# milk products



## SONCEHALL (Mar 29, 2002)

Dr. told me to avoid milk products. Does he mean that I should never eat anything that has milk in it? Including baked goods How does milk cause a problem?


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## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hello - Dairy in all forms (milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, etc.) is one of the greatest food triggers for IBS. It has many components that are very hard on the GI tract, including lactose, a high fat content, casein, and whey. Even skim, lactose-free dairy can cause problems for many IBS folks. Dairy can cause cramps, diarrhea, gas, or constipation, depending on your personal tendency of IBS symptoms.It's actually incredibly easy to eliminate dairy from your diet as there are so many safe substitutes on the market now. You can replace milk with soy, rice, oat, or almond milk. Vanilla is nice to drink and bake sweets with, plain works great for chowders, sauces, and savory foods. Soy cheese is wonderful instead of dairy cheese, soy or rice ice cream is delicious, and you can even get soy yogurt with live cultures. Do check the ingredients to watch for a high fat content - some brands will add oils to make the texture creamier. Try making your favorite baked goods with soy milk instead of dairy. I would bet you won't even notice a taste difference.Best,Heather


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## SONCEHALL (Mar 29, 2002)

Heather,Thanks for your answer. Milk is the only thing the Dr. has asked me to avoid. I have done so for over a week. I have not noticed any difference. How long does it take before an improvement is noticed. clarence hall


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## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hi - Dairy is only one of the foods that can cause problems for IBS. Red meat, egg yolks, fried foods, coffee, soda pop, anything high in fat, fructose, and insoluble fiber can all trigger attacks. Most of these foods can just be avoided, but healthy fats and insoluble fiber foods need to be eaten for good health. Soluble fiber foods are very safe staples and will stabilize your gut.There is detailed info about the IBS diet at http://www.eatingforibs.com. Go to the "chapters and recipes" section and you'll find about 100 pages of trigger vs. safe foods, insoluble vs. soluble fiber, guidelines for how to eat as well as what to eat, etc. This should help you a lot more than just avoiding dairy. Diarrhea-predominant IBS often stabilizes in 1-2 days, constipation-predominant IBS usually stabilizes in 1-2 weeks.Hope you're feeling better soon.Best,Heather


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