I read a lot of alternative health and women’s health books because I have PCOS, PMS and most likely endometriosis. In many of these books dairy products are recommended to be avoided. Understandably some of these books are very biased and think veganism is the answer to all ills, but most are not. In fact I have one book in particular where the herbalist asserts women should consume red meat for certain conditions. However she too is against dairy products.

The reasons dairy products seem to be objected to are:

They interfere with the absorption of magnesium (?)

The trytophan in cow’s milk products increases fatigue

Dairy products are a source of oestrogen


What does everyone think about this? If one is not lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy, should one with women’s health problems still avoid dairy?

I wouldn’t think much of it, but I do respect the opinion of well rounded unbiased herbalists who do in fact recognise the importance of protein and fat in the diet.

Has anyone any thoughts?

Here is a site I found that is against milk in the human diet at all. They site scientific studies as their sources of information. I myself do not consume dairy at all, nor do I eat grains which also can contribute to fertility difficulties. Not Milk Let me know what you think. I can give you a good site for the wheat thing too. Celiac.com

Congradulations on the beginning of your journey for good health.
Liz

The jury's still out with me, but I have to admit that I think it's important to recognize that humans are the only species that continue to drink milk after they are weaned and from an animal that isn't even their own species, no less.
I've never been much of a milk drinker, but I do eat cheese and yogurt on occasion, mostly because I enjoy the taste and I also use a lot of heavy cream for sauces and gravies.
I could live without it if I had to, but I'm not convinced at this point that it's necessary. Moderation may be the key as with many things.

I don't entirely agree with the 'no milk in any form' crowd, but I do know for sure I've done much much better by avoiding liquid milk. My sinuses/allergies have improved greatly and I no longer have acid reflux. I will occasionally have a little soymilk or cheese, but I also eat real butter and cream, in moderation. I like regular cheese, but I try not to eat too much. More of a treat rather than a mainstay. I have found mozerella to be less of a problem than anything else (but I still adore white american cheese). To be sure I'm getting enough calcium I also eat plenty of kale/greens and almonds.

I am aware of allergy problems wiith dairy products , but I am wondering specifically about the effect of dairy products on WOMEN'S health problems. I don't trust the info given out by vegan and veggie sites.

That's why I liked the information on Not Milk. The articles site many independent studies as references. I don't trust articles that state "I believe, blah, blah, blah." I want to be able to verify the references else where. I also do better not drinking milk. Dairy will inflame IBS also. No fun there!

Liz

I wouldn't worry Scarlet. If there was any negative connection between PCOS, PMS, endometriosis, and dairy products, the website "Not Milk" would have dug it out. But I could see nothing about it on the site. I think you're right to be wary of pro-vegetarian, pro-vegan, pro-soya sites like "Not Milk". They have an appearance of being scientific, but they bend the science to suit their agenda. Any true scientist would be horrified by that site.

I'm not a medical person but I think minerals like magnesium can be lost for many reasons, including insulin resistance (from high-carb eating!) which prevents the magnesium being stored, and phytates from whole grains and legumes (including soya) or anything that damages the gut lining.

Hi evelyn

Exactly! I looked at "not milk" and there was nothing about PCOS, PMS or endo. Also, since there are ads for vegan and veggie websites and they bandy about that too much fat and protein are bad for you, I don't really trust them. Then the article about teens maturintg earlier was completely biased, I mean have they never heard the phrase "correlation is not causation".

It's just that a lot of PMS and endo info says to limit dairy, so that's why I was wondering. I eat various wholegrains but not soy, what do phytates do?

Phosphorus in the bran of whole grains is tied up in a substance called phytic acid(or phytate). This combines with minerals like magnesium zinc etc. in the intestine, blocking their absorption. Traditional societies usually soak or ferment their grains before eating them, processes which neutralize phytates, and in effect pre-digest the grain so more nutrients are available. If you eat muesli for breakfast, soaking it overnight in acidulated water (with a teaspoon of something acid like lemon juice or yoghurt in the soaking water) will improve it in this way.

If you haven't found it already, you might like the Westonaprice.org website, which teaches how to treat our food for best nutritional results.