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Another Newbie's Questions

azul

By azul
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

azul Newbie
azul
Posted

I've been doing a bunch of reading here, directed either at people who are newly diagnosed or suffer from food allergies/intolerances in addition to gluten, and I was wondering: should I cut out dairy as well? I don't have GI symptoms in general (from dairy, ever, or gluten, except for the few episodes that caused me to go to a gastroenterologist in the first place) and I haven't been told that I'm lactose intolerant either.

Does celiac cause lactose intolerance? Or does dairy just aggravate (some? all?) people's systems while they heal? I currently consume a ton of dairy--think 6-8 glasses of milk a day plus cheese, etc. and I don't *think* it's making me sick, but...

Also, what are probiotics? Should I be taking them?

And on an unrelated note, is there a place here for general introductions? I'd love to get to know everyone better and not be repeating myself for background info if there is a more appropriate area of the site.

Thanks for your patience if you're still reading, and thanks in advance for help.

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gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
Does celiac cause lactose intolerance? Or does dairy just aggravate (some? all?) people's systems while they heal?

Pretty hard to say really...perhaps a bit of both...

I don't have GI symptoms in general (from dairy, ever, or gluten, except for the few episodes that caused me to go to a gastroenterologist in the first place) and I haven't been told that I'm lactose intolerant either.
That makes it pretty hard for you to know...

By definition you like every other adult mammal are lactose intolerant... the real questions are how much? and is it preventing you healing? (IMHO)

I personally didn't BUT it took me forever to get better.... the general experience here seems to be its not going to hurt (worst case) and best case it can help speed your recovery....I now wish I had but....

I don't have GI symptoms in general (from dairy, ever, or gluten, except for the few episodes that caused me to go to a gastroenterologist in the first place) and I haven't been told that I'm lactose intolerant either.

Well from a non intolerance POV that's a heck of a lot of milk... to start off with and milk simply isn't good for you or anyone (except babies and baby animals)....

I certainly can't lecture you.... I do react a bit to cheese (mainly only after an accidental glutening) but I still eat it... is it good for me... nope but I love cheese.. I do however try and consume it in limited quantities.

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

I agree with gfp that generally, dairy isn't good for anybody. Cow's milk is food for calves, not people.

Somehow some people seem to be able to tolerate a limited amount of dairy. But the tips of your villi are supposed to produce the enzyme lactase, which is essential for the digestion of dairy. If your villi are damaged, they can't do that, and so I advise you to eliminate dairy for at least six months before reintroducing it (but NOT in such huge amounts!), to give your villi a chance to regenerate.

Probiotics would be a good idea. They are the good gut bacteria and can be very helpful in healing from celiac disease. Go to your local health food store, that's where you get them. Make sure you get a kind that doesn't contain gluten or dairy (most have one or the other, and some both). If it has maltodextrin , don't buy it.

And this is a fine place to introduce yourself and give your background info, we don't have any specific place for that.

rh4 Newbie
rh4
Posted

"Does celiac cause lactose intolerance? Or does dairy just aggravate (some? all?) people's systems while they heal? I currently consume a ton of dairy--think 6-8 glasses of milk a day plus cheese, etc. and I don't *think* it's making me sick, but..."

Milk casin (a protein in milk) is also an issue with many celiacs.

If you are considering an elimination diet - where you eliminate all foods that you *think* you might be reacting to - top food allergens and intolerances - gluten, milk, eggs, nuts, fish/shellfish, and soy (for your reference).

Stop eating these foods for a month or two and see if you feel better. Add these foods back into your diet one at a time and see how you feel. Then work from there.

Beware: It not as easy as it sounds - these foods (those listed above) are hidden in all sorts of products so read labels carefully.

Enjoy! :rolleyes:

Nice to meet you.

elye Community Regular
elye
Posted

Hi, Azul, and welcome...

I'd agree that your milk intake is quite high. Even if you don't have an official problem with it, I would decrease this, because as gfp has said, milk just ain't right for adult mammals to be consuming. My intake is very low--only the odd hunk of cheese and live bacterial yogurt, which is good to eat daily for its acidophilus content...

NoGluGirl Contributor
NoGluGirl
Posted

Dear azul,

The dairy may be a problem. I was told to get rid of it by my doctor. She said most Celiacs do not tolerate it. Your intake is very high. That could cause kidney stones. Too much is not a good thing. I would recommend going without dairy for a couple of weeks. Then, add it back in a small amount and wait a few days to see if there is a reaction. If not, you can go ahead and have it.

Probiotics are great to have. I take them. You can get dairy-free versions. Somewhere on here, a buddy of mine was discussing it. I take Accu-Flora manufactured by Northwest Naturals.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

JennyC Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

Many people with Celiac disease are lactose intolerant for at least the first 6 months after starting the gluten free (gluten-free) diet because the same cells that secrete the enzyme that breaks down lactose are destroyed by celiac disease. For many people once the intestine heals after going gluten-free they can again digest lactose. My son was diagnosed about 5 weeks ago. What we do is have him drink soy milk (Silk Very Vanilla is good) and give him a dose of Lactaid before he ingests other forms of dairy. You should definitely stop consuming so much dairy, at least for right now. Some people are allergic to milk (the protein, not the sugar), and that can be diagnosed through a blood test. If you are allergic to milk, then you should not consume dairy at all.

As for general instructions, I would do a search here for cross contamination and gluten-free food lists. Some good gluten-free brands are kinnikinnick and Glutano. There are also some good mainstream brands that will not hide gluten in labels such as food starch or natural flavors, such as Kraft and Nestle. There are lots of gluten-free lists on this site. Someone just posted one from Safeway the other day.

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JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted

Azul, I would second everyone here about reducing if not eliminating your dairy intake, and never allowing it to reach that point again. Milk should not be taking the place of necessary water in your diet, you should be providing your body with clean water all day. On the other hand, after you've given your body some time to repair, I higly recommedn RAW milk, especially goat's milk. Pateurized dairy is no good for anyone. Traditional cultures have been consuming dairy products straight or fermented for thousands of years, including the notoriously long-lived Jewish people, and it was never pasteurized. Modern milking procedures have made it quite safe for healthy adults, which you are. As to replacing anything with soy, here's a link regarding it: Open Original Shared Link

Hope that worked. And glad to hear you haven't been spending all of your recent past in the bathroom!

azul Newbie
azul
Posted
  • Author
the same cells that secrete the enzyme that breaks down lactose are destroyed by celiac disease. For many people once the intestine heals after going gluten-free they can again digest lactose

Aha!

It not as easy as it sounds - these foods (those listed above) are hidden in all sorts of products so read labels carefully.

Ain't that the truth! We cleaned out the whole pantry this morning and my "safe section" is quite small.

By definition you like every other adult mammal are lactose intolerant

I suppose I should have mentioned that I'm 17 and less of an adult than I'd often like to think I am :) . That said, you all are certainly right that I'm consuming too much dairy for anyone, much less someone trying to heal her insides...

Well, I guess it's back to Wegman's for me for probiotics and soymilk.

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

I don't have a problem with dairy but I never really had much milk. As a child I did not drink it period. I never liked it. My mom's friends used to be all over her that I was going to be missing out on all these nutrients...The dr said as long as I am getting my fluids and vitamins somewhere I would be fine.

If I use milk in my house I buy the single serve container....sometimes I need it to cook. Other than that, I use it scarcely.

I would trim down your intake a bit, too much cannot be healthy. A lot of people on here eliminated it and have felt better.

Good Luck.

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
Azul, I would second everyone here about reducing if not eliminating your dairy intake, and never allowing it to reach that point again. Milk should not be taking the place of necessary water in your diet, you should be providing your body with clean water all day. On the other hand, after you've given your body some time to repair, I higly recommedn RAW milk, especially goat's milk. Pateurized dairy is no good for anyone. Traditional cultures have been consuming dairy products straight or fermented for thousands of years, including the notoriously long-lived Jewish people, and it was never pasteurized. Modern milking procedures have made it quite safe for healthy adults, which you are. As to replacing anything with soy, here's a link regarding it: Open Original Shared Link

Hope that worked. And glad to hear you haven't been spending all of your recent past in the bathroom!

Hmm. just some clarifications ....

I' m not against RAW milk, especially not sheep or goats (or good quality dairy) but AFAIK cow milk hasn't been consumed for that long and certainly not as a primary milk source (perhaps you mean that and Im misreading but then still worth clarifying)

If you think about it just take any biblical or torah text.... calves were rather rare... and not common items (indeed rather prized) wheras sheep and shepherds were the everyday source of milk.... or you can look it up :D

It was basically the same in Europe from the Celtic migration through to more or less modern times...

Dairy cattle are an even more modern invention than cultivated wheat..(and still rare in many countries like France).. even when diary milk was drunk it was usually "spare" since the calves need to be killed to maximise milk yield and calves were too valuable to do that... remember cattle up till the late 19C were largely oxen and used for field work in Europe...(or European buffalo)

Even though I try and stay clear of dairy 90% of cheese that I do eat is goat or sheep and unpasturised... and I guess this is because a smallish amount of dairy milk makes me uncomfortable and bloated...

I don't actually buy milk (my girlfriend does though) and I sometimes have a drop in coffee but that's about it. (perhaps once a week?)

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted

What exactly is AFAIK cow milk? And my recommendation was for goat's milk. It is, however, out of some people's price range. And certainly preferable to soy milk......

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted
What exactly is AFAIK cow milk? And my recommendation was for goat's milk. It is, however, out of some people's price range. And certainly preferable to soy milk......

Ok, sorry, I just figured out the 'AFAIK' thing, sorry, it takes me forever to figure out the internet acronyms. And actually, historically, people didn't really drink milk. They ate cheese and fermented their dairy, not much straight milk. That's more of a product of commercialization. Goat's milk will still be the best for you, but raw cow's is better than pasteurized cow's!

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

Soy is also a common allergen. You can simply replace the milk you are drinking with more water.

Even though you're only 17, you have had no actual need for milk since you were weaned as a baby. I, too, eat cheese, drink lattes, and eat yogurt.

Milk is a poor source of calcium -- one reason is the way it's processed, which makes the calcium largely unavailable. The other is that it's high in protein, which depletes calcium. You can get calcium from leafy green veggies. Don't take my word for it ... I'm just some stranger on the internet, ;) but do a search, you will be surprised at what you learn.

I think it's a good idea to go dairy free for a time while you heal. Then add it back and see if you react.

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