Symptoms of allergic reactions to milk vary and are often overlooked by doctors. They include nasal congestion, ear infections, insomnia, headaches, hyperactivity, or bed-wetting. Ironically, people who are allergic to milk foods can experience a strong craving for them. In the initial stage of the allergic reaction there is a mild adrenal rush followed by a letdown. The more dairy eaten, the greater need for the lift to compensate that sluggish drop in energy.
It is believed that as many as 33 million Americans are allergic to milk, and it is estimated that 60 million Americans are lactose-intolerant. Lactose is a milk sugar that needs the enzyme, lactase, to properly digest. Seventy percent of the world’s population is deficient in the enzyme lactase. Improper digestion of lactose will cause gas, bloating, diarrhea and painful cramps. Could it be that we are not lactase-deficient at all? Maybe the human digestive system was not designed to drink milk from a cow.
For the seventy percent who are lactose-intolerant, milk can create a calcium deficiency. Lactose ferments in the intestine when it is not broken down properly. This fermentation produces a by-product called lactic acid which is absorbed through the colon wall into the bloodstream. Lactic acid binds with calcium and magnesium, reducing bioavailability.
Dr. Lendon H. Smith states that about 60 percent of his hyperactive patients have mood swings and restless behavior when ingesting milk. While enjoying the taste of milk, tests showed that they were all low in calcium. Calcium was not being absorbed because the cells in the intestinal lining were rejecting it.
I do recommend organic full-fat yogurt. The sugar, lactose, has been predigested, therefore should not cause a mucus response. Although I am allergic to milk, I can add yogurt to my fruit salad with no adverse reactions. Forget the low-fat variety, because if you are on a healthy diet you do not have to worry about fat. Use organic full-fat plain or vanilla yogurt. If you cannot afford organic, read the ingredients to ensure the beneficial bacterial cultures, acidophilus and bifidus, are present. The fewer ingredients the better. Also I do have a few tablespoons of cottage cheese on my greens to boost protein during heavy bodybuilding. Again, I do not find any mucus response when eaten in moderation.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can form from both calcium and uric acid. A high-protein diet causes the body to excrete calcium through the kidneys. People are excreting 85 percent of their calcium intake in the urine which can cause calcium to clump together into crystals that may eventually develop into stones. The second component of kidney stones is uric acid, a direct by-product of a high-protein diet. Vegetarians rarely get kidney stones.
Related Article: Is Milk Healthy?