Reactions to milk

[iLoveSugar]

When someone has negative reactions to milk such as bloating, heartburn, sluggish, etc., what is likely the culprit?

 

[tara]

The possibilities I can think of:

• Gut not producing enough lactase to breakdown lactose, leaving it as food for bacteria, leading to gas bloating. If this is the key problem, then yogurt, cheese etc should be less of an issue, having less lactose.

• The gut is producing acid in order to breakdown the milk proteins, and your hiatial hernia is letting it out in the wrong direction up your oesophagus, causing heartburn.

• Gut not producing enough stomach acid or appropriate protein-digesting enzymes to break down the milk proteins into suitable bits. Not sure if that could contribute to heartburn.

• Leaky gut allowing inappropriate bits of milk protein through into bloodstream. Could lead to allergic response. There are claims that some of these can sometimes cross the blood-brain barrier and mess with opioid systems - but I haven't heard Peat confirm this. If it was true, that might contribute to brain sluggishness (or did you mean bowel sluggishness?).

• If you are eating your milk in the form of full-whey yogurt, the lactic acid could be a metabolic burden, contributing to sluggishness.

Others may be aware of other possible mechanisms.
I used to get brain-sluggish after dairy, but mostly don't now.

 

[iLoveSugar]

Hey Tara, thanks a bunch for the reply. All of the above seems applicable to me, and I definitely don't seem to be producing enough acid. I do however wake up all night with reflux and heartburn. The carrot salad has done nothing for that.

 

[tara]

Have you tried sleeping with your torso slightly elevated - propped up on pillows so you have gravity working for you to help keep the acid where it belongs?

 

[iLoveSugar]

Have you tried sleeping with your torso slightly elevated - propped up on pillows so you have gravity working for you to help keep the acid where it belongs?

Honestly, I have such a hard time sleeping, that I have to take whatever I can get. 99/100, I have to fall asleep laying on my stomach. Even then it's hard.