Milk for adults: why it sits heavy and what to do about it

WHAT HAPPENS TO CASEIN
Cow's, goat's and sheep's milk belong to the casein group. Casein is the main milk protein, and adults often digest it badly: there are not enough enzymes, among them lactase, which breaks down milk sugar. In the naturopathic tradition it is held that poorly digested milk fractions can pass into the blood. In my view they settle in the tissues, in the joints and between the muscles — and I have seen more than once how people with "unexplained" joint pain felt better after giving up dairy.

Pasteurisation is a separate question

Among the things harmful to the liver I count pasteurised cow's milk in particular: heating changes the protein, and the body finds it harder still. When the liver is weak I advise limiting other dairy products too — at least while it recovers.

What to do in practice

• Do not drink milk "like water" and do not wash your food down with it: milk is a food in its own right, and heavy in combinations.
• Take a closer look at fermented dairy: there the bacteria have already done part of the work. Many people who find milk hard going tolerate soured milk perfectly well.
• Test it on yourself: three weeks without dairy — and an honest look at your joints, skin, digestion and the morning mucus in your throat. The body will answer more precisely than any test.
• Calcium without milk means greens, cabbage, sesame, almonds and fish.

Common mistakes

Replacing milk with sweetened "plant drinks" from a carton — those are sugar and additives. And judging by a single day: traces of dairy take weeks to leave the tissues, so give the test three weeks.

A word of caution

Do not take dairy away from children without medical grounds and a talk with the paediatrician — their relationship with milk is a different one. Adults with osteoporosis should discuss their sources of calcium with a doctor.