Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):
  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

What Happens If You Eat Dairy Even Though The Villi Can't Absorb It?


Mike212

Recommended Posts

Mike212 Rookie

I've been gluten free for bout a month now and I am eating dairy. Ive seen that lots of people starting out on the gluten-free diet also cut dairy from their diet as well as gluten because the villi can't absorb the dairy in the damaged state they are in. So if I continue to eat dairy does it hurt my villi or what other harmful effects could it cause? The only thing I think I have from it is a little gas.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



shadowicewolf Proficient

I've been gluten free for bout a month now and I am eating dairy. Ive seen that lots of people starting out on the gluten-free diet also cut dairy from their diet as well as gluten because the villi can't absorb the dairy in the damaged state they are in. So if I continue to eat dairy does it hurt my villi or what other harmful effects could it cause? The only thing I think I have from it is a little gas.

Nah, i don't think it does. It just leaves ya with some unwanted symptoms.

cahill Collaborator

The following is a list of causes of flattened villi which was published in a book titled Coeliac Disease by W. T. Cooke and G. K. Holmes, published by Churchill Livingstone, Medical Division of Longman Group Limited (1984). Celiacs on a gluten-free diet (for a prolonged period) who continue to have flatten villi may be want to look for other causes to their problem. Keep in mind that some of the items listed rarely cause flatened villi, and are usually found in conjunction with Celiac Disease or immuno-deficiencies.

  • Coeliac Disease
  • Cows Milk Protein Intolerance
  • Soy Protein Intolerance
  • refractory Sprue

https://www.celiac.com/articles/50/1/Main-Causes-of-Flattened-Villi/Page1.html

kareng Grand Master

Lots of people cut dairy but its not because nutrients aren't absorbed. It's because the substance that " digests " or breaks down lactose ( in milk) is produced int the villi. If the villi are damaged, they can't produce this substance. Some dairy products have more lactose than others. Some of your villi are not damaged. It would be rare for all of them to be completely damaged. You may be digesting fine and not need to cut out all dairy. Or just cut back for a few months on the dairy.

If dairy doesn't seem to bother you, enjoy! I never cut it out but I don't drink glasses of milk which have a lot of lactose. I eat cheeses and yogurts. They don't appear to have as much lactose.

IrishHeart Veteran

Some docs suggest removing dairy for the first few months after Dx because --as Karen mentioned-- lactase, which digests

lactose is produced in the tips of the villi. Once the tips of the villi grow back, your ability to digest lactose returns.(in the vast majority of celiacs--some continue to have lactose intolerance)

 

The only way you would know you have a dairy problem is if you have GI issues (indigestion, bloating and likely, diarrhea.)

 

I cut it out for 9 months and then tried yogurt first, then cheese. I never resumed drinking big old glasses of milk (I use coconut milk)

but I do enjoy ice cream without any problems now. And I was told a long time ago I had IBS and lactose intolerance and that I would have it the rest of my life. This is simply not the case at all. It's all good.

 

if you are okay with "a little gas", then it's your call. :) .

Mike212 Rookie

Thanks everyone, i understand.

ENF Enthusiast

I've found that goats milk is much easier to digest than cows, and it's a fact that the casein is much less in goats milk.   I buy canned powdered goat milk as well as ice cream, cheese and yogurt that are also made from goats milk, and they're all delicious.    


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Mike212 Rookie

I've found that goats milk is much easier to digest than cows, and it's a fact that the casein is much less in goats milk.   I buy canned powdered goat milk as well as ice cream, cheese and yogurt that are also made from goats milk, and they're all delicious.    

maybe ill try it some time

psawyer Proficient

if you are okay with "a little gas", then it's your call. :) .

People downwind might have an alternative view on that.  :ph34r:

 

JK  ;)

IrishHeart Veteran

People downwind might have an alternative view on that.  :ph34r:

 

JK  ;)

 

true dat  :blink:  :D

Salax Contributor

I've found that goats milk is much easier to digest than cows, and it's a fact that the casein is much less in goats milk.   I buy canned powdered goat milk as well as ice cream, cheese and yogurt that are also made from goats milk, and they're all delicious.    

 

I am an avid fan of goat and sheeps milk products. My natural doc explain it something like this, the protiens found in cows milk are larger than we would find in our mothers natural milk. Whereas the protiens found in sheeps and goats milk are more like our own mothers milk in size, so our human bodies have an easier time processing it. And since cow milk products make me ill (more than a lactose issue by far) I tried the goats milk stuff and wow, no issue at all. Just becareful of the feta, most in the USA are made from cows milk, not the traditional goats milk. Gotta read the label. Learned that the hard way.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

    2. - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

    3. - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

    4. 0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,331
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Kristy2026
    Newest Member
    Kristy2026
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.