# can milk cause behavioral problems?



## prettyflwrs (Aug 16, 2007)

This might be the wrong place to post this but I am confused as to where the right place is so I figured here.

My mom says that when I was little I had behavioral problems when I drank lots of milk. However that is all she says so I dont know details. I think my DD who is 20 months might also have this problem. Does anyone know anything about this, were I might find more information. Is this common. anything would help.


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## AJP (Apr 30, 2003)

Some people are sensitive to casein, the protein in milk. It can be an actual allergy, or the result of 'leaky gut', a condition caused by a somewhat complex cascade of conditions, which doesn't always present as obvious digestive problems. As I understand it, casein and gluten (from grains) can both have opiate-like effects in people who have these kind of intestinal issues, which can cause behavioral problems.

BTW, I'm not trying to demonize milk in general, we're a big dairy-eating family, but most of what we eat is raw, organic, and grassfed, and none of us seem to have any problems with it. Conventional dairy probably isn't great for anyone, considering how it's produced these days. Many people who have various problems with regular milk do very well with raw, grassfed milk, but some people will always have trouble with dairy no matter what.


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## prettyflwrs (Aug 16, 2007)

I also suspect that my DD might have a yeast overgrowth, would this make it more likely that she would have problems with milk? Would trying to deal with the yeast help with the milk issues?

I totally understand the raw milk thing, I am looking for a source but we are in the middle of the desert I have not seen a cow in months so who knows if I will be able to find it.

I remember my mom saying that my problem was with milk proteins.

So what foods are likely to cause problems in my DD, milk of course but what about yogurt or kefir? And cheese?
what about bread and cookies and crackers? should I avoid those too?


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## AJP (Apr 30, 2003)

Candida yeast overgrowth can be a factor in digestive issues, including those involving casein and gluten. If you think she's having candida problems, you probably should address that first, but it's likely all related - diet can both encourage the conditions that allow candida overgrowth to begin, and then feed the yeast once it's dominant. Imbalanced gut flora is a major factor in leaky gut, candida being one of those organisms that can get out of balance, damaging the gut wall, which both inhibits proper breakdown of nutrients (stomach acid and bile are factors here, too) and allows those undigested particles to pass through the gut wall into the bloodstream, which prompts various kinds of reactions. There's a whole continuum of problems related to this kind of situation, from mild to debilitating. I think I'd first try to determine if candida is an issue, take steps to control it (candida diet, preferably under the supervision of a practitioner experienced with this), then see what improvement occurs and what problems remain, and decide from there what other kinds of healing need to be encouraged. Even if candida isn't an issue, there are plenty of other food sensitivity issues that can cause behavioral problems. I'm not an expert, there are probably mamas in the health and healing forum here that can help you more.


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## HealthCareQueen (Dec 30, 2007)

um, maybe because milk is extremely acidic and humans aren't supposed to have it because it's from an ANIMAL, only meant for baby cows to grow to be a thousand pounds??????? hhhmmmmmm....yes i would think it would cause plenty of problems for people, google MILK DANGERS to discover the truth


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## ~*max*~ (Dec 23, 2002)

When he was younger, my ds had a lot of trouble w/dairy. It would cause physical reactions - hives, dark circles under his eyes, red ears and also behavioral reactions - hyperactivity, impulsiveness, short attention span. When we eliminated all dairy he was like a new child. The book "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp helped us immensely. I highly recommend it. BTW, it is great that you are figuring this out so early in your dc's life! It took me until ds was 3 to figure out what was wrong. Now, at age 8 we still limit his dairy, but he can have a little w/no problems noticed.

Lastly, the MDC allergy forum is a wealth of information & support.


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## prettyflwrs (Aug 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~*max*~* 
When he was younger, my ds had a lot of trouble w/dairy. It would cause physical reactions - hives, dark circles under his eyes, red ears and also behavioral reactions - hyperactivity, impulsiveness, short attention span. When we eliminated all dairy he was like a new child. The book "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp helped us immensely. I highly recommend it. BTW, it is great that you are figuring this out so early in your dc's life! It took me until ds was 3 to figure out what was wrong. Now, at age 8 we still limit his dairy, but he can have a little w/no problems noticed.

Lastly, the MDC allergy forum is a wealth of information & support.

The hyperactivity, short attention span, and impulsiveness is exacally what I was seeing in my DD, she was so tantrum-y too. I will check out that book and the allergy forum. I have been really restricting her dairy for about a week now and with in hours of starting I noticed a huge improvement in her behavior.
Thanks.


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## frogguruami (Sep 21, 2004)

DSs behavior has been better since I discovered I was allergic to dairy. The family's dairy consumption has gone down significantly since I stopped eating it. DSs moods are more stable. He is still as hyper as can be but his mood swings are not so dramatic.


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## saratc (May 13, 2006)

Any kind of food allergy or intolerance can cause mood problems in children and adults as well. I'm currently reading Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, and it talks about how solving gut and digestive issues can improve a myriad of issues including autism, dyspraxia, schizophrenia, and many other mood and psychological issues. I went to a talk by this doctor recently and she talked about how when you can't digest milk and some other complex sugars properly, they stay in your gut and feed the bad bacteria and yeasts. She also said that milk actually has components that if not digested properly will have a morphine-like effect on your body and many people who aren't digesting milk properly but are addicted to it are sort of addicted to morphine.

DH and I are probably going on the SCD later next year so we can try to solve some of the digestion issues and symptoms that I'm seeing.


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## prettyflwrs (Aug 16, 2007)

Wow you all are giving me alot to think about, I have had alot of mood problems myself for the last few years and I have had problems with dairy for years. I crave it, like a drug. I have so much about this to learn.
It really sounds like I really need to limit or cut out the dairy that both me and my DD eat.

Where on mothering would be the best place to learn how to get rid of dairy in our diets? I am really worried about my DD getting enough fat in her diet now. I am still figuring out the forums here.


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## AJP (Apr 30, 2003)

prettyflwrs, it's possible the underlying problem isn't being _caused_ by dairy, but conditions may be such that you and she aren't currently able to properly digest it. IMO, food intolerances usually stem from gut troubles, like saratc mentioned, which can be caused by a combination of difficult-to-avoid conditions of modern life (i.e. antibiotic use, low levels of probiotic bacteria in everyday diets, chlorinated water, etc.). Eliminating dairy may be necessary for now, if there are some digestive issues that need to be healed, but it may not be a lifelong intolerance.

ETA: There are a lot of folks on both the veg. living and traditional foods boards here who know the value of good fats in a child's diet but who don't do dairy. They may disagree about what the good fats are, so depending on whether you want to include animal fats or not you could ask for more specific ideas in either of those places. Off the top of my head, great fats for kids are avocado, olive oil, nuts (soaked first and dehydrated), coconut oil/milk, eggs and fats from properly-raised animals (i.e. pastured).


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