Over the course of several years, my daughter had developed an increasing intolerance to dairy. It was one of the reasons that we finally pursued the gluten-free diet since I had read a lot about the link between gluten and lactose. It is extremely common for the damage caused by gluten to impact the body's ability to digest the lactose in dairy. Once off of gluten for about six months, my daughter was slowly able to increase the amount of dairy she could tolerate. Now, almost three years off gluten, she can enjoy moderate amounts of dairy without issues.
I have had a long standing love/hate relationship with dairy. As a child, I would sit at the table long after dinner struggling to finish my glass of milk. My first job was at an ice cream shop where it became less appealing due to the havoc it wreaked on me. My reactions to dairy were more than just digestive - also causing skin breakouts and triggering migraines. Finally 10 years ago it was determined that I had an allergy to milk casein. I had positive blood, skin, and clinical results to indicate this was an actual allergy and not simply lactose intolerance. This was confirmed again two years ago after more food allergy testing. I was given the news that unlike my daughter, I would not be regaining my ability to eat dairy. Of course the appeal especially of cheese became too great and I began to cheat here and there with dairy. I found that I too seemed to be tolerating it more and more.
There are A LOT of people who suffer from negative reactions to dairy and have either been diagnosed or just consider themselves lactose intolerant. Believing that this is just how they have to live. They may pop some pills to aid their digestion or just suffer through the repercussions of that irresistible pizza or ice cream. Or they cut out dairy all together to avoid the consequences. And those solutions may work for some people. However, my concern is for those whose issues with dairy possibly stem from damage caused by gluten. For these individuals there may be more at stake than just the negative effects of being lactose intolerant. Those affected by gluten often have a number of symptoms and disorders caused by their reaction to it - some can become quite serious. So it may be worth investigating if your lactose intolerance symptoms are the result of gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
I recently returned to the allergist and my results baffled them. All tests now show no indication of milk casein allergy! Apparently it is very unusual for adults to out grow such food allergies. I am just excited that I can finally enjoy some cheese and ice cream (in moderation) without the consequences!
Share your experience with the link between gluten and lactose in the comments below!
I have had a long standing love/hate relationship with dairy. As a child, I would sit at the table long after dinner struggling to finish my glass of milk. My first job was at an ice cream shop where it became less appealing due to the havoc it wreaked on me. My reactions to dairy were more than just digestive - also causing skin breakouts and triggering migraines. Finally 10 years ago it was determined that I had an allergy to milk casein. I had positive blood, skin, and clinical results to indicate this was an actual allergy and not simply lactose intolerance. This was confirmed again two years ago after more food allergy testing. I was given the news that unlike my daughter, I would not be regaining my ability to eat dairy. Of course the appeal especially of cheese became too great and I began to cheat here and there with dairy. I found that I too seemed to be tolerating it more and more.
There are A LOT of people who suffer from negative reactions to dairy and have either been diagnosed or just consider themselves lactose intolerant. Believing that this is just how they have to live. They may pop some pills to aid their digestion or just suffer through the repercussions of that irresistible pizza or ice cream. Or they cut out dairy all together to avoid the consequences. And those solutions may work for some people. However, my concern is for those whose issues with dairy possibly stem from damage caused by gluten. For these individuals there may be more at stake than just the negative effects of being lactose intolerant. Those affected by gluten often have a number of symptoms and disorders caused by their reaction to it - some can become quite serious. So it may be worth investigating if your lactose intolerance symptoms are the result of gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
I recently returned to the allergist and my results baffled them. All tests now show no indication of milk casein allergy! Apparently it is very unusual for adults to out grow such food allergies. I am just excited that I can finally enjoy some cheese and ice cream (in moderation) without the consequences!
Share your experience with the link between gluten and lactose in the comments below!
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