# Please help me understand the dairy situation.



## Guest (Jan 22, 2004)

I recently read about the lack of proper enzymes for milk digestion in people older than 2 or 3, and that there are incompatibility issues inherent in ingesting milk from a different kind of mammal. My nutrition knowledge is too limited to properly evaluate these these claims, but they sound reasonable. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who ingest a lot of dairy and don't seem to have problems (but I understand that some problems could be less obvious). I also remember a doctor recommending buffalo milk to my mother, so dairy seems to have its uses. I'm not arguing for or against dairy, but am just outlining my train of thought as I try to figure out the dairy situation. I'd appreciate it if somebody could direct me to a good Web site, recommend a good book, or explain to me the pros and cons of dairy and to what extent the typical human body can deal with it. Thanks.


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## sadone (Dec 17, 2003)

hey lou,i don't eat much dairy and i hear more and more about how tons of people are having a hard time with dairy. it kinda makes sense to me, since it is milk made for calves to drink, not necessarily humans.are you considered cutting dairy out?? i know some people have luck with lact-aid type products, but not me!


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## bad girl (Aug 19, 2003)

I cut dairy out and I feel lots better. I've been dairy free for almost 1 year. All the arguements I have read that encourage milk really don't encourage milk, but calcium. The benefits of calcium are obvious, but you don't have to get your calcium from dairy. Tofu, broccoli, fortified juices, etc. and calcium pills are also great sources.


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

The dairy intolerance you are speaking of is lactose intolerance. Lactose is a form of sugar found in the milk of mammals, including humans. The way it usually works is, when a baby mammal is weaned the enzyme that digests lactose - called lactase - goes away because the baby no longer drinks milk and doesn't need it any more.However, I know of 2 human babies who were born lactose intolerant, which doesn't make sense. Also since we tend to keep eating dairy, in some people the enzyme never goes away. In others it goes away after we're grown. Most mainstream doctors now understand that dairy is a very common cause of digestive problems and suggest that their patients try avoiding it. Lactaid and such are lactase supplements. People can buy lactaid milk, but I don't think drinking milk all the time is such a great idea. It's not natural. Milk also causes 2 other health problems - it worsens any tendency to congestion, and it's fattening.I'm lactose intolerant and I also have food sensitivity to sugar, so I couldn't take any of the easily available lactase supplements. They contain sugar. A friend told me about an online supplement company and I found some sugar-free lactase there. I just tried it today, when I ate my first pizza in 3 years. It worked, but the pizza wasn't that great. I've lost my taste for it. I avoided all dairy for 2 years while I was identifying my food sensitivities, and then I began eating hard cheeses again, which don't contain lactose. Hard cheeses usually don't give me physical trouble, but I'm concerned by it being fattening and un-natural. I eat it but not often, usually only if I have a taste for it or need a quick sustaining snack. It's very convenient. I had gotten in the habit of putting olive oil on my bread or toast instead of butter, and I still only eat butter occasionally when I have a taste for it. Butter has traces of lactase, but I was getting by with gas-aid. Now I can use the lactase supplements. I don't think I'll get back in the habit of eating dairy all the time, but the lactase is good to have for fancy events - I had to scrape the cream sauce off the chicken at my boss' wedding - or for the occaisonal taste for pizza and such. But I really think I'd rather have a bacon cheeseburger.


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## bad girl (Aug 19, 2003)

Wow Julia! That was better than a book. Thanks for the explaination. I'm not actually lactose intolerant, it just hurts my tummy. I think it is just too difficult to digest for me. And it is weird to continue drinking milk made for baby cows when we are adults. Very odd habit that mostly western civilizations picked up. But a cheeseburger does sound quite good. Does anyone eat goat's milk cheese instead of cow milk? Is it easier to digest?


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## Julia37 (May 9, 2001)

I like goat cheese, but I only tried it once since I learned I'm lactose intolerant, and I got symptoms. The only way to tell if it will work for you is to try it and see if it causes symptoms. Feta cheese on a burger is good.







Hmmm, there's a place that had a portobello mushroom and cream cheese sandwich - now that I have lactase I could eat that - wonder if they still have it...


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## ghitta (Jul 6, 2002)

hi. certain blood types have an easier time with cow dairy (as opposed to goat & sheep products which should not be confused with cow products) and some folk (native americans, africans, african-americans, in general, people of colour except indians from india and even then...) have a lactose intolerant thing going on or just plain digestive upset with cow products. - the thing is: milk from mama calves is meant for calves and human milk is meant for humans yet there are cultures (the nomadic peoples of mongolia, for example) who thrive and survive on mare's milk. personally, i substitute goat & sheep products for cow dairy and on occasion relapse on really good raw french cheeses, because the flesh is weak, ha ha. the other issue is, of course, in north america the amount of steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones and pesticides/herbicides found in north american cattle will do no one any good and yet the agro lobby is so powerful people just spend their time targeting cigarettes only instead of other just as dangerous chemicals found in food. if you must do dairy then do organic only and stop giving kids milk, leading to the unbelievable health and obesity probs in america. - the forcing of cow milk on children over 2 or 3 is strictly a north american institution - the europeans (continental europe) don't do it, nor the asians, nor even the indians who worship the cow. - anyway, many health food stores carry wonderful goat & sheep products - g-


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## Ann Hanson (Apr 15, 2004)

I have never been lactose intolerant and have tried 3 different times going without it to know that I am not. But now I am starting an IBS diet that does not allow dairy just because it is disagreeable to IBSer's. It is very hard for me!







to give up dairy. I love dairy and I drink more milk than most people. I don't think it is weird that we drink calf food- both of my parents were raised on dairy farms and what about the promised land flowing with milk and honey?







I tried soy milk for the first time today and I don't know what to think. Well I am just so bummed about the things I am going to miss!







Cheers


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## Ann Hanson (Apr 15, 2004)

By the way I really like soy milk now. Yea!!!







But I miss cheese. I am trying my first soy ice cream bar tonight, I wonder what I will think.


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## Polly6034 (Sep 21, 2003)

Sorry to be a bit cynical, but why is it not ok to drink cow's milk because it is meant for calves, but it's ok to have goat's or sheep's milk??I tend to think that too many people are ready to jump at the conclusion that dairy is bad. I think that the most important componants of dairy are the protein, calcium and B12 - so if you are cutting out dairy for whatever reason just make sure you are getting enough of those (fortified soy products contain these nutrients). Also, lactose intolerance doesn't mean you have to cut out all dairy: yogurts and hard cheeses (like cheddar) are still all ok because the lactose is broken down during the fermentation process.Polly


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## Polly6034 (Sep 21, 2003)

Also: "certain blood types have an easier time with cow dairy" - where did you get this information from ghitta?? Would be interested to read about why this is so.And milk isn't fattening if you choose low fat or skim varieties and don't drink crazy amounts.


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## Ann Hanson (Apr 15, 2004)

You don't have to be lactose intolerant to be benefitted by going off dairy. It is a trigger food for IBS that is all







; so are caffeine, fat, carbonation and even ice cold water. I wish I could indulge in dairy but I need to do anything I can to help out my GI tract.







I believe any kind of dairy is a trigger food no matter what kind of animal it comes from or how much fat is in it. But I have only recently found this out, maybe I'll change my mind someday.


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## Mercedes . (Apr 4, 2003)

Ive got a severe dairy intolerance - literally everything dairy - from whey powder to lactose and milk proteins - have to be really carefullSo annoying though!!luckily im ok with soya milks and sheeps cheeses otherwise i would go mad!!


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## blackmascarabottle (May 15, 2004)

I have Crohns and I was told by one doctor NO dairy and then by another some dairy ... So I took the some dairy stance ... And so far so good it's working, although I cut a lot out of my diet ... Being allergic to caffiene was good in a way because I cannot have coffee or chocolate or the like so I was in a way blessed ... My mum seems to think my allergy to caffeine was the start of all my medical problems ... Who knows ......


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## Ann Hanson (Apr 15, 2004)

I just wish doctors would all jive on this subject. A friend of mine is having a really horrible bout of IBS; not even able to go to work. He is seeing regular docs and homeopathics. For some reason they told him no dairy but butter is ok! He says he is eating a lot of butter. But the fat must be a problem. The way they figured he shouldn't have dairy was they asked him what nationality he was! It's always the pat answer-"oh you have bowel problems? then no dairy". I wonder if it is true. They also took him off sugar. Now that seems worse than no dairy.







For the record I went back on dairy (limited) because I had no results but I think it is a good thing to try for awhile just to be sure. And of course certain dairy definitely causes constipation so that is a good reason to be careful.


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