Digestive disorders have run in my father's side of the family for years. And I, one of three daughters, have seemed to be the only one that was lucky enough to have them myself. While a couple of very successful procedures have alleviated most of my symptoms, I am always looking for natural ways to prevent my occasional "issues". I have watched my father pop Lactase on a regular basis and never gave the notion that I may also have a problem with dairy products until recently, and my findings have been life changing!

First, let me explain why, in my opinion, humans past the age of infancy are not designed to digest dairy. In fact, it is the exact opposite. For most, it wreaks havoc on many of the body's systems. An article written by researcher Daniel Reid explains just the tip of the iceberg how dairy can affect our bodies:

"Cow's milk has four times the protein and only half the carbohydrate content of human milk. Pasteurization destroys the natural enzyme in cow's milk required to digest its heavy protein content.

This excess milk protein therefore putrefies in the human digestive tract, clogging the intestines with sticky sludge, some of which seeps back into the bloodstream. As this putrid sludge accumulates from daily consumption of dairy products, the body forces some of it out through the skin (acne, blemishes) and lungs (catarrh), while the rest of it festers inside, forms mucus that breeds infections, causes allergic reactions, and stiffens joints with calcium deposits.

Many cases of chronic asthma, allergies, ear infections, and acne have been totally cured simply by eliminating all dairy products from the diet.

Cow's milk products are particularly harmful to women.

Milk is supposed to flow out of, not into, women's bodies."

I am sure these statements seem quite contrary to what we have all heard growing up and to this day. We are told that dairy is VITAL to our bone health and to prevent osteoporosis. But dairy consumption can actually rob our bodies of calcium intake. True, cow's milk contains 118 mg of calcium in every 100 grams, compared to 33 mg/100 grams in human milk. But cow's milk also contains 97 mg phosphorus/100 grams, compared to only 18 mg in human milk. Phosphorus combines with calcium in the digestive tract and actually blocks its assimilation. In fact, in all countries that virtually do not eat any dairy, osteoporosis is extremely rare because they get their calcium from other food sources such as broccoli, almonds and spinach. Cow's milk also contains 50 mg sodium/100 grams, compared with only 16 mg in human milk, so dairy products are probably one of the most common sources of excess sodium in the modern Western diet.

You may be rolling your eyes right now and thinking "GREAT, one more thing that I shouldn't eat." Giving up dairy isn't for everyone. I haven't given up all dairy either. But when I decided I would give cutting down to very little (all while being skeptical of any results), I have noticed a significant increase in my energy levels, less allergy symptoms, and don't feel bloated on a regular basis. If you suspect that you may be experiencing discomfort such as any listed above anywhere in this article, I urge you to try to eliminate or cut back on your dairy. While this may sound nearly impossible to some of you, there are TONS of dairy substitutes such as soy, almond, coconut milk, non-dairy cheese and mayonnaise, etc.