dairy, inflammation and autoimmunity

When I was pregnant and nursing I couldn't diary because the baby was highly allergic. The dr told me tofu was a good calcium source. Mix a pack of soft/silken tofu with peanut butter, coco powder, and agave necture and you have a great and healthy peanut butter pudding

I have heard of a protein in milk being a possible trigger in Crohn's disease which is an autoimmune disease. All of these theories are just that theories. You can try cutting out all dairy and seeing if you feel better.

I've had some serious boughts of eczema ever since I was a kid. I've learned over time that too much dairy REALLY makes my eczema act up. I recently went to an allergist to see if maybe there was something I was eating that would cause my eczema to flair up when I wasn't consuming dairy. Well, I still don't know, BUT the second the allergic poked me with the cows milk it started itching like crazy, so he said I'm definitely allergic to milk, though I'm not lactose intolerant.

Apparently it's common for dairy to affect eczema (which IS an autoimmune problem). I still eat cheese and cottage cheese and yogurt on occasion but I try to keep it in moderation. And ALMOND MILK is the best!

What Autoimmune disease do you have? I am interested because I to have one and maybe this will help me with my symptoms as well.

Hi, both drmercola.com and draxe.com have a lot of info about dairy and gluten being inflammatory. Both strongly believe in eating real, whole foods and if you do have dairy, only raw, unpasteurized. A wealth of knowledge can be found on their sites.

I have MS and currently I have been gluten, dairy, processed sugar, legume and red meat free for a little over 2 weeks and I can tell a significant improvement in the way I feel. It's not been easy or fun, but with MS anything I can do to feel better is a huge plus!

I've been looking autoimmunity and nutrition. Have you watched Forks over Knives. It's worth a watch. That and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Anyways, the China Study is featured in Forks over Knives.

Osteoporosis is highest in countries with the highest dairy consumption, so no you don't need your calcium from dairy. You're on the right track. I have an autoimmune disease and have linked it's outbreak to my foray into primal eating. As soon as I started filling myself up with animal protein and fat I got an autoimmune disease. I'm not saying that was the only cause, but I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.

Ever since I started eating a plant based diet my autoimmune disease has been getting better. Mine is called Lichen Planus. It causes a rash on my torso, arms, and legs. The latest little outburst has been 1/4 what they have been in the past. I'm convinced it will clear completely within the year. It pays to take time to research nutrition and disease prevention/treatment through whole foods and a plant based diet.

I'm not looking to argue this with anyone. As someone who has tried it all from low carb, to all meat, to vegan and everywhere en-between I've found what works for me. I'm just suggesting you look at all the possibilities to find what works for you.

I get calcium from almond milk, and green leafy vegetables. I try to juice at least once a day, though I've slacked for the last few days.

For 13 years my hands have itched and cracked so bad that they would bleed. The past summer I started having severe stomach pains. I am uninsured but forked over the moola to go to the dr and she said simply "cut out dairy". I did and within 1 week for the first time in 13 years my hands didn't wake me up with pain at night, my stomach, bloating - everything cleared up. I don't know if I would ever be able to afford to have more testing but all I know is without dairy I feel 100% better.

I recently started seeing a Naturopathic Doctor who immediately told me to cut dairy out of my diet due to some digestion, inflammation, and 'slow to heal wounds' i had from surgery. it has helped a lot. she said a lot of the allergens in dairy can spark inflammation in our tissue and cause some serious long term effects.

just sharing what she told me - GOOD LUCK!

Dairy is problematic for most of the world. The ability to digest lactose is actually a mutation that is most commonly found in people of western european descent. Most of the world's population (and all other mammals) are lactose intolerant. (There is no lactose in breast milk that mammals consume during infancy). If lactose makes you ill, its wise to stay away from it. That being said you should notice a difference quickly once you eliminate it.

Gluten isn't necessarily a problem either unless you have a sensitivity to it. One of the best things to do is keep a food /symptom journal. Also keep in mind that the vast majority of autoimmune diseases are completely unrelated to diet.

Also, I would be wary of anything I read in a Paleo book. Serisouly... they recommend lard! May have worked for dinosours (although a lot of those were vegans) and farmers who spent 12 hour days plowing and working their fields. Probably not so good for the average American that toils at the gym 5 hours a week.

I met with a Homeopathic doctor who recommended that I no longer have any dairy and caffeine. My biggest complaint when I saw him was always feeling bloated, he told me to switch to almond milk. He also made mention of The China Study, I did what he suggested...I noticed my bloating went away. The other thing I noticed from removing caffeine was that PMS went away, no tenderness in the breast and no cramps. Of course I find it hard to stay away from caffeine, when I'm drinking it again I notice my symptoms (PMS) will return. It's definitely worth trying to see how your body responds.

yeah I've heard that people who are sensitive to gluten are usually also sensitive to dairy and this might cause other autoimmune issues to flare up. I'm planning on getting tested for the gluten sensitivity because I have a couple of issues that all seem related to it (from what I've read). I plan to do some more research as time permits.

I've heard that the homogenization process (which makes the milk consistent throughout, not in separated layers like is natural) creates a new molecule that closely resembles one that we have naturally in our body. Our body cannot tell the different very easily and over time will start attacking the proteins that are supposed to be there, hence an autoimmune disease.

I notice in some of the responses that some people are starting to argue against certain approaches and don't have all their facts straight. I know this is normal in a public forum like this.

I just want to say to people who suffer from chronic conditions or who just don't feel great that the thing I've learned is that you have to do research and not take for current ways of thinking about nutrition and what is currently considered the norm for granted, like it's a given. In fact, what is currently considered "healthy" (like whole grains) may be causing your symptoms. Everyone reacts differently to things, and I think if you read enough and experiment with some things and go to your dr for tests to see if things are moving in the right direction, that you can heal yourself.

For me, I think it's a miracle that we can heal ourselves by eliminating certain things from our diets and perhaps adding in others.

For me, there is no medical test that says I am sensitive to grains. But all I did was given them all up -- corn, rice, whole, white flour, etc -- and I healed myself after suffering for nearly 10 yrs. This is amazing to me.