune response to it) with merely lacking the enzyme needed to digest it. But, it neglects to mention that almost everyone of Europen or African origin produce the lactase enzyme well into adulthood and even old age.
While you should obviously not drink if you are allergic or find it undigestable, for the rest of us there is great benefit to eating dairy. It is one of the cheapest and greenest forms of high quality animal protein available. It is one of the best carriers to introduce beneficial gut bacteria into the digestive tract. Whey is, in fact, one of the most easily digested proteins available. And cheese, ice cream, egg nog and buttermilk taste great. Finally making your own cheese is a rewarding and cheap way to reconnect with some very old forms of food preparation. Dairy provides a great way cut meat out of your diet while not depriving yourself of protein.
James E. says:
I was told many years ago that I was "lactose intolerant" by a reputable MD, and every time I drank milk I'd get stomach cramps and poor digestion, so I stopped drinking milk. Then one day I went to see a naturopath, and she suggested that I try "raw" milk. She told me all the benefits of dairy products that had not been cooked at high temperatures (thus killing beneficial bacteria in the milk), nor pressurized, forcing milk fat to suspend evenly throughout the milk for long periods of time (thus making it very hard to digest). These accepted processes of pasteurization and homogenization radically change the qualities of natural, raw milk.
Of course these processes were invented to make milk more portable and "safer" for all of us. There seems to be a huge difference in farms that are growing their cows on open range, grass-fed diets without antibiotics and hormones, and the other 99% of cows which are raised in confinement factories, eating a forced diet of grain (thus causing all sorts of sickness in the cows). When cows are raised this way, it does seem safer to have the milk cooked and stabilized...but one wonders of the actual health benefits remaining in the milk after these processes.
If you can get your hands on raw milk, I'd highly recommend giving it a try. Not only can I drink milk again and not get sick to my stomach, but I have found similar results with raw cheeses, cream, and other dairy products.
The one downside I have found is that raw dairy is VERY expensive, which I believe is a reflection of how much more care is needed to produce this type of dairy which is made in mostly small batches (no factory-scale economies). In talking to farmers, they tell me that raw dairy isn't too expensive, conventional dairy is too cheap. I can tell you that raw dairy tastes incredible.
It's not for everyone, but don't dismiss dairy based on your "dairy allergy" before you try some raw dairy, I'd be interested to know how your body tolerates this real food.