Diary or just lactose free??

[Minimouse1]

Hi, when gluten & diary free are recommended just to help reduce anti-bodies - do people mean lactose free or all diary??

[MaisieGray]

Dairy products can be mucus-forming in some people and a common cause of IBS, bloating, reflux etc. The protein in dairy, casein, has been found to increase inflammation in the thyroid gland and digestive tract, the latter limiting the body's ability to absorb nutrients. Casein can worsen autoimmune disease just as much as gluten in some people. Dairy can also promote the growth of harmful microbes in your digestive tract such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi.

[Minimouse1 in reply to MaisieGray]

So is lactose free not sufficient to eliminate casein or am I confusing two issues?? Thank you.

[MaisieGray in reply to Minimouse1]

Being lactose intolerant is a specific issue separate from the possible impact of dairy and casein in particular. Lactose is the main carbohydrate in milk, casein is a protein.

Some people who are lactose intolerant can drink lactose-free milk which has added lactase, an enzyme which breaks down lactose.