Dairy & Anxiety

[Hip]

DAIRY PRODUCTS, ANXIETY, & SINUSES

I have found a very effective way of eliminating the severe mental anxiety states that I have been suffering: simply by cutting out dairy products (no milk, cheese, butter, cream, or yogurt). This one simple thing has greatly improved my anxiety symptoms.

In fact, since I stopped eating all dairy, my anxiety has more or less disappeared. I am sure that all of you still suffering with anxiety appreciate how useful this is.

If you are still plagued with anxiety, perhaps simply cutting out all dairy products might work for you too? It is worth giving up dairy, just for a week, in order to test this. If this is going to work for you, you will notice the improvement after just two days. So this protocol is very simple, inexpensive and quick to give results, if it does work for you.

But do it thoroughly: as even drinking just a cup of coffee with a few drops of milk, or say frying your food in a dab of butter, will rapidly trigger anxiety states again.

You can use soya milk, or rice milk, (but not goat's milk), in place of cow's milk. You can use olive oil in place of butter on your toast (it tastes really nice too). And use oil for frying, not butter or margarine. So it's not that hard to cut out dairy.

Dairy products increase the inflammation process within the body - particularity in the sinuses - which I suspect then in some way causes brain chemistry changes that underlie the anxiety state. The lactose and casein found in dairy products are well-known to cause increased sinus infection; and infections in the sinuses can impact upon the brain. Indeed, viral infections often get into the brain by entry via the sinuses.

Once I started going dairy-free, my sinuses and nasal congestion were rapidly cleared, and the general feeling of congestion in my head is much diminished.

I hope this idea does help some of you that suffer with anxiety symptoms.


Note: colostrum is an exception to the dairy product avoidance regimen: although colostrum does contain some lactose and casein, I have found that the overall benefits of colostrum on the immune system is greater than any anxiety-producing effects of colostrum's lactose and casein content.

I hope this helps.

[tcmgpt13]

Foods can trigger anxiety attacks, especially if someone has an allergy to certain food(s). If you notice your anxiety is improved by eliminating dairy you may have a food allergy. The same could be true of other common allergy triggers such as wheat, corn, and peanuts. Also some foods may exacerbate anxiety, but not be true allergic reactions. Sometimes, certain supplements may help curb anxiety reactions. Here’s an article about foods and panic/anxiety disorders along with foods which may trigger such reactions in some people:

Food Choices That Help Diminish Anxiety: Reduce Symptoms of Anxiety and Panic Disorder with Better Nutrition

Food Choices That Help Diminish Anxiety
Reduce Symptoms of Anxiety and Panic Disorder with Better Nutrition

Sep 29, 2008 Jennifer Copley

It is possible to reduce the symptoms of both generalized anxiety and panic disorder by making better nutritional choices and avoiding certain foods altogether.

Anxiety disorders can be extremely disabling. Common symptoms include:

* Constant worry
* Chronic frustration
* Frequent Irritability
* Prolonged tension
* Feelings of turmoil
* Tooth grinding
* Restlessness
* Jaw pain (from clenching the jaws)
* Feelings of hopelessness
* Inability to cope

In some cases generalized anxiety is accompanied by panic disorder, which is characterized by attacks of intense, overwhelming fear that may be accompanied by:

* Rapid heartbeat
* Tightness in the chest or throat
* Stomach cramps, nausea, or other digestive disturbances
* Dizziness/lightheadedness

These attacks may occur in response to stressful events or consumption of stimulants such as caffeine, or may come out of the blue, with no apparent cause. Both hereditary factors and life experiences may contribute to the disorder.

Many people with panic disorder also develop agoraphobia. Agoraphobics begin avoiding places and situations that they fear will trigger panic attacks, such as public transportation, movie theatres, and restaurants.

Common Treatments

Common drug therapies for generalized anxiety and panic disorder include benzodiazepines, a class of drugs that have sedating effects, Buspirone (BuSpar), which doesn’t cause drowsiness but may have a variety of other side effects, and antidepressant medications. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is also quite effective for both generalized anxiety and panic disorder.

Unfortunately, panic disorder is quite resistant to natural therapies when used on their own, and in most cases a multifaceted approach is required. Nutritional therapy can be beneficial as an adjunct to either cognitive-behavioural therapy, pharmacological intervention, or both. While support for the benefits of nutrition and supplementation comes primarily through anecdotal reports and small-scale studies, there are indications that certain nutritional interventions can help reduce generalized anxiety and panic attacks.

What to Eat

Many people who suffer from anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia are deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, particularly B-complex vitamins and magnesium. A healthy, nutritious diet rich in vitamins and minerals can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression, which often accompany panic disorder. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can boost the body’s stores of vitamins and minerals that are depleted by prolonged stress.

Supplements of vitamins B and C, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and Omega-3s (fish oil) may also be beneficial, but some supplements can interact with medications and are contraindicated with certain medical conditions. Consulting a health care practitioner is necessary to determine safe, effective doses.

What to Avoid

Stimulants such as cocaine and caffeine are particularly bad for those who are at risk for panic disorder, as they may trigger panic attacks even after discontinuing their use because their effects on the nervous system can linger. Nicotine can also worsen the symptoms of panic disorder. Other foods that should be avoided by those who suffer from intense anxiety include:

* Alcohol – Drinking can trigger anxiety reactions, especially when the alcohol wears off.
* Sugar – Refined white sugar is particularly bad, but honey, corn syrup, molasses, and fructose should also be cut out or kept in moderation.
* Artificial food additives and preservatives – These substances, often found in processed foods, may trigger reactions in people who are sensitive to them.
* Aspartame and MSG – Aspartame, which is found in artificial sweeteners, and MSG, a common flavouring in snack foods, are neurotoxic, and should be avoided.

Those who suffer from panic attacks should particularly avoid eating refined ingredients, such as white flour and white sugar, as they can cause a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, the symptoms of which include anxiety and emotional instability. Thiamine helps to metabolize sugar, and so those who eat a lot of simple carbohydrates can deplete their thiamine stores. White rice is also a bad idea, as thiamine is located in the husk of brown rice, which is removed to make white rice. Refined and processed carbohydrates are usually stripped of much of their magnesium as well, and magnesium deficiency may also be a factor in panic disorder.

Those who suffer from panic disorder should avoid skipping meals. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can cause the body to release adrenaline in order to prevent fainting, which can trigger a panic attack in susceptible individuals. Eating many small meals over the course of the day rather than a couple of big meals is best.

Food allergies may also play a role in anxiety and panic disorder for some people. It may be worthwhile to try eliminating different foods (i.e., wheat, dairy) for two weeks at a time to determine whether a food allergy is aggravating anxiety symptoms.

[Hip]

Thanks very much TCM for that article.

I used to be very food conscious, even before getting this anxiety disorder. For example, years ago I had eliminated wheat from my diet, as this was something I discovered I could not tolerate very well. But I was fine with dairy, at that time.

Anxiety: I noticed a while ago that my anxiety symptoms would rise and fall according to the level of sinus and nasal infection/congestion I was experiencing. So then I started to speculate: could my anxiety actually be CAUSED by the sinus/nasal infection and congestion? To test this idea, I experimented with various sinus-clearing techniques, including nasal irrigation and many herbs and vitamins. And I noticed that every time I fixed the sinus/nasal symptoms, this did instantly lower my anxiety levels quite effectively. So this showed that there was quite likely is a sinus-anxiety connection (at least in my case).

However, far better than any vitamin or nasal irrigation, was simply stopping all dairy: as soon as I went dairy-free, my sinuses permanently decongested, and my anxiety more or less went away.

I found this no-dairy sinusitis treatment from reading web site about sinusitis: they will tell you that dairy increases mucus production and inflammation in the sinuses.

Anyway, I think that there is a connection between the sinus/nasal symptoms and the levels of anxiety experienced at any given moment.

I am guessing that the high levels of inflammation in the sinuses (due to the sinus infection) may be somehow affecting the brain chemistry, leading to the high anxiety state.

[tcmgpt13]

Yes, dairy is definitely something which can create excess mucus production in the body and this is also something herbalists have noticed too. One of my favorite Western herbalists is Dr. Christopher. I have posted some about him on here before, mostly regarding his herbal treatment suggestions for the eyes and the ears. I thought you might enjoy this article which is posted by folks who continue to share his legacy:

Dr. Christopher and the Mucusless Diet

Posted by Herbal Legacy admin in Food

(NOTE: This article is from the old Herbal Legacy Newsletter)


February 2005
by Lindsay Wolsey, MH


It seems like we’ve had a lot of people lately attributing things to Dr. Christopher that he didn’t necessarily teach. For example, we’ve had people asking us about Dr. Christopher and food combining. Dr. Christopher said that you shouldn’t need a Pittsburgh Attorney to help you put a meal together. Dr. Christopher certainly never worried about this—in fact, if you asked him, he would tell you to “Ask any gorilla what he eats.” Gorillas are big and strong, and they certainly don’t worry if you can have carrots and lettuce and peanuts all together. They’re not going to look at a chart and say “Well, I just had peanuts, so I’d better not eat any cashews for four hours.” Dr. Christopher did say that sometimes you need to eat fruit by itself—because some people are so toxic it that eating more than one type of fruit at once will throw them into a cleanse. And in the Regenerative Diet book, he does talk about a mono diet as a type of cleansing—but this is not a lifelong change, and only lasts for a few weeks at a time. People who are not toxic should have no problem eating several types of fruit together. In fact, my favorite way to have fruit is mixed in a smoothie.

No Meat? Another situation that comes up quite frequently is the misunderstanding that the Mucusless diet is a Vegan or vegetarian diet. It’s not. Not that Dr. Christopher had anything against vegetarians—in fact, at our Master Herbalist Certification Seminar we serve all vegetarian food—but the Mucusless diet does mention having a little fish or young chicken once a week. It’s not a requirement—but it’s not forbidden. It also says a little. Not a pound, not 8 ounces with every meal, but a little once a week. The Mucusless diet is also not Vegan—not only due to the fish, but also due to Dr. Christopher’s use of honey.

Raw. The Mucusless diet is not a raw diet. It incorporates a lot of raw foods—in fact, Dr. Christopher mentions in the Regenerative Diet book to cook one food and base the meal around that—meaning surround it with live and fresh foods. We know many raw foodists who are in great shape—and in fantastic health! We also know other raw foodists who look like walking corpses. David Christopher says that the bare minimum of raw food in a diet should be 50%. That’s the bare minimum, not the optimum amount. He also says that should vary throughout the year—during the spring and summer and fall when we can get fresher food, our percentage of raw food should go up. We emphasize enzyme-rich foods, and you cannot get enzymes from dead foods.

Dr. Christopher said that no two individuals are alike, and no one diet is going to fix everyone—that some judgment is needed while tweaking the diet to the individual. We experience that every year at our Master Herbalist Certification Seminar. The majority of our students get by quite well with the lunches we provide—but we always have some who get thrown into a cleansing crisis because the food is so fresh, and not what they’re used to! We even have sandwiches a couple of days, and it’s still too fresh! We have to walk a fine line at the seminar—because people who don’t eat all raw get very sick if that’s all they have for a week.

Dairy. The Mucusless Diet prohibits dairy, because dairy causes mucus. This includes milk, cheese, sour cream (sob), cream cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, butter, most yogurts, and so on. You would not believe how many phone calls we get from people who wonder why they are congested, why they have asthma, allergies, etc., and when we ask them if they have dairy, they say no! And then they admit to eating ice cream four times a week. My neighbor consistently asks me what to do for her 2 year olds earaches. I have given her garlic oil and mullein and lobelia oil, explained how to apply it, and have repeatedly explained that if she would stop giving her daughter so much milk the earaches would stop. Not only that, her daughter’s nose would stop running. Does she listen to me? No, of course not, and the next month rolls around and there’s another earache to deal with. No dairy means no dairy, period. (Yes, I still struggle with putting sour cream on my baked potatoes. The non-dairy soy and tofu-based products just don’t taste the same.) Milk and cheese tend to generate excessive mucus in the intestines, sinus and lungs. This translates to poor absorption, which means fatigue, constipation, and other problems. There is good news, however—butter is almost entirely mucus free. Just don’t use it in excessive amounts.

Flour. Flour, when baked and heated at high temperatures, changes to a mucus forming substance. This is no longer a food—there is no life remaining.

So, What Can I Eat?

When you read the 3-Day Cleanse and Mucusless diet booklet, it’s easy to get discouraged and wonder, what I am supposed to eat? All of the foods I love are forbidden! And you know that whatever you’re picking up at McDonald’s or Wendy’s definitely does not fit on the Mucusless Diet, Low-Carb or not. But when you look at the big picture, whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits are encouraged.

Vegetables. This means avocados and potatoes and cauliflower and broccoli and carrots and celery. Who doesn’t love to eat squash and zucchini in the summer (besides my mom)? And I know plenty of people (not me) who love a fresh tomato (technically a fruit). And don’t forget about asparagus—a key ingredient in Asparagus Soup (yes, it does call for butter, but butter is the least of the dairy evils). Fresh salsa, made from onions, peppers, garlic, and yes, tomatoes, has to be one of the most delicious concoctions ever created. My dad has been known to sneak raw turnips into the movie theater. You can eat your vegetables raw, lightly steamed, or even baked once in a while–no one likes a raw potato. And contrary to what Homer Simpson would tell you, you can win friends with salad. So load up on the romaine, green leaf, and red leaf lettuce.

Fruit. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, apples, oranges, pears. What about pineapples, kiwis, lemons? There is a whole list of fruits. Put some lemon juice or lime juice in your water or tea. My favorite smoothie is Orange Banana Strawberry. You take fresh or frozen strawberries, depending on the season, and frozen bananas, and orange juice, blend it all up, and voila, you have an excellent smoothie.

Nuts. Cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamia, pine nuts, pistachios, peanuts, to name a few. You can even make your own nut butters using a Champion Juicer and some nuts. Wendy and I can’t agree on if you need to add some oil to the nut butter—Emeril says use vegetable oil. I confess—I buy mine already made up. You can also make Nut Roast. And don’t forget about Cashew Cheese. That should help if you need something to put on top of your baked potato.

Seeds. Sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, flax. Raw, sprouted, seasoned or plain. Put them in your salad, soak them and blend them with spices into dips. There are a ton of recipes for sunflower seed dips on the Internet—raw foodists use them a lot. I’m partial to a Southwestern Style Dip. You can even make flax seed crackers to go with your dip.

Legumes. Kidney beans, navy beans, garbanzos (Hummus, anyone?). Don’t forget pintos, and black beans, and peas. Fresh green beans, right off the vine. There are so many different ways to eat them, and they are so good for you!

Grains. This is where a lot of people run into trouble with the Mucusless Diet—does anyone really want to eat sprouted grains? We get a lot of phone calls to The School asking us how to low-heat the grains, so apparently some people are trying it. It appears the easiest way to low-heat grains is the thermos method. Take a thermos bottle, fill it in the early afternoon or evening one-third full of grain, then finish filling the thermos bottle with boiling water. Turn the thermos over two or three times to mix the grain and water. The next morning the grain is ready for consumption.

This is an area where I do have a weakness—I love bread. Even whole grain bread is not quite in the Mucusless Diet, but it is part of a transitional diet. So, we’re talking barley, rye, oats—maybe some Easy Breakfast?

Conclusion. It’s hard to eat healthy 100% of the time, but almost everyone could do a little better. I certainly could, especially after all that holiday food. After writing up this article I started craving some steamed yellow squash with zucchini and fresh thyme.


Dr. Christopher and the Mucusless Diet | Herbal Legacy Articles

[fracty]

I have been wondering why so many w M experience anxiety. I have not had it (although it is certainly terrifying to pull a white plastic looking thing out of your hand, touch it with a tweezer, and see it jump). But that is not the kind of anxiety ongoing change of mood anxiety you are talking about.

I eat LOTS of diary and I still do not experience it. BUT I don't eat things like butter, margarine, etc. I have:

eggs
kefir
greek cheese yogurt
milk
half & half

My stomach has been nauseous and in knots lately, and I know from my somatic training if I let it continue long enough the brain CNS will translate that into anxiety. But I am hoping to prevent that.

I wonder if the salt (for those of you doing the salt/C therapy) is contributing to the anxiety. The salt at that titration level would certainly affect the lithium balance, contributing to bi-polar type symptoms.

Of course having bug-bots eating and poking into your nerves all day will also do it I'm sure. grrr! to bug-bots!

I do not know WHAT is the proper diet protocol for M and I wish there was one concise, ACCURATE list that told us!!!!! But I know if I am sick I go back to no processed foods, lots of raw veggies, etc. I believe we need lots of protein too, but I just had food poisoning and can't bring myself to eat meat products for a white yet. I'm doing whey protein instead.

Oh, and I stopped all soy even though that was a main stay for me. I found out almost all soy crops are GMO.

[fracty]

If I felt more hopeful and KNEW I had a diet protocol that would work I would cut out the milk and half and half, but I feel like why bother unless I KNOW I have a proven diet for M.

[Hip]

Thanks TCM, the Dr. Christopher diet looks quite delicious.

Hi Fracty - I think the dairy-free diet may work for people who have both anxiety symptoms, and nasal mucus congestion. For these people, going dairy-free may eliminate their anxiety symptoms. It did for me, so I am passing on this news.

Whether going dairy-free has any benefit for Morgs in general, I would not like to speculate. It might be worth trying.

[fracty]

Yes, I agree with you. Also though, for thos of us who do eat dairy try to get NON-HORMONE! I get all my products that way. And eggs ONLY FREE RANGE.

I used to think "cage free" was OK, but it is not. All a company has to do to use that term is let the poor animal out only... I forget.. only one hour a day or so. I don't want to contribute to that cruelty, but even for ppl who don't think animals have feelings it is not good for your health.

Just imagine, you are eating flesh that was sad it's entire lifetime - releasing all those hormones, etc. And then was TERRIFIED as it saw it's friends and family getting slaughtered one by one. Now the eater is ingesting all those terror hormones. If they think the animals are not crying, sad, and terrified they need and watch it.

I'm not anti-meat (unfortunately), but if you can get Kosher the animals went through the least suffering possible, that is part of the kosher law.

But back to dairy, no hormones in the milk and milk products and free range eggs (for those who want some dairy)! Happy cows and chickens.

[carla]

Thanks for the post Hip and TC.
I've cut down on Diary Products because I heard about the growth hormones in milk.
Now I'm going to ditch it all.
I'm going on a completely Vegan diet as from tomorrow.
Try eating some raw veg everyday as well.The effects have been dramatic for me.

[Katinka]

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