If you ever experienced cramping, bloating, hives or acne after eating dairy, meat or cheese you might wonder if there's a connection. If you are familiar with dairy intolerance to the casein protein in those foods, then you likely avoid these foods.
Milk or the casein protein in milk can trigger the body's immune system and produce allergic (IgE) antibodies for protection. The casein protein is commonly found in mammalian milk. It makes up about 80% of all milk protein. Within minutes, the interaction between these antibodies and the specific protein can trigger the release of body chemicals such as histamine that cause symptoms.
Symptoms can take 2-3 days to manifest and include runny nose, itchy throat, itchy watery eyes, tummy bloat, diarrhea, brain fog, lethargy and in more extreme cases hives and throat and lips swelling. The reactions last 3-5 days after the symptoms first appear. Adults can appear to have a new dairy or lactose intolerance if the gut lining of the stomach degraded over time.
Avoidance of dairy related foods is the best solution. If you’re not sure if you’re intolerant, try these two steps over the next 30 days:
Avoid all mammal dairy and meat for 30 days and look for these improvements:
Clear head, more alert?
Sleeping better?
Clear skin? No rashes or acne?
No sinus issues?
Be honest about how you feel and look. If you find your health has improved, then you might consider a permanent dietary change.
Maybe you just need to improve your gut health so you can better digest casein protein foods:
Reduce stress
Increase or balance sleep
Increase hydration with water
Increase plant based foods
Increase foods high in fiber
Take gut health supplements like prebiotics & probiotics
Sometimes just a temporary abstinence from the trigger affecting your body can make enough difference. If you don’t want to sustain permanent abstinence, slowly integrate these foods back into your diet.
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