Which milk is best

[Bejwo50]

I've had ibs for many years, it started with diarrhoea, bloating, spasms and later it changed to constipation. Both are equally miserable. When I had diarrhoea I couldn't tolerate milk at all. But now I am able to drink milk, however I've been told it might be cows milk causing the constipation. I am trying lactose free milk since 1 week but haven't seen much benefit. I've read soya milk should help with constipation but I'm not sure if it's good for ibs, as most beans are not. But not sure about the milk. Has anyone tried it? Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance 💛

[Maureen1958]

Hi, I have dabbled in this a bit. I have tried various milks. A2 milk, I think I tried lactose free. I have tried oat, almond and numerous others. But the one thing I have found with them all is that they all make me more constipated. I, like you, started out with diarrhoea, but getting constipated at times now that I am getting older (62 next month). I haven't tried soya milk though because I know I have a problem with soya (or least I did)! I don't know if this will be of any help to you.

[FRreedman]

As a general note, Kiwi fruits (two per day) keep the constipation at bay.

[Bejwo50 in reply to FRreedman]

I'll give that a go. Thanks

[xOceanx]

Goats milk is good as alot are intolerant to cows milk, and not the a1 protein or lactose.

As lactose free milk is just cows milk and so is A2 milk alot find it still causes problems.

Soya is another one a few will be intolerant to.

Also take in to consideration what you put with milk as a few are actually intolerant to tea/coffee or certain wheat/high sugar cereals etc

Some I know cut out all type of milk for 3 months then add in goats, almond, oat etc and rotate use of them to avoid having to much of one.

Also remember shop brought milks like soya, oat, almond have other ingredients in to, which can cause symptoms in some people.

I tested intolerant to cow milk and cheese, not lactose not a1 protein.

So I had goats milk, then made my own almond or oat milk sometimes.

[WindyTowers in reply to xOceanx]

Goats milk is great for avoiding the long-chain fats that set off sinusitis, but like you I find alternating is best. Lactose free milk to avoid diarrhoea alternated with goats milk to avoid sinusitis - my ideal would be if someone produced lactose-free goats milk!

[xOceanx in reply to WindyTowers]

Hey,

I use to suffer so bad with sinus problems to. Like I'd get it for 6weeks at a time then get rid of it & it would come straight back.

Lactose free milk is just normal cows milk, they then add in lactase enzymes to digest the lactose leaving the milk like 99% lactose free.

You could take lactase enzymes.

I see a site once where the lady didnt want to buy lactose free milk so she made her own, by leaving right amount of lactase in milk for 48 or 72 hours I cant remember exact time, but I guess you could do same with goats milk.

Il try and find site I see it on.

I think 100ml of cows milk contains 5g of lactose & goats milk contains 4g per 100ml, so her measurements wouldn't be to different

[WindyTowers in reply to xOceanx]

I had been wondering about taking lactase, just reluctant to start yet another pill! I'll look into making goat's milk lactose free at home... thanks!

[xOceanx in reply to WindyTowers]

Digestive enzymes like lactase or protease, amylase etc are not like other supps or pills, if someone has low digestive enzymes then they won't be able to digest the foods or absorb the nutrients.

Symptoms can be mild or very serious.

I had to take a good quality high strength all in one enzyme supplement that you can only order from a qualified nutritionist.

I had to take them for appox 4 years to be able to digest food without them.

[Malaguena25 in reply to WindyTowers]

Look at the ones here: leagogo.com . I've been using them for a bit and they only have 3 ingredients, which made me feel good about taking those. I've been using lactase in general for 10 years (they are super frequent in Germany where I grew up) and I have never had issues. They are not like your normal pill, you only take one just before you're about to eat dairy. So there will be weeks where you don't need any and then some days you need 3 (especially during periods like Christmas or Eastern when there is so much chocolate :))

[Bejwo50 in reply to WindyTowers]

I too suffer sinusitis, I wander if its linked with ibs. I think I will alternate milks, this week I will buy goats milk and next week soya and then maybe almond and keep changing and see how I get on, I have started eating kiwi too.

[WindyTowers in reply to Bejwo50]

For me the sinusitis is linked for functional reasons - I need to lie down far more when I have an IBS flare up, and extra time lying down encourages more mucus into the sinuses... I use 3 pillows to try and keep my head more vertical when my gut needs to be horizontal!

[Sasical]

I have tried various "milks". My favourite and it doesn't seem to do me any harm is rice with coconut milk

[Bejwo50 in reply to Sasical]

Do you make it yourself?

[Sasical in reply to Bejwo50]

No, I don't have time. I buy it ready made

[Suecoo66]

I have soya milk but I'm IBS D not C

I've not heard there is one for C

If you had an intolerance for cows milk I'd have thought you'd have D not the opposite

You could try Almond or coconut milk

[asbayford]

Soya milk can be high fodmap if made from the beans, almond milk is a safe bet at under 250ml.

Saw someone mention 2 kiwis a day - that definitely works I swear by them lol one with breakfast, one in afternoon x

[WindyTowers in reply to asbayford]

Can you eat fruit in between meals on FODMAP? Find I've had to stop all between meal snacking to make LowFODMAP diet work...

[asbayford in reply to WindyTowers]

You can but eat fruit with zero or trace fodmaps such as oranges, grapes, strawberries

[WindyTowers in reply to asbayford]

Thanks so much for clarifying that - I'd tried bananas as a snack but of course that wasn't a great idea - looking forward to testing out oranges, grapes & strawberries

[Louisa50]

hi i have soya milk unsweetened been having it for years no constipation hope this helps😀

[Louisa50]

alpro milk

[12chickens]

Unpasteurised cows milk is food for IBS in general you can buy at the farm gate It works for me Kiwis also and oranges (satsumas)

[Rhonag]

Coconut milk is the best, available at all supermarkets.

[WindyTowers in reply to Rhonag]

I love coconut, but sadly have to restrict it on lowFODMAP

[casares8]

I find lactose free better than normal milk, but i take it skimmed then no fat as i find creamy milk too much. Fodmap diets also recommend lactose free diets. Personally i cannot tolerate soya, and dislike most of the others.

[Hidden]

Guess you might have other intolerances you never thought of with IBS. I had a food intolerance tests and egg, dairy, grains, and maize and rice and banana. I cut out rye, barley,

wheat. Malt is part of alcohol through barley, as well as malt vinegar in mayonnaise, sweets drinks and food. I never realised all these foods were affecting my gut.

It may come under tests for autoimmune disease called celiac disease which causes IBS.

If you can increase vegetables such as dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cooked carrot and mashed potato avoiding the fibrous stalks and veggies such as peas, and may be beans with shells, this can help. Fruit helps such as banana apple blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, and other berry fruits they can help constipation.

If are worried about milk, may be avoid it. I use a carton long life lactase free milk, but if you have a dairy intolerance you may find it is the protein in the milk or the lactase to which you are intolerant. There is a great website myfooddata.com It gives foods and drinks with foods which are the highest for your daily requirement of vitamins minerals and other substances.

May be back to the drawing board?

[WindyTowers in reply to Hidden]

Agree with you how useful myfooddata.com is... but puzzled by your comment "celiac disease which causes IBS." They have similar symptoms, and 5% -10% of coeliac suffers also have IBS, but as NHS page on coeliac explains:

"milder cases [of coeliac] may go undiagnosed or be misdiagnosed as other digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)." - they're two totally different types of illness with not a large overlap been found as yet. It's impossible to rule out some sort of connection as IBS is a syndrome (commonly occurring group of symptoms with as yet unknown cause or causes), but coeliac is a precise condition that can be physically diagnosed because the lining of the intestine shows significant damage caused long before any symptoms were first experienced.

[Hidden in reply to WindyTowers]

You are right, but it is a question of overlapping symptoms where one is caused by autoimmune factors. Everyone is different, but in the Uk there is no diagnosis as to which type of IBS you have. There are no tests offered by the GP for possible celiac disease, which can be linked to multi histamine flares causing inflammation in the digestive tract. There are interesting articles from Suzycohen.com and Isabella Wentz US pharmacists, who have written articles on autoimmune disease from food intolerances which may be linked to thyroid and celiac disease. Have had IBS undiagnosed for over fifty years, but it was not helped with medications because I had food intolerances and autoimmune disease with diabetes. I don't think the NHS has multi food intolerances which highlight celiac disease symptoms but do not denote gluten as a main cause of histamine flares. There are over 27 proteins in wheat which people may have intolerances to, other than gluten. In the US this called as non celiac disease ha! You have all the symptoms but gluten is not indicated!

The NHS is not precise enough over food and environmental influences and additives

additives used in foods, or alcahol and smoking, which are not mentioned or assessed as causing damage to the gut. I cannot drink any strong alcohol without a burning oesophagus. The digestive tract is linked so if alcohol l is not mentioned, as part of your lifestyle, then you may have an inflammation to it as a response to a toxin.

Drugs may affect your bowel, and if you are on any other drug you can look at the yellowcard scheme uk gov scheme with a profile analysis tab, which gives graphs of the side effects to each part of the body with prescribed drugs. Liver damage may occur

which may affect your digestion. Hope you feel better soon.

[marshamclean]

Two kiwi a day help considerably help me with constipation.

[IBSNetwork Partner IBS Network]

Hi,

Have you tried keeping a wellness diary recording what you are eating, how you are feeling and events in your life? We recommend doing this for 12-weeks to better understand your IBS triggers and symptoms.

[ChazzleBerry]

Personally, I have had best results with Filtered Skimmed milk! Filtered milk is often lactose free and had reduced sugars (which is a massive trigger for me) and Skimmed has less fat.

[Bejwo50]

I have started eating 2 kiwis a day and ah they have helped with the constipation. I am going to go back to normal cows milk but continue with the kiwis and see how I go.

Thanks everyone for your replies all the best everyone💛