Removing dairy, or switching to A2 dairy, can have a huge impact on your period and hormonal health.
Have you noticed how you feel after eating dairy?
I’m not someone who loves to take women off entire food groups unnecessarily, so let’s be clear here, dairy for some women is completely fine.
But for others, including migraine sufferers, women with heavy or painful periods, histamine issues, digestive problems or endometriosis, it can make a huge (negative) impact on the release of inflammatory mediators like prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins are hormone-like molecules which regulate pain signalling, inflammation levels, gastric acid and mucus production and secretion and uterine contractions (stronger = more painful). Hence, removing dairy, or switching to A2 dairy, can have a positive impact on your period and hormonal health.
A2 dairy is found in commercial A2 milk and sheep, goat, buffalo or jersey cow milks, yoghurts and cheeses.
By removing dairy or switching to an A2 form, you can:
- lighten your periods;
- stop the destabilisation of mast cells and histamine release;
- minimise overall inflammation;
- reduce puffiness and pain;
- stabilise mood; and
- improve digestive dysbiosis
Dairy contains two proteins (or caseins, which are simply the proteins in dairy), A1 & A2: A1 is produced in most dairy cows and A2 is produced from jersey cows, sheep, goat or buffalo.
A1 dairy is inflammatory for some, which comes down to genetics and enzyme function.
If you were the kid who suffered through tonsillitis, ear infections and respiratory infections (and you probably still get stuffy and puffy if you eat dairy) then it’s likely dairy isn’t (and has never been) your bestie.
The inflammatory A1 protein/casein issue is NOT the same as the lactose, or milk-sugar issue. Lactose intolerance is more likely to cause the runs if you indulge in a milk coffee or ice-cream because you lack the lactase enzyme that breaks down lactose.
Intolerance to Casein (the protein molecule) = inflammation
Intolerance to Lactose (the sugar molecule) = diarrhoea
Even if you do have an issue with A1 dairy, you can still most likely tolerate butter (make it grass-fed if possible), ricotta, cream and whey protein powder (as the amounts of casein are minimal).
This was one of the first things I ever learnt about how I could make changes that impact my cycle experience through working with the lovely Lara Briden who now has some great books including the Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual and The Metabolism Reset (or Metabolism Repair for Women depending on your country) so make sure you check them out too.
Have you found eliminating or reducing dairy has helped your periods?
