I'm trying to determine if I should consume dairy or not.
I keep reading that dairy causes inflammation, but what does that mean exactly? Does inflammation aggravate all symptoms or just arthritic ones?
My only symptoms are neurological. Can inflammation aggravate those symptoms (ringing in ears, head pressure)? I have no problems with digestion either.
Finally, can spirochetes feed off dairy? Is that the real issue? That would be the deciding factor for me.
If dairy is feeding them, then I'll make it a priority to quit all dairy, but if it's generally avoided because it causes certain symptoms for some people but not for me, then I see no reason to quit dairy.
What do you guys think?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- You might want to read the two-part article AND the reader comments for the NYT Mark Bittman posts here, all about Diary and how even those with just nuisance stuff felt so much better without dairy. An eye opener, for sure, for anyone.
Sidebar: When a lifetime of suffering, medical visits and prescription drugs can be resolved with a not especially challenging dietary change, a certain amount of retroactive frustration seems justifiable.
Not surprisingly, experiences like mine with dairy, outlined in my column of two weeks ago, are more common than unusual, at least according to the roughly 1,300 comments and e-mails we received since then.
In them, people outlined their experiences with dairy and health problems as varied as heartburn, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, eczema, acne, hives, asthma (``When I gave up dairy, my asthma went away completely''),
- full article at link above.
And click onto the COMMENTS, too. There are many accounts of people who were so very ill and when they stopped dairy, their world changed for the better. -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Book: Don't Drink Your Milk
by a doctor, although written a couple decades ago, be sure to find that -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- You ask: "Does inflammation aggravate all symptoms or just arthritic ones?" (end quote)
All. All. All. And then more.
With lyme / TBD, there are multiple factors causing or connected with inflammation. ANYTHING we can do to relieve that total load, the better. It will take a multi-faceted approach.
Be sure to see the GLUTEN links in that first set posted above. That is also extremely important regarding inflammation.
As is the matter of GMO "foods" - the film "Genetic Roulette" is vitally important for everyone to see. -
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Inflammation reeks havoc on the body. It can cause heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. No one is going to come out and say that dairy is for sure connected without considering an attack from the dairy industry. It's a billion dollar industry, and they want to keep it that way.
That said, humans are the only species on the planet that consume another species milk. Milk was intended for newborn babies/animals period (book Skinny B---h). Cows don't even nurse their calves past the point they can eat food on their own (several months). Cows have bones to consider too and should be eating greens, but man has messed with their normal food: grass, which happens to have calcium.
There's a really good book that covers dairy: The China Study (T. Colin Campbell):
So not only do people need to consider dairy for inflammation, the following do it too. Any kind of inflammation is stress on your body. You do the math.
Dairy can block the absorption of nutrients in the gut. It's not that different from soy and gluten in that regard.
With all the added hormones, it is just not something anyone needs to be consuming.
Dairy can feed the keets pretty much like sugar can. Avoid both!
Posted by WPinVA (Member # 33581) on :
Why don't you try eliminating it for, say, two weeks and see how you feel? You can evaluate at that point whether to continue to avoid it or not.
I know it's not appealing to stop eating a favorite food but it's only for two weeks. Then if you are feeling better, you'll be so happy that you won't want to go back.
This is how I started with gluten.
Posted by Alex78 (Member # 42883) on :
Wow... thanks, everyone! Well, that answers my question.
I had actually quit dairy when I was first diagnosed, but resumed dairy again recently. My symptoms flared up, but I attributed that to a reishi supplement I had started taking at the time.
I'll definitely try going dairy free again and see how I feel after a few weeks.
Keebler, interesting articles! I already gave up gluten too. I think it was actually easier than giving up dairy. Still, I'm pretty sure I can give up dairy permanently too if I set my mind to it.
(Just please no one say that I shouldn't drink decaf coffee either! I drink organic, Swiss Water decaf.)
Thanks for the links, Catgirl. The list of inflammatory foods is helpful (particularly the bit about cooking oils which I hadn't really considered.)
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Decaf coffee is fine, however, I suggest only if organic. Otherwise, it probably contains chemicals such as hexane. Not good for anyone.
Also avoid all fake food "creamer" products. All. Terrible "fats" and chemicals in those.
Mount Hagen has a nice organic freeze dried crystal decaf.