Well, I was totally convinced that Milk Kefir was a cool way of getting the super probiotics into my diet. I could easily find it, make it and add it on top of my Quinoa porridge in the morning. Easy! I managed to figure out how to make it too, which I was very proud about – I had my own little science experiments running in my kitchen. (Just bought some Milk Kefir from a health shop and let it sit on the windowsill for a day, then added some milk to it and let it sit for a further couple of days.)
So, here I was drinking my Milk Kefir every morning and even adding some of it to a Cocoa Drink or Smoothy on occasion. I really thought it would help my digestion. The first couple of days….. it really did. Things were going well. I had nice, regular movements and they were well…. firm.
Then…. the signals started to appear. The first obvious one was that I started to get that flemy feeling in my throat again. I hadn’t experienced this for years! I read more about it and read that mucous can actually be a good thing for the gut as it gives it nice warm spaces to build colonies of good bacteria. So, I thought – oh well, I shall live with this for a little while until the bacteria settle in nicely.
Over a few days, my skin started to get bad too. I was getting pimples and break-outs again….. what was going on?
I wasn’t prepared to give up my Milk Kefir just yet, so I decided to do some more research about what might be going on.
What I discovered was quite interesting…..
I kinda knew that the medium of using milk might be the problem all along. I was doubting whether I should use milk as my medium for carrying the probiotics, to begin with…. :) See, there is a reason why milk is not great for our diets.
It contains a protein which is hard for our bodies to digest, called Casein. Casein is a protein which once it enters our stomachs, becomes a big lump of sticky mass. Now, this is totally normal and athletes quite like using Casein powder as it releases protein in a slow  fashion. The thing with me – and possibly you too – is that my system just wasn’t ready for this Casein Protein. I was struggling to digest it!
The second problem was that milk, as a medium, is dehydrating on the body. I was drinking anywhere from a 1/4cup to 1/2 cup of Kefir Milk each day. I was eating my regular diet but it didn’t seem to help. I drank heaps more water than usual and ate heaps more raw carrots too…. but it didn’t seem to help. I hate being constipated! It to me is the worst feeling!
I discovered that milk is rich in Calcium and Phosphorous but that it is low in Magnesium. The problem is, that our bodies need Magnesium to assimilate the Calcium and Phosphorous. So, it draws the Magnesium from stores in the body. This may have depleted my Magnesium stores – which makes one constipated.
So, it has been 2days of no Kefir Milk – James is enjoying it now and I am now experimenting with Coconut Kefir. It might be a better medium for me!
I know that often we are more concerned about getting the good bacteria into our bodies with fermentation but I still think the medium that we choose should be the right one. There are so many different mediums to choose from, we might as well choose the ones that give our bodies more good stuff!
I am keen to experiment with all the different Kefir’s out there! There is even one they make in Russia using Beetroot!
I know some of you swear by Milk Kefir. What was your experience? Does the body get stronger and then it is able to digest the Milk Kefir? Did you use other Fermented foods to go with it?
Cows are kept pregnant all the time in order to produce as much milk as possible, which means you get all the birth hormones – probably not a good thing for endo. Nature has provided dairy to help baby animals grow. Dairy = growth. Promoting tissue growth is a good thing for infants (breast milk is best) – promoting tissue growth is not a good thing for endometriosis (or cancer).
Such a good point! Thanks for sharing Georgina :)
A very good point, regarding the growth-promoting properties of milk!
With regards to the hormones, aren’t pregnancy hormones actually beneficial for endo? I mean, I’m not sure if the pregnancy hormones in cows are the same as in humans, but I don’t think we should write off something for containing hormones until we are sure that those particular hormones are not beneficial for us. It could be that they actually benefit us, so long as they are naturally occurring and not artificial.
Just a thought… would love to hear your thoughts, Georgina and/or Melissa :)
P.S. Had no reaction after drinking raw milk yesterday, so I definitely don’t think I have a problem digesting it (unlike pasteurised milk). But still, there could be other reasons to avoid dairy, as mentioned in the other comments. I will continue with my experiment and let you know my findings!
Hi Mali,
My understanding is that cows milk contains growth hormones, which is not something I want for my endo – growth. I can appreciate it would be beneficial if we are trying to grow a large cow but not sure those hormones should be for humans based on that.
It might also be the quantity that we drink. I know many cultures in africa that do have real milk as part of their diet but it is a rarerity and a special event, rather than a daily thing.
I used to drink Milk Kefir regularly and I seemed to tolerate it well. I think sometimes people react badly due to a die-off reaction (all the good bacteria and good yeasts start killing the bad guys, but they release their toxins into the body when they die). That’s why most protocols recommend introducing any kind of probiotic slowly, starting with a small amount and then gradually building up. When I started with Kefir, I began with a tbsp per day, and gradually worked my way up to 1-2 cups per day. Unfortunately my Kefir culture died and I’m now struggling to find a new one!
With regards to casein, I think that whether you use raw or pasteurised milk definitely makes a difference. Pasteurised milk is heated in such a fast and unnatural way that it damages the casein proteins and makes them much harder to digest. The casein in raw milk is undamaged and should cause far less (if any) problems.
I’ve started the endo diet now, but am still debating whether or not to include raw milk. I am able to get high-quality, hormone-free raw milk from grass-fed cows. I believe it to be a very healing food, and considering raw milk is usually quite easily digestible (unlike pasteurised), I’m wondering if its inclusion on the endo diet could actually be beneficial in some cases (despite dairy products being generally prohibited). Anyhow, I’m considering experimenting a bit with this. Would love to hear your thoughts, Melissa!
Hope you’re well!
Mali
Hi Mali,
It could be worth trying and really recording the reaction you get in the body from drinking it. I am still questioning the whole idea of drinking cows milk – it is ultimately designed for a calf, really….. but then so is honey and bee pollen. You could be our guinea pig – since you have access to the good stuff :) Let me know how you go :)
Okay, am having a glass now! Will make a note of any reactions and let you know.
Although I understand the logic behind the “milk is meant for the calf” theory, I’m not sure I go for it. As you pointed out, there are many foods which don’t appear to be intended for humans, but which have been consumed by us for generations with many benefits. From what I understand (having asked a farmer about this topic) cows naturally produce far more milk than their calves could ever consume alone, which makes me think that perhaps we were intended to make use of the excess. Many cultures throughout the world have long regarded milk from various animals as a sacred and health-giving food. I think it’s likely that pasteurisation (and homogenisation) are to blame for all the adverse reactions that so many people are suffering from milk products these days.
Just a few thoughts :) I will keep you posted on the raw milk experiment!
Hi Melissa,
Milk also increases calcium loss from the bones. Like all animal protein, milk acidifies the body pH which in turn triggers a correction. Calcium is an acid neutralizer and the biggest storage of calcium in the body is in the bones. So the very same calcium that our bones need to stay strong is used to neutralize the acidifying effect of milk. Once calcium is pulled out of the bones, it leaves the body via the urine, so that the surprising net result after this is an actual calcium deficit.
That’s why countries with the highest consumption of dairy products also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis and bone fracture. So you made the right choice in drinking coconut kefir over milk kefir.
If you want to know more about how casein affects your health I recommend a book called “The China Study” by Colin Campbell. Ever since I’ve made the changes detailed in this book my endometriosis pain has disappeared and I am certain that I am on the right path to healing.
Thanks Georgina. I must read that book. It has been recommended to me a few times :)
amount is also key. people make the mistake when drinking milk keffir of drinking too much. i only have say 1.5ins worth in a small glass daily. i believe that is enough to get the probiotic value without having too much dairy. i don’t think as adults we should we drinking lots of milk and i find when i do that it makes me very lethargis. there are other fruit juices/bases you can use – even water! so whichever way works is good. i do think its important to use a decent culture which will not be defined as milk keffir or otherwise – it will be useable in any liquid form. i am not convinced that health shops sell quality keffir as there are storage issues. it needs to be kept alive to be powerful, in my view.
Hi Melissa, did you use pasteurized cow’s milk for your kefir? I wonder though if we could use raw milk to make it and if it will have the same effect. Or maybe we can use goat’s milk and I prefer it raw though.
Hi Beth,
Yeah, I did wonder that one too. I am keen to give it another go with Raw Milk once it is easier to find – they sell it at the Borough Market in London. I have heard you can even make it with Almond Milk. The coconut kefir seems to be agreeing perfectly so far… 2 days into it :)