This is an interesting thread. I've recently been wondering about my 'addiction' to cheese and butter, and have come to a probably premature conclusion they are beneficial for me after all. I think it is actually the fat I crave, because it's not every day I can render down a load of lard crispies (which are the one thing I adore and then I don't eat any fatty cheeses etc). Also, based on what I've read from other people's posts - I don't have the bloating/gas/diarrhea from dairy. I think it is very hard to get enough fat on a low carb diet without using dairy fat - and I think this is what most low-carbers crave no? I am talking about more than 70% fat from diet.

However, if I wasn't taking magnesium tablets I might have an issue with constipation from too much cheese. I also might have big cravings for chocolate - Mg tabs are the only thing that get rid of chocolate cravings and also pmt and depression for me.

This is interesting - because an all animal diet wouldn't really have much magnesium unless you eat a lot of fish - and the ratio with calcium would be screwed even more if you ate a lot of cheese.

I know this is contraversial and I could be very wrong - but it seems to me a lot of people on very low carb end up craving mag rich foods after awhile - chocolate for example. Nuts is another one. Odd though that no-one craves spinach or kale - but then they don't contain much fat.

If I have taken magnesium on its own for awhile, I notice I crave cheese much more - probably due to the calcium/magnesium balance which my body desires (just a theory).

I have also noticed a lot of complaints of pms and cramping at TOM from low-carbers - don't worry - I'm very low carb myself but I do think we probably need more minerals than is probably available from the soil these days. I can actually fend off cramps by taking mag, cal and vitamin E - but then - should I really have to take these things??

Anyway - that ramble was to say that, although I do actually do better from a mostly animal-product-based diet, I do supplement, and might do better eating more greens for instance.

I just play around with this stuff though - experimenting and seeing how I do best.

I really love cheese though. I am half English half Scottish and I assume we have eaten dairy for a long time??