The very first step to start eliminating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms is to avoid milk in your rheumatoid arthritis diet plan. This may seem like an unlikely first step, but without eliminating milk then everything else you do will fall by the wayside. Milk is one of the most allergy-forming, intestine-ruining, acid-forming foods you could put into your body.
Most Westerners like to drink milk because we have strong positive associations with it. We think it is healthy for us and that we should be drinking it. We also think that it is perfectly natural to drink milk and that it will strengthen our bones. Also, most would argue that it tastes good.
Very few people are out there criticising dairy and telling you that it is one of the worst ‘foods’ that you could eat. The reason that you’re not hearing this message is that nobody makes money out of telling you this message. Who do you know would make money out of telling you to stop consuming dairy products? Very few.
On the contrary, who makes money out of telling you that dairy is good for you? The Trillion-dollar industry worldwide is hell-bent on having you and your kids jam as much dairy into your body as it can handle! If you do, say goodbye to your health.
What Do The Experts Say About Dairy in Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet Plan?
In an interview with Yummy Plants, Doctor Neal Barnard tells us that ‘Casein is a common trigger for rheumatoid arthritis and joint pain. People often find that their pain disappears when they refrain from eating dairy products’ [1].
In the book ‘Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition’, author G. Eisman, discusses that dairy products are a likely contributing factor to rheumatoid arthritis due to their tendency to be allergenic [2].
Daniel Twogood, D.C., in his book ‘No Milk’ discusses the effects of casein in milk and he shares a couple of case studies of people who had stiffness and aches yet when they eliminated dairy products they eliminated the pain within 20 minutes.’ [3]
Scientific Studies of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Dairy Consumption
A 38 year old with 11-years of rheumatoid arthritis recovered from her disease and attained full mobility by stopping consuming all dairy products. Since her early 20s, she had consumed up to 1 lb (0.4 kg) of cheese per day. Although there was no clear history of allergy or diarrhoea after eating cheese she agreed to eliminate milk, cheese, and butter from her diet. The authors reported that after three weeks both her joint inflammation and morning stiffness reduced and she felt better. It almost completely resolved over many months, yet when she reintroduced dairy, her symptoms returned within 12 hours [4].
In another study, an experiment was conducted where all dairy products were removed from the diet of patients with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. Out of 15 patients, seven went into remission [5].
A comparison was made of the arthritis-inducing properties of cow’s milk, egg protein, and soy milk. The 12-week cow’s milk feeding regimen produced the highest incidence of significant joint lesions. Egg protein was less arthritis-inducing than cow’s milk, while soy milk caused no reaction [6].
Why Is Milk So Bad For Rheumatoid Arthritis?
So why is milk so bad for your rheumatoid arthritis diet plan? Well, milk damages the intestinal environment by increasing the number of bad bacteria and destroying the balance of the intestinal flora.
Also, contrary to popular belief, drinking milk has never been shown to reduce fracture risk. Countries with the lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.
In ‘The Enzyme Factor’ Dr Hiromi Shinya explains that when you drink milk the calcium level in your body elevates but this is eliminated in your urine and so it ironically depletes your overall calcium level [7].
Other Problems Associated With Dairy Products and Health
Dairy products have also been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity [8], diabetes, and certain types of cancer. They are completely devoid of fibre and complex carbohydrates but loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol.
On top of this, about 50 percent of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. They are genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products. Shouldn’t this alone give us a big sign that this isn’t food for humans?
Humans are the only animals that drink milk after weaning from their mothers. But even stranger is that unlike any other species in the world, humans are consuming the lactation fluid of another animal.
Unpleasantly, dairy products are also commonly contaminated with blood, pus, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.
What Should You Drink Instead In Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet Plan?
This is normally the section where people would tell you all about almond milk or soy milk and various alternatives that are going to keep you satisfied and happy.
Not me. I want you to get well from your chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis and to have the perfect Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet plan so advising any of the above is not going to help you at all. Almond milk and soy milk are better than cow’s milk, yet both are too high in fat for someone with rheumatoid arthritis to make dramatic improvements to their health.
Someone with rheumatoid arthritis should only drink water for a few weeks and watch their condition improve. The second oldest woman recently died at age 116 years old and her health tip was ‘make water your only drink’. She, and I, think the same.
I don’t think I’d be pain-free if I hadn’t started by eliminating milk. And you should start your new journey towards wellness by doing the same. You’ll never look back, I promise! What do you think about drinking milk? Let us know what you think in the comments.
References
[1] Yummy Plants interview with Neal Barnard, M.D. http://yummyplants.com/vegan-nutrition/vegan-health-tips/dr-neal-barnard-discusses-benefits-of-vegan-diet/
[2] Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition’, G. Eisman
[3] ‘No Milk’, Daniel Twogood
[6] Welsh C, J, R, Hanglow A, C, Conn P, Barker T, H, W, Coombs R, R, A: Early Rheumatoid-Like Synovial Lesions in Rabbits Drinking Cow’s Milk. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1985;78:145-151. doi: 10.1159/000233877
[7] ‘The Enzyme Factor’, Dr Hiromi Shinya
[8] Kwon Y, Lee SW, Cho YS, Jeong SJ, Han MY. Is High Milk Intake Good for Children’s Health? A National Population-Based Observational Cohort Study. Nutrients. 2021 Oct 2;13(10):3494. doi: 10.3390/nu13103494. PMID: 34684495; PMCID: PMC8541527.
Disclaimer: Do not take this information as personal medical advice. Do not change your diet if you are ill or on medication without the advice of a qualified health care provider (your physician, for example).