Dairy, after wheat, is the most common food sensitivity I see in my client population. It doesn’t matter whether the client is struggling with digestive issues. Dairy sensitivity can drive weight loss resistance, hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue, and skin issues. If you are struggling with any of these issues (especially digestive issues) and you are eating dairy - you need to consider this as a possible contributing factor.
How do I know if my stomach is sensitive to dairy?
Common signs of dairy sensitivity from a digestive standpoint include: bloating, gas, cramping, diarrhea or constipation. Even noticing considerable fatigue within a hour or two or eating dairy, and brain focus and concentration issues, or a dip in mood could be a sign that you are sensitive.
How is lactose intolerance different than a dairy sensitivity?
Lactose intolerance happens when your body doesn’t produce enough lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose (the natural sugar in milk).
Without enough lactase, your body can’t fully digest lactose, and it moves to your colon undigested, where it starts to ferment. This fermentation process leads to gas, bloating, and sometimes diarrhea. Sound familiar? You’re not alone—up to 65% of people worldwide have some degree of lactose intolerance!
The trouble is, the symptoms of dairy sensitivity and lactose intolerance can look the same. The best way to really know which problem it is, is to 1) isolate and remove lactose by only consuming lactose-free dairy products for a few weeks and seeing if symptoms improve. If there is no improvement, 2) remove all dairy foods from the diet and monitor symptoms.
Can dairy cause inflammation in the gut?
If you have a dairy sensitivity, yes, dairy does cause inflammation in the gut by way of activating the immune system.
Some people react to the proteins in cow’s milk—specifically casein and whey. This could be a full-blown cow’s milk protein allergy, where the immune system mounts an attack on these proteins, causing symptoms like stomach pain, nausea, or even more severe reactions.
You can measure whether or not you have a dairy allergy by looking at IgE antibodies to dairy. A couple of years ago, I actually ran a Dairy Zoomer on myself, which is a specialized food sensitivity test that looks at both sensitivity (IgA and IgG antibodies) and allergy (IgE antibodies) at the peptide level. Peptides are smaller components to whole food proteins. The ability to measure immune reactions to smaller peptide components of food proteins allows for a more accurate read on sensitivity. Through running a Dairy Zoomer on myself, I discovered that I am not only sensitive to but also allergic to dairy. Just know that you don’t have to have a full blown anaphylactic response to have an allergy. It’s all about the severity of the allergy and the amount of food consumed.
Even if you don’t have an outright allergy, you could still have a sensitivity to these proteins, leading to a milder, but still uncomfortable, digestive response.
Sometimes it’s not a sensitivity, but the high fat in dairy
Full-fat dairy products like cheese, cream, and whole milk, although preferably to the fat-free versions, can be hard to digest for someone with bile quality issues. Bile is a digestive fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, and we need adequate and high quality bile to digest fat. Fat malabsorption issues are something I frequently see on functional stool testing. This is something we can correct with the right digestive support, which can improve tolerance to high fat foods, including dairy.
Your gut bacteria may also play a role in tolerating dairy
Here’s something many people don’t consider: your gut bacteria have a huge role in digesting food, including dairy. If your gut microbiome is out of balance—whether it’s because of parasites, bad bacteria, or yeast—it can hinder your ability to digest dairy properly. When your gut flora isn’t working optimally, dairy can pass through your system undigested, leading to symptoms like bloating, gas, or diarrhea.
So, if you’re dealing with ongoing discomfort every time you have dairy, your gut health may be a key piece of the puzzle. This is another reason why I like running a functional stool test on my clients.
Is cutting out dairy good for gut health?
For some people, yes, cutting out dairy can be very helpful for their gut health. In general, foods that cause significant inflammation will allow the bad gut bacteria to proliferate, which will drive digestive symptoms, fatigue, and sometimes systemic symptoms as well. Because not everyone is built to tolerate dairy, for many people, lifelong avoidance helps their gut function best and helps them feel their best.
If you notice that dairy isn’t agreeing with you, consider experimenting with some alternatives like almond milk, coconut milk, or lactose-free options. Following an elimination diet can help alleviate symptoms. However, to really know if you are dairy intolerant, or whether it is more of a gut function problem, you need to run specialized testing that looks at these factors.
Ready to Get to the Root Cause?
If you are interested in exploring specialized gut testing, the first step is scheduling a free 15-minute Gut Check Call with me.
Comments