The truth about eliminating dairy for auto-immune disease is a pretty lengthy subject, but I want to touch on the reasons why I limit dairy.
About 10 years ago, I read an article about juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (which I was diagnosed with at 10). This old research article linked dairy sensitivity to triggering an auto-immune response, especially things like rheumatoid arthritis.
Since reading that article, I have researched it further including eliminating it from my diet, bringing it back, and seeing how it worked with rheumatoid arthritis.
This is such good information, I wanted to make sure to share it with you.
This article isn’t just for those who have rheumatoid arthritis, but any type of auto-immune response happening in your body.
PIN THIS!! The TRUTH about Eliminating Dairy for Auto-Immune Diseases
Dairy milk is comprised of dozens of enzymes, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. It has been the topic of health experts for years. Some claim it’s bad for you, some claim you should only buy organic. There are even diets that encourage diary consumption like ketogenic diet.
But even organic milk has the same milk proteins and enzymes that non-organic milk does. Organic milk will definitely be a better choice to make sure there aren’t added ingredients, fillers, and chemicals. But the truth is, that isn’t the problem with dairy relating to health problems. And it isn’t lactose either.
Some think choosing lactose-free dairy milk is a healthier choice, but if you aren’t truly lactose intolerant, it may be something else in milk that is bothering you.
Like I said above, this is a very lengthy subject, so I want to touch on the important topics of this discussion today so you can better understand it.
Chemistry facts of Milk
The two main components in all dairy milk is β-casein, A1 and A2 types.
β-casein is a type of phosphoprotein found in milk.
Between these two amino acids, only one part of the structure differs. A1 contains histidine where A2 contains proline. Other than that, their structures are identical.
The interesting thing is not all cow’s milk contains A1. Only milk from Holstein and Friesian cows, which is the predominant milk source in America.
Milk originating from Jersey cows is predominantly A2, as well as goat’s milk.
After doing some research on A1 and A2 casein, I wanted to know more about the chemistry behind it.
Clinical research has shown that A1 is the source of problems for auto-immune responses. Which, in America, is most of the dairy milk , regardless if it’s organic or not.
A1 can be rejected by the body because it doesn’t process and eliminate the casomorphin. The body may not have the enzyme to break down this type of casein.
For people with auto-immune diseases, this can trigger the disease and make it flare.
Many people consume dairy milk all their lives without issues, but they don’t have the predisposition like those with auto-immune diseases. In fact, many of my friends and family have always used dairy milk and have a great health. It is a great source of calcium, so I know many older people who drink it all the time. Again, they don’t have auto-immune diseases though.
After reading all this clinical research from the experts, I had to test it myself. You can research and study material all you want, but I like to know exactly what it does for my health.
Personal Testing on Eliminating Dairy for Auto-Immune Diseases
In 2010, I stopped using dairy milk completely. I switched to almond milk and tried to eliminate any dairy based products like ice cream too.
The first thing I noticed was I lost about 5 lbs. Then, I noticed I had more energy, and started having less joint pain. After one year without dairy, my rheumatoid arthritis was better, but also, my digestion was better! My constant stomach aches were gone, and I felt better.
Seven years later, I still limit dairy. If I start having dairy products again, like ice cream, within a few days I start experiencing more joint pain and swelling. It always intensifies my arthritic symptoms.
Many of you know about my husband’s health issues from this post.
He lost his colon in 2010 after battling ulcerative colitis for years. He had the beginning stages of colon cancer despite all this treatments and diet.
They created an internal J-pouch for him after they removed his colon, so he only had an ileostomy bag for about 4 or 5 months.
He did well for a few years, but started experiencing the exact same issues he had with ulcerative colitis a few years ago. After playing around with his diet, I had him eliminate dairy completely.
We found out that dairy was triggering his auto-immune disease again even though he no longer has a colon.
If he has dairy now, he always has a bad week!
Out of all the things we eliminated from his diet, it was only dairy that caused any issue.
I also tried taking gluten out of his diet, but it didn’t help him at all. In fact, it made his symptoms worse. Gluten seems to help hold everything together for him.
So, it is true for both of our auto-immune diseases that dairy really bothers it. Even using organic products doesn’t help since the A1 is still present.
Can you buy A2 milk?
Yes, you can actually purchase A2 only milk. I have never seen it, but there is some information on it here.
Research shows that milk from A2 cows does not trigger the same response for inflammation. Most milk found in the united states is not A2, so you have to look for a special label.
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Readers have asked if I avoid dairy completely or occasionally have it?
After completely avoiding it for about 4 years, I started occasionally enjoying frozen yogurt (because I LOVE it). As long as it is occasional, it doesn’t seem to bother me.
Limiting dairy does help, but if you really want to see how it effects your auto-immune disease, I recommend cutting it out completely for at least 6 weeks to really see how your body responds.
Remember, ALWAYS talk with your doctor about diet changes or things you want to try out. They need to be checking your blood work periodically with any auto-immune disease too.
Do you have experience with eliminating dairy? Share your story below!
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As you know, I have RA too and struggling with it more here lately. I don’t use much dairy except frozen yogurt so I’ll try stopping that for 6 months. I love your posts about RA.
Thanks Linda! It has made such a difference for my husband and I. Especially with his issues, eliminating dairy makes his life so much better!
Casein is a slow-release protein found in milk that a lot of people have bad reactions to. Its also used as a binder in many other products like pork products and various cold cut meats, i.e. such as hot dogs, ready to eat bacon,
I was tested as non-reactive and not having an allergy to milk. But when I drink milk my immune system goes haywaire! I’m thinking it must be the casein because as I sit here writing this, I’m getting an allergic reaction from the ready to eat bacon that I just ate.
My husband has issues with it too. He can’t eat many processed meats because of it, it makes him so sick!
It must be so fascinating to be a chemist! Your readers get to benefit from all your years of study!
Thanks so much Linda! I really love getting to share all these things with my readers and help them! 🙂
Wow I had no idea! I only buy organic milk, but need to be better about other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. Baby steps towards eliminating dairy <3
Green Fashionista
It’s fascinating the science behind dairy! I did organic for years thinking it would help, but once I studied it, I was blown away by what was really going on!
Do you react to whey? They’re separate proteins right? Could I consume whey if I were casein intolerant?
Theoretically, whey protein shouldn’t contain any casein protein…..but most whey protein you buy still had some according to my research. It’s very unlikely it is just pure whey (even if the label says so). I’ve tested it out with whey and have found it still bothers my auto-immune 🙁
Wow, what totally fascinating info about dairy and its components. My cousin mentioned casein issues with one of her friends with severe RA and I understand a little bit more. You’ve got my curiosity aroused about A1 and A2 casein for me/my RA. I’m feeling good, but maybe with some limits I could do better. I will ask my dr when I see her in Oct. Always love all the great info/data/research you do for me/us! Helper, you are… 🙂
You should definitely speak with her 🙂 I have had some rheumatologists tell me they believe the science, and others don’t believe it. I know it has dramatically helped my husband and I both!
A2 milk gave me such severe body aches that I was ready to start some pretty heavy investigation into expanding my autoimmune diagnoses to include Fibromyalgia or RA. I could barely walk, I couldn’t hold a thought or barely a conversation, it was terrifying. It took about 2 months of A2 consumption to get to that point, and about 7 days to reverse the symptoms after I quit drinking it. My only response to A1 milk was horrible halitosis, I was so sad, I love some milk in my coffee.
From what I’ve learned dairy contains glutamate which is an inflammatory “excitotoxin.” Check out Dr. Amy Yasko on facebook or DogtorJ.com for more on glutamate and excitotoxins. You can get on Dr. Amy’s chat room through one of her sights, and see all the ways to calm down the body from excitotoxins. I appreciate your research Alexis. Great posts!Goat milk bothers me the same as cow’s milk. I used to drink soooo much non-organic whole cow milk & 2% my entire life up until 6-7 yrs ago when I switched to organic. Then, I realized that dairy wasn’t doing me any digestive favors and I’ve nearly eliminated it. I tried very hard to get goat milk to like me. I like the taste. Glutamate’s job is to make it taste good, stimulating the brain to say, “I really like/need this.”
Glutamate is a very harsh chemical. I have a big sensitivity to monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in many processed foods. I know many milk products contain glutamic acid too. It definitely effects your brains too! Crazy how bad it can be for you. Thanks Beth!
This was another interesting post that I did enjoy reading
Thanks Jo-Anne!!
I’ve never been a milk drinker unless it’s in cereal or coffee but I do prefer buying almond milk….so good to learn the good and bad of diary for different health conditions. Emily @ Martinis & Bikinis
Thanks Emily! I prefer almond milk too, it was hard for my husband to get used to, but now he loves it 🙂
Interesting post!
Only one thing; there are also Holstein cows that have A2 gen 😉
Yes they do, but they also have A1 in their milk proteins. Thanks!
I was recently diagnosed with my second auto-immune condition. I have Hashimoto’s and Behcet’s. I suffered from joint pain, headaches, brain fog, fatigue, etc. I tried the elimination diet and found that I am sensitive to dairy and to gluten. I eliminated both from my diet and have had relief from all of my symptoms and I have gone months without any flare ups, as well as losing 20 pounds! I have done a lot of research on these two things and realized it is in fact the casein that I am sensitive to and not the lactose, as most people think. I can tolerate some dairy type food if it is higher in fat and thus doesn’t contain the large amount of casein that milk does. I also read in my research that casein mimics gluten and so the body reacts the same to casein as it does to gluten (in my case). I think anyone who has an autoimmune disease owes it to themselves to try a change in diet to see if it works for them. If I hadn’t tried the elimination diet, I would have just been given more medicine to alleviate my pain. Now I take less medicine and am pain free! Thank you for your research. It will allow others to learn more about what their issues are and will give them a way to help themselves instead of being told just to take more medicine to fix it.
Hi Janet! I am sorry to hear about your auto-immune disease, but glad you have been able to help them with eliminating dairy and gluten. It’s amazing how these chemicals can trigger our bodies auto-immune response so much. I still deal with arthritic flares, but they are significantly better keeping dairy out, so I am grateful for that! Thank you!
I’ve had immune issues for years, never narrowing it down to a diagnosis but treating me for RA because so many symptoms matched and treatment worked. 5 years ago I had deteriorated so much that I crawled to bed each night and had horrible skin rashes. I began to see a chiropractor/nutritionist and she put me on the elimination diet narrowing my difficulties down to gluten and dairy as well. I lost 70 pounds the first 6 months and, more importantly, reduction in rashes and was able to drop 3 prescription meds! Now I only need the occasional pain meds.
Janet, thank you for mentioning the casein/gluten reactivity connection. I need to look in to this more!
That’s great! When you have an auto-immune issue, these can really trigger the activity in your body. This post is all about the casein reaction in milk, but gluten can definitely be a major trigger too!
I was diagnosed with MS 3 years ago, never having ANY of the risk factors for the disease. One day my arm went numb. In October, I will be 3 years dairy free. I’ve experienced almost instantaneous (upon ingesting dairy) GI issues my entire life, but who gives up cheese and creamy sauces unless they have to? After my MS diagnosis, I decided to read up on inflammation and came to the conclusion that it was time to clean it out of my diet. I lost 12 pounds, my skin cleared up, my psoriasis calmed down, and in general I was less bloated, clearer headed, and overall healthier. I also tried eliminating gluten and nightshades. I’ve discovered smaller sensitivities to certain foods, but not the same type of reaction as dairy. It’s interesting as I have many very healthy friends with absolutely NO outward apparent reaction to dairy. They eat it in moderation.
I was the same way….cutting out dairy was the biggest difference for me and also my husband. I’m glad it has helped you too!
My husband has suffered with sinus for many years and he also noticed a buildup in the back of his throat and bad breath.
He eliminated dairy completely. Sinus has gone, no throat buildup and no bad breath. If he has dairy, he immediately notices the
throat buildup again.
I have RA, I follow the Paleo AIP (Auto Immune Protocol), and have cut medication by 3/4, still cutting back.!! Dairy is a trigger which I avoid.
Here in New Zealand A2 milk is available. But have not tried it.
It’s amazing what cutting dairy can do for so many things! I haven’t had A2 available here, but would be interested to see how it works.
Hi, Alexis, I originally stumbled upon your blog from another blog, through another blog. This is one case where chasing a “rabbit trail” paid off! You have so many good posts about so many things I’m interested in. The most important post may turn out to be this one about eliminating dairy. I have very bad digestive issues, as well as other physical symptoms. My GP thinks I have IBS-C, and put me on the FODMAP diet two years ago. But, I still have times when it feels as though I’m being ripped apart inside, no matter what I eat! I’m wondering if it’s really (or, only) IBS. I always thought the part of the FODMAP diet that lists “hard cheeses” as being okay, yet puts soft cheeses, sour cream, etc. in the “no” camp didn’t make sense. Now it seems that there is a lot more to the make-up of dairy foods than I thought, who knew there was “A-1” and “A-2” milk? Since I can only have a small amount of almond milk, and no coconut milk on this diet, I have been using lactose-free dairy. However, perhaps it’s not the lactose, but something else in the milk that I can’t tolerate. Going to try the A-2 milk (in small amounts) to see what happens. Glad I found your blog!
I am so happy you found my website! So many people think it is all about the lactose, but it is really the A1 that causes so many issues. I hope you can try the A2 milk. It can be hard to find, but you might be able to find some at a health food store. Thanks again! Have a great day!
This is great information! Thanks for starting me down the path to learn more about the different dairy milks. I’m three weeks in to allergy elimination. As I reintroduce foods, I wasn’t to be cautious, introducing gentler forms first. So organic real sourdough bread before “normal” yeast bread. And now maybe A2 yogurt then milk, then try the “normal” stuff. Hoping to really narrow it down so I have as broad a range of knowledge as possible when it comes to my triggers.
My husband did the elimination diet and it really helped him! We both found dairy to be the hardest thing on our auto-immune diseases! I hope you can narrow it down too!
hi, sorry about the all caps – I can’t seem to get this to stop. you looked into the autoimmune paleo diet? Similar concept to what you posted about dairy (and eggs). Sarah Ballantyne (“The Paleo Mom”) has an excellent blog (and several books) about the subject; she’s also a scientist. I think you would appreciate her approach to the subject of diet and autoimmunity.
Thanks for sharing! Yes, I have followed an autoimmune paleo diet for some time 🙂 My husband struggled with it since it doesn’t have a colon, so we have had to make adjustments for him over the years
We have raw (unpasteurized) milk available in California, but it is quite expensive compared to pasteurized milk. Does the pasteurization process have an effect on the casins and milk tolerance? My local health food store carries a brand of milk that is from cows that contain A2, but it is also ultra-pasteurized. My understanding is that ultra-pasteurization destroys most of the beneficial nutrients in the milk. With these choices, would you still recommend reducing cow milk consumption?
The pasteurization won’t have any effect on the proteins in the milk. If you get regular milk mixed with A1 and A2, it will still impact auto-immune health. It is true that the more pasteurized, the less good bacteria it would have. It doesn’t take away vitamins or protein though from my knowledge. They do this because it will extend the shelf life drastically. I haven’t seen any A2 locally in my stores, but I think most of it is more pasteurized to extend the shelf life.
I am healing from a nasty-grimy AI called Wegener’s. I’m on immune supressive drugs for another year or so, and am going to stick with them. I had quit milk long before the AI appeared, but I started taking milk products again – cheese, yoghurt, white sauces and so on, but no milk, thinking, a little won’t hurt.
Then I was hit with Wegener’s. It attacks slowly until it blows up, targeting kidneys, brain, joints, blood vessels, and lungs. It’s a killer. The specialists shrug when I ask about milk. They don’t know anything about it, which surprised me.
I can’t tell if I’m doing better since I quit milk again, because the drugs stop Wegener’s in it’s tracks, though leaving me compromised about other illnesses – colds and so on – which I handle with cleanliness, and mind exercises. Still, when I’m off the drugs, I know I’ll never consume anything that remotely contains milk. I can’t blame it on milk, for sure, but I sure am suspicious. You’re information helps. Thanks.
It has definitely made a difference for my auto-immune disease!
Hey Alexis,
I am writing this from Bangalore, India. What a world of difference did the A2 milk make.
Here in India we get a lot of A2 milk but no one knows a difference between them. I was lactose intolerant and never had milk for the last ten years.
Having heard about A2 milk I started trying them and face no problems , I was not lactose intolerant, I was just A1 intolerant. My father suffers from RA , let me try this on him and see. Perhaps it might work. But If at all it does , i will come back here and post the findings.
I hope he can get some benefits from switching to A2 milk! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Alexis – great website. I have had UC for years but had an ileostomy at the age of 27 , 30 years ago! That has been a huge help but I do now have the arthritis link happening, so you have confirmed for me that I shouldn’t be sneaking dairy in here and there (as I do sometimes!).
I have been faithfully gluten and refined sugar free and organic as much as possible for years,, but it hasn’t been enough so I suspect it is the dairy (I just didn’t really want to know haha – so lately have been having lactose free but it hasn’t really helped but I am going to eliminate dairy completely now.
Unfortunately I seem to have a bit of a nut issue too, but I do love coconut milk/cream and make my own DF sauces etc. already with that.. This site is a great help and I have just subscribed – wish I’d found it earlier! Thanks for what you do and share. Gx
Eliminating Dairy was so helpful for me! The interesting thing, after my daughter was born, I don’t have as many issues with dairy! I have to eliminate eggs now! They give me a huge flare. My body is always changing, but I love sharing what helps with everyone 🙂
How about goat milk? Would it be free of A1?
It has very low A1 and mostly A2
Have you tried A2 milk to see how it affects you? I am HLA-B27+ and have had Reiters syndrome / Anklosing spondiliytis for over 15 years. I am on a mostly carnivore diet, as I find a lot of stuff gives me flare ups. Sugars, vegtable oils, prosessed food, I am going to give A2 milk a try its sold at wal mart
My husband has done A2 milk and it worked well for him. I just prefer almond milk, so that is what I use daily