Dairy Products: Elimination & Challenge Protocol

If it is thought that you, or someone you care for, may have a dairy intolerance then the 'gold standard' method to prove this is to go through a stage 1 period of eliminating all dairy from the diet and then a stage 2 period of challenging the body by re-introducing dairy and then observing what happens during both the elimination and the challenge stages.

ABOUT
- Herbal Medicine
- The Clinic
- Richard Whelan

HERBS
- Alphabetically

CONDITIONS TREATED
- By Group
- Alphabetical

CLINIC INFORMATION
- Clinic Hours
- Clinic Location

CONSTITUTIONAL MEDICINE
- Ancient wisdom in the modern world

Stage 1: Completely avoid all dairy products for 2 to 3 weeks

~ This includes Butter, Cheese, Cream, Ice-Cream, Milk, Milk-Powder & Yoghurt

You must understand that any amount of dairy can stop this test from working properly, so you have to be really strict! Ask the cook or carefully read the labels on all foods products to be 100% certain.

Many people suffer from allergies to dairy, so it is a legal requirement in most countries these days for manufacturers to state in bold writing on the label if the product contains any dairy as an ingredient of the food. You will see that many manufactured foods contain dairy in one form or another but you do not need to worry if it says, 'may contain traces of dairy', or 'manufactured in a factory that also processes dairy products'

You will also see that there are many dairy-free alternative products on the market including different types of non-cow’s milks, cheeses, ice-creams etc. Many of these are made with rice or soy products, all of which you can eat. You can of course also eat eggs which many people wrongly associate with dairy products. Don't eat Sheep's or Goat's milk products while you are doing this diet. Some people who find that they can't eat cow's milk eventually discover that they can manage Sheep or Goat milks but it is best to avoid all animal milks during the protocol to be sure.

TOP | CONDITIONS TREATED A-Z or BY GROUP

Stage 2: Challenge your immune system

The second stage is challenging your immune system with some dairy. The usual minimum time-frame to completely avoid all dairy before doing the challenge is two weeks but some people prefer to go up to three weeks to see a major clearing out of their previous symptoms of dairy intolerance and in clinical practice we usually advise a three week break before the challenge phase. The typical amount of dairy to challenge with equates to 1/2 to 1 cup of cow’s milk which could also be about 20-40 grams of cheese or a scoop of ice-cream.

If you have an intolerance to dairy then what is expected to happen during the dairy-free stage is that some health symptoms improve or that you will feel significantly better overall. Then, if there is a genuine intolerance, when some dairy has been eaten there is a clear and obvious negative reaction that happens afterwards, sometimes quickly, within just an hour or so, sometimes taking as much as a day to fully manifest.

A significantly upset bowel (e.g. diarrhoea or severe bloating) is the symptom most people will experience if they have a real dairy intolerance. Some people will manifest other kinds of symptoms, itchy skin rashes, headaches, pronounced fatigue etc. The main point here is that it should be obvious that your body is being clearly and badly affected by the dairy if you are genuinely intolerant to it.

Some people will not have an intolerance to dairy but may still demonstrate a mild and transient adverse reaction when they perform the challenge stage. This is not uncommon and happens because we can build up an expectation that the dairy is going to make us feel bad and then our mind convinces our body that it should feel something unpleasant. This phenomenon happens to perfectly rational and intelligent people, it is just a part of human nature and it should be accepted and understood.

What needs to be known here is that a clearly positive reaction to the challenge is much clearer cut and usually quite a lot more lasting. People with a genuine dairy intolerance react more strongly than usual during the challenge stage because their body continues to produce antibodies to the dairy even when it isn't being consumed and these build to a relatively higher level after a week or more. This means that, if it was something that was habitually triggering their immune systems, the person typically has a much stronger reaction than usual when they break their dairy-free diet,

If you prove to have a genuine dairy intolerance then take note of the following:

~ You must think about this matter as positively as you can. The fact is that, if you have been intolerant to dairy, then your health is going to be greatly improved by removing it from your diet

~ There are many dairy-free cookbooks and other supportive literature available in libraries, bookshops and on the Internet, use this support

~ You are not alone; many others have intolerances to dairy. Make sure your friends and family understand what is going on for you and be sure to tell them that you have done a 'gold-standard' or 'medical test' to confirm that you have a genuine dairy intolerance. Letting people know in such a way can change their view from one where they might see you as being wilfully difficult to one where they want to help you get better

~ There is a possibility that you can cure intolerances so long as you get your general health and immune system into good condition. For some people, simple abstinence from the thing that was doing them harm will achieve this but other will need to take a more holistic approach. For a more detailed discussion about allergies and intolerances in general, including a discussion on 'can food intolerance be cured?' read here

Please understand that I cannot personally advise you without seeing you in my clinic.
This living 'book' is my labour of love so, wherever you are, I wish you peace & good health!

TOP | CONDITIONS TREATED A-Z or BY GROUP