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Cheese, ice cream, yogurt–dairy is a favorite food group for many. Most baked goods and sweet treats are packed with dairy products, so the typical American diet is full of it. However, many people struggle to properly digest dairy, which means eating it regularly could cause a number of health problems, from acne to indigestion. How do you know if you have a dairy intolerance that could be causing your unexplainable health issues?
According to Ella Davar, an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and Registered Dietitian, it’s more common than you may think. “As a registered dietitian, specializing in food education and personalization of diet recommendations I often deal with sensitivities and intolerances of various foods and dairy is amongst it,” she says, “Dairy protein, namely casein and whey, is a common allergen. Additionally, dairy sugar molecules, namely lactose, is problematic for some due to enzymatic deficiency.” This means that your body cannot adequately break down the food it is digesting, and an upset stomach is perhaps the most recognized symptom, but it can present in a number of ways.
“From a functional nutrition perspective, intolerances can manifest themselves in many different ways, including migraines,” Davar says, “An elimination diet for at least 21 days helps to see if either allergen whey or casein may be the issue when it comes digestive symptoms, skin problems, nasal congestion and ear aches.”
A dairy intolerance may go unnoticed, especially if it doesn’t present in the digestive system. But are there certain dairy products that could be worse for you than others when you have a sensitivity? “It's hard to isolate one product, as it also may depend on the quality of the dairy products,” Davar says, “Conventionally farmed, raised and grain-fed cows produce a biochemically different milk compared to grass-fed, no antibiotic or hormone treated animals.” Not all dairy is made equal, whatever the cows are fed directly impacts you when you drink their milk. When you can, eating dairy products that are organic and free from antibiotics or additives is best.
If you are unsure whether you have a dairy sensitivity, what can you do to find out? “I recommend advanced blood testing to base my personalized nutrition and diet advice,” Davar says, “Then I recommend an elimination diet and provide nutrition counseling on ways to incorporate different types of dairy products, such as plain probiotic rich yogurt or grass-fed pasture raised butter, so you can get the most health benefit from it while optimizing your nutrient intake.”
In conclusion, there really is no way to know for sure what single dairy product could be triggering your migraines, as everyone’s body chemistry is different. However, it is a good rule of thumb to, when possible, eat organic dairy products that don’t have hormones, preservatives, or antibiotics, as those could affect you negatively and put you at risk of other health issues.
