How To Overcome Dairy Intolerance Once and For All

How to Overcome Dairy Intolerance Once and For All
By Tom Brimeyer| January 21st, 2016|Hypothyroidism, Nutrition|83 Comments
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This is Part 1 of a 3-part series on hypothyroidism and gut health:
 Part 1 – [You Are Here] – How to Overcome Dairy Intolerance Once and For All
 Part 2 – 5 Shocking Truths About Leaky Gut and Food Allergies (The Missing
Thyroid Gut Connections)
 Part 3 – Why Candida-Diets Kill Your Thyroid (and Make Your Candida Worse)
Are you allergic to dairy?
OK, that’s a bit of a trick question because if you answered “Yes” then there’s a greater than
99% chance you would be wrong.
A true dairy allergy is very rare.
According to Dr. Raymond Peat…
“In a recent study of 69,796 hospitalized newborns, a diagnosis of cow’s milk

allergy was made in 0.21% of them. Among those whose birthweight had been
less than a kilogram, 0.35% of them were diagnosed with the milk allergy…
Several surveys have found that of children who have a diagnosed milk allergy,
about 2/3 of them grow out of the allergy.”
And given the connection between infant dairy allergy and low birth weight, poor thyroid
function is very likely a factor here as well.
But the good news is… you’re not allergic to dairy.
The bad news is… that over the past decade or so, many thyroid sufferers have begun
abandoning milk and dairy products over false fears that they are bad for your health.
Now, don’t get me wrong.
Digestive issues and poor milk digestion are in fact common symptoms among thyroid
sufferers.
But is dairy the real problem?
Is dairy the cause of your digestive symptoms?
Is dairy the cause of your hypothyroidism?
The short answer to all three is NO.
I’ll get to the long answer in just a minute.
But the important thing to understand is that if you struggle with dairy, then the problem is
not the dairy itself…
…the real problem is the dysfunction within your digestive tract, which stems from your
hypothyroidism.
And when you correct your digestive dysfunction, then you can enjoy dairy and all of the
thyroid-supporting benefits that go with it.
Take Linda for example…
After using our approach to thyroid health, she sent me a long personal email, which
including this bit:
“How things have changed already. The diet is gentle on my stomach… and I
have regained the capacity to drink a lot of milk which I thought I could never
do.
Linda S.”
Results like this are not uncommon, especially when you follow the tips that I’m about to
share with you.
But first, let’s take a look at how dairy intolerance develops and why you might be struggling
with dairy to begin with.
Why Hypothyroidism Sufferers Sometimes Develop

Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance occurs for a couple of reasons.
And both are directly related to the bacterial imbalance in your intestines and your inability
to produce enzymes needed to digest the milk sugar, lactose.
Research has shown that hypothyroidism itself commonly leads to a condition called small
intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Association between hypothyroidism and small intestinal

bacterial overgrowth.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17698907
“CONCLUSIONS: The history of overt hypothyroidism is associated with
bacterial overgrowth development. Excess bacteria could influence clinical
gastrointestinal manifestations. Bacterial overgrowth decontamination is
associated with improved gastrointestinal symptoms.”
This is a big problem because your small intestine should remain relatively sterile and free of
bacteria.
And as mentioned in this study, treatment to eliminate the bacterial overgrowth also resulted
in a significant improvement in digestive symptoms including abdominal pain, gas, and
bloating.
If SIBO wasn’t bad enough by itself, research also shows that these bacteria create
inflammation and reduce enzyme production in the small intestine too.
In fact, these bacteria have been shown to damage the intestinal lining where the lactase
enzyme (the enzyme necessary to digest the lactose in milk) is produced.
Effects of an enteric anaerobic bacterial culture supernatant

and deoxycholate on intestinal calcium absorption and
disaccharidase activity.
“The supernatant decreased the in vitro uptake of calcium by 15% (p less than
0.001). Deoxycholate reduced calcium uptake by 16% (p less than 0.001).
Combined culture supernatant and deoxycholate reduced calcium uptake by
39% (p less than 0.001) suggesting a potentiation of supernatant activity by
deoxycholate. Culture supernatant and deoxycholate, both alone and
combined, significantly reduced lactase, sucrase, and maltase activity.
Electron microscopic evidence showed degeneration of microvilli, disruption
of mitochondrial structure, and swelling of the endoplasmic reticulum after
exposure of the intestinal loops to the supernatant or deoxycholate.”
As you can see, lactose intolerance is a direct result of the effects that hypothyroidism has on
your digestive function.
And by fixing your digestive dysfunction, we can effectively reverse your lactose intolerance.
Why Hypothyroidism Sufferers Sometimes Develop Casein

(Milk Protein) Intolerance
Casein, a protein found in milk and cheese is also a common cause for debate as many
hypothyroidism sufferers are believed to be intolerant to it as well.
However, much like with lactose intolerance, milk and cheese are not the real cause.
As mentioned previously… …the real problem is the dysfunction within your digestive
tract, which stems from your hypothyroidism.
It’s well known and research has shown that hypothyroidism leads to both low stomach acid
and decreased enzyme production, including the enzyme pepsin.
Effects of thyroid hormones on basal and stimulated gastric

acid secretion due to histamine, carbachol and pentagastrin
in rats.
“RESULTS: Both basal and histamine, carbachol, pentagastrin stimulated-
acid secretion decreased and increased in hypothyroid and hyperthyroid
groups compared with control group.”
The real problem is that we require this pepsin enzyme to properly digest the casein protein.
So, in more severe cases of hypothyroidism, the digestion of the casein protein can be
inhibited to some degree.
But before you run out and buy digestive enzymes and HCL supplements that are also known
to have a number of negative side-effects… there are other safer and more natural
solutions.
One such solution is through the use of coffee.
Research has shown that caffeine is a simple and easy way to increase production of both
stomach acid and pepsin.
Caffeine-Stimulated Acid and Pepsin Secretion: Dose-

Response Studies
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00365527109180725
“A linear relationship was demonstrated between the plasma caffeine levels
and the corresponding gastric acid and pepsin outputs. There was in addition
a high correlation between the acid outputs and the corresponding pepsin
outputs. It was concluded that both acid and pepsin secretion are stimulated by
intravenous caffeine administration, but that acid output is stimulated to a
greater degree than pepsin output.”
By using coffee with or after your meals you can very effectively improve your ability to
digest both milk and cheese.
In fact, this one reason why many traditional cultures end most of their meals with coffee,
such as is customary in France. It very effectively supports digestion.
Coffee and caffeine are also well known to support healthy thyroid function.
In fact, in the 3 Food Triple-Thyroid-Boosting Daily Protocol, I show you a simple way to use
coffee to boost your thyroid function and metabolism.
You can download this daily protocol here.
(Note: If you can’t tolerate coffee or caffeine, then this is due to poor blood sugar handling.
This is something that needs to be corrected too if you ever want to improve your thyroid
health.)
But as with the case of lactose intolerance, casein intolerance is also a direct result of the
effects that hypothyroidism has on your digestive function.
And by fixing your digestive dysfunction, we can effectively reverse your casein intolerance
too.
With all that being said, there are also many thyroid related benefits that come from including
dairy in your diet.
And by missing out on dairy, you’re missing out on these benefits too.
How Dairy Reduces Inflammation, Increases Metabolism,
and Improves Thyroid Function
We’ve already established that hypothyroidism and the resulting SIBO are the real cause of
lactose intolerance.
But that’s not the only problem…
As mentioned in a previously quoted research study, SIBO can reduce calcium absorption
in your small intestine by up to 39%.
And when you don’t get (or can’t absorb) adequate calcium, your parathyroid glandsbecome
over-activated and parathyroid hormone (PTH) is overproduced.
PTH is what regulates and maintains blood calcium levels, which it does by removing calcium
from your bones to move to your blood stream.
However, as Dr. Raymond Peat points out…
“PTH has many other effects, contributing to inflammation, calcification of

soft tissues, and decreased respiratory energy production.”
So, by using dairy for its rich source of calcium, we can effectively help suppress PTH, thus
reducing inflammation, while increasing metabolism and energy production… all of which
improve thyroid function.
On a side note, this is also important for the prevention of various diseases today, such as the
calcification of heart tissue associated with heart disease.
Aside from being rich in calcium, dairy is also rich in…

 Vitamin A
 Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
 Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
 Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
 Vitamin D
 Magnesium
 Potassium
 Selenium
 Zinc
All of which are essential for (and promote) healthy thyroid function and metabolism.
But the benefits don’t end there.
How Casein (Milk Protein) Reduces Stress and Protects

Your Adrenal Glands
When you become hypothyroid, your body compensates by over-activating your adrenal
glands and stress response.
As it turns out, research shows that the casein protein found in dairy helps to suppress stress
hormone production and protect your adrenal glands.
Protection of adrenocortical activity by dietary casein in ether

anaesthetized rats.
“The results suggest that high milk protein diet may prevent acute stress
effects by protecting adrenocortical activity. The present investigation opens
up a new area of management of stress.”
Seeing as how stress hormones directly block thyroid hormone conversion at your liver,
casein can effectively help to suppress these stress hormones and improve your thyroid
function.
(Note: I cover the importance of liver function with respect to improving your thyroid
function in this article on “How to Heal Your Thyroid By Healing Your Liver”)
10 Simple Tips to Overcome Dairy Intolerance

Hopefully by now you’re seeing the recurring theme…
If you have trouble with dairy, then dairy isn’t the problem.
It’s simply a result of your hypothyroidism and the digestive dysfunction that comes with it…
 The small intestine bacterial imbalance(SIBO)
 The bacterial induced intestinal inflammation
 The bacterial induced lactose deficiency
 The low stomach acid
 And the decreased pepsin enzyme production
While many will tell you to avoid dairy at all costs… avoiding it won’t help solve your
thyroid problems.
In fact, it tends to make them worse in the long run.
If you remember, the many benefits that dairy has to offer…
 Dairy reduces parathyroid hormone (PTH)

 Dairy reduces inflammation
 Dairy increases your metabolism and energy production
 Dairy suppresses your stress response and protects your adrenals
 Dairy supports healthy thyroid function
By avoiding dairy, or not getting adequate calcium, not only are you missing out on these
benefits, you’re making yourself prone to the opposite effects (inflammation, slow
metabolism, and adrenal insufficiency).
So, using dairy to your advantage can make a big difference with your thyroid health.
But what can you do if you still have trouble digesting dairy?
Of course, by regulating thyroid function most if not all of your dairy intolerances will resolve
rather quickly and permanently.
But until we get you there, there’s still a lot that we can do to help address your underlying
digestive dysfunction so you can tolerate dairy again without problem.
So, here are 10 simple tips that we use with our clients to do just that…
1. Eat one or two raw carrots daily.

Raw carrot has natural anti-bacterial properties helping to reduce the bacterial overgrowth in
the small intestine.
By reducing the bacterial overgrowth, we can effectively decrease digestive inflammation and
increase lactase enzyme production.
2. Add some honey or maple syrup to your milk.

Adding some sugar to your milk helps to stimulate enzyme production and improves the
digestibility of the milk.
This is probably one of the biggest difference makers with my clients. Many who have
claimed to not tolerate even the smallest amount of milk find that they no longer have any
trouble after this one simple tip.
3. Add some gelatin to your milk.

Gelatin can be used to improve the digestibility of milk by stabilizing the casein protein and
improving the digestibility and absorption of the milk fat.
4. Use Thyroid Hormone (T3).

Using thyroid hormone directly improves enzyme production, reduces bacterial overgrowth,
and re-energizes your digestive tract, all of which improve dairy tolerance significantly.
5. Address Your Progesterone Deficiency.

Hypothyroidism is well known to cause estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency.
And according to Dr. Raymond Peat progesterone deficiency is directly associated with
lactose deficiency.
6. Increase milk consumption slowly.

Your enzyme production depends largely on the foods you eat regularly.
So, if you’ve avoided dairy and/or milk for a long time, then your body won’t actively
produce large amounts of the enzymes needed to digest it.
Start with as little as a tablespoon of milk with each meal and increase it slowly over time.
Research has shown that increasing milk consumption itself improves lactose intolerance.
7. Try different variations of milk to find what works best for you.
According to Dr. Raymond Peat, oftentimes allergies to milk have more to do with the feed
used with the cows.
This is why we recommend that our clients try different brands or sources of milk to find
which works best for them.
What we found is this…
Some do best with raw milk, while others can’t tolerate the higher levels of bacteria.
Some do best with reduced fat milk as opposed to whole. Oftentimes allergens from the cow’s
feed are stored in the milk fat. So, reducing the milk fat exposes you to fewer allergens.
It’s always best to let your taste guide you as most people tend to do best with milk that tastes
the best to them.
It can take some experimentation but it works wonders when you find the right source for
you.
8. Use Coffee.
As mentioned, coffee and caffeine used with or after a meal can significantly help improve
casein digestion and tolerance.
9 Avoid cheeses with microbial and GMO rennet.

Traditionally, cheese was always been made using rennet enzymes from animals.
Today, more and more cheeses are being made with cheaper rennet substitutes derived from
mold which can be very problematic and irritating to the digestive tract.
These days, this poor reaction to mold derived rennet is oftentimes falsely mistaken as casein
intolerance.
The safest cheeses are those which are still required to be made using traditional animal
rennet, such as Parmesan.
10. If all else fails, use calcium carbonate.

In the event that dairy cannot be used due to fear or rare case of extreme allergy, we can use
an alternative source of calcium initially while digestion improves. And then re-introduce
dairy at a later date.
However, calcium must be properly balanced, so the best sources are powdered calcium
carbonate which can be obtained from eggshells or oyster shells.
So, there you have it…
With so much negative publicity surrounding dairy today, maybe you’ve been avoiding it out
fear.
Or maybe you are sensitive to dairy right now.
The truth is that dairy isn’t the problem and avoiding dairy sure isn’t the solution.
By fixing the underlying digestive function and using the tips I just gave you, you can get all
of the benefits that dairy has to offer…
…including its ability to help improve your thyroid health.

So, tell me.
Are you a fan of dairy?
Or are you afraid?
Let me know in the comment section below.
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About the Author: Tom Brimeyer
Tom Brimeyer is the founder of Forefront Health and the creator of the popular
Hypothyroidism Revolution program series. Specializing in thyroid and metabolism disorders,
Tom's work has impacted over 50,000 people spanning more than 60 countries. Tom is also a
highly sought after practitioner who runs a successful health consulting practice where he
continues to help clients across the globe to take back control of their lives from their
devastating health conditions.
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Previous Next
83 Comments
1.
Lynn January 21, 2016 at 6:41 am - Reply
Would you please tell me how to access your health consulting practice?
Thank you.
o
Tom Brimeyer January 21, 2016 at 11:09 am - Reply
Hi Lynn, this is something you would need to contact us

at support@forefronthealth.com to get more details.
2.
Jocelyn January 21, 2016 at 7:19 am - Reply
Hi Tom, from what I understand about caseine is not that it is an allergic or maldigestive
issue, but that it causes the same auto immune reaction as gluten as it looks like thryoid tissue.
What is your idea on that?
o
Hi Jocelyn, there is some research that suggests that the use of cow’s milk
too early (within the first few weeks of life) can increase risk of type 1
diabetes in childhood but that’s about it. There is no evidence of increased
immune/autoimmune reaction with respect to casein and Hashinmoto’s
thyroiditis.
3.
Margaret January 21, 2016 at 10:24 am - Reply
Hi Tom: Great article. Personally, I do fine with raw milk. I got that in Tucson, AZ, at a
health food store, but I can’t get it in this area of Texas. Also, no problems with goat milk, the
one that can be purchased at the grocery. However, it is very expensive.
4.
Cindy Huff January 21, 2016 at 10:29 am - Reply
Thanks, Tom – great info! When I resorted to giving up dairy for nearly 2 years, trying to
figure out what was going on & wanting to try eliminating all the known potential “hot spots”,
(dairy was the last one I tried, BTW, ‘cuz both my parents were raised on farms & there are
still working farms in the fam on both sides, and both my parents are super healthy, so I
waited on that one & now wish I hadn’t tried that, but wasn’t finding any real helpful info like
this post you just posted!), the only things I got in return were low VitD levels for the first
time in my 47 years of livin’ life and low energy. I am happy to see clearly part of what was
going on when I did that. Thank you & thank the good Lord, I’ve since gone back to dairy &
loving it & all the benefits!
5.
Dawn January 21, 2016 at 12:00 pm - Reply
I seem to digest dairy just fine, but 2 days later, it gives me painful, scarring cystic acne and
eczema flare ups, also signs of a leaky gut. If you have acne, it is recommended you quit dairy
because of the hormones in it.
Will correcting hypothyroid help with this kind of dairy intolerance?
o
Tom Brimeyer January 21, 2016 at 12:15 pm - Reply
Hi Dawn, milk does have hormones and does naturally promote increased
hormone production. But when you get cystic acne, that’s a sign of
underlying hormonal issues that need to be corrected. It’s still not the dairy
that’s “causing” the issue. Because we have to correct these hormones in
order to regulate thyroid function, it would in fact help.
6.
Lianda January 21, 2016 at 12:16 pm - Reply
Can you write about what causes fatty liver-? Is it caused by sugar (as in soda-pop), as Dr.
Mark Hyman says?
and also, you write about Hypothyroid- how different are these issues when someone has
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, but symptoms of both hypo and hyper from time to time?
o
Hi Lianda, there’s one single cause to fatty liver although we don’t

recommend the use of HFCS, which can contribute, there’s much more
involved. With Hashimoto’s or even hypothyroidism in general one can
experience “hyper” like symptoms because adrenaline can rise quite high.
It’s the adrenaline that is causing the symptoms. With Hashimoto’s, when
the gland becomes blocked due to the effects of estrogen, thyroid hormone
can build up and then unload too much thyroid hormone. Too much thyroid
hormone will make your more sensitive to adrenaline, amplifying the
effects. With Hashimoto’s this can become cyclical and is oftentimes
referred to as a “thyroid storm”
7.
Gwenda January 21, 2016 at 1:49 pm - Reply
Hi,
Great article. I thought I was just ‘lactose intolerant’ ( which has grown worse over the years )
but find that even lactose-free milk gives me problems so decided that it was the casein as
well, (also sensitive to wheat/gluten). I have borderline osteopenia in some parts of my body
so the calcium deficiency is showing up. Some GPs seem to know that hypothyroidism and
osteopenia are linked which is why when I broke my toe she wanted it checked. And sure
enough another offshoot symptom of hypothyroidism appears.
Though the outlook for hypothyroidism seems bleak,your research is pretty spot on.
8.
Beth January 21, 2016 at 2:17 pm - Reply
Hi Tom, After I cut out gluten and dairy from my diet, my TSH went from 8, down to 3.2, and
my antibodies back to normal. I am not on any medications. I then decided to add in some
dairy again (yoghurt), and after a few months, my TSH went up to 4.6. Unfortunately I didn’t
check the antibodies. I would like to try the coffee, but I hate the taste … does it come in
tablet form? Thanks for the great information!
o
Hi Beth, keep in mind that TSH is suppressed by stress as well which is one
of many reasons it should never be used as a direct indicator of thyroid
status. Also, yogurt wouldn’t be recommended as that alone could
contribute to the problem. The higher lactic acid can burden the liver and
therefore suppress thyroid function at the liver. Gluten itself is a different
story and should be avoided although it’s an issue related to estrogen
dominance.
9.
Judy January 21, 2016 at 2:50 pm - Reply
Hi Tom how do you obtain T3 I would like to get some can you suggest some one or
company and how much to use.
o
Hi Judy, this is something that we’re currently working on putting together.
10.
Shakeh January 21, 2016 at 3:32 pm - Reply
Hi Tom, I am hypo for long time on armour thyroid, using digestive enzym and HCL to digest
the food. Not using any dairy for months. It is very interesting that you say hypo people have
SIBO. I have done SIBO test and it is negative. The reason doing SIBO test was because of
the bad breath I am experiencing. That is the reason stopped using dairy but it did not help. If
there is SIBO present, can that cause bad breath? Can H. Pylori cause that?
Anyone has this problem? I would like to hear if you have the same situation.
Thank you for your time and help.
11.
Leisa Douglas January 21, 2016 at 5:58 pm - Reply
Hi Tom,
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this article – thanks!
I was told to go off dairy when diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. Several years later, I developed
an overactive parathyroid gland, which had to be removed. I CAN NOW SEE WHY. I now
have an IgA response to dairy proteins, sugar and fat, with a large weight gain tomorrow if I
eat dairy today (usually 1kg or more) and abdominal symptoms. I want to get back on to
dairy, and now I am armed to give it my best shot. THANK YOU Tom, for showing me why,
and helping me avoid developing more parathyroid issues.
Leisa
12.
Rachelle January 21, 2016 at 7:46 pm - Reply
Hi Tom! I was diagnosed with Hashi’s 3 years ago and have been off gluten and all dairy for
3 years. Was told I am gluten and casein intolerant. I have worked so hard on my gut that I am
scared to try dairy again. I still struggle with adrenal issues, but my gut has improved greatly.
Thyroid symptoms include some mild brain fog, cold hands/feet and mild depression. If I was
to introduce dairy again, what kinds of dairy, specifically, would you suggest consuming. Fear
stricken to undo the good I’ve worked so hard to achieve…. Thanks
o
Hi Rachelle, the biggest problem for most is the unwarranted fear. But one
point I try to emphasize with clients is that trying to solve one problem only
to create another is never a true solution. But if you’ve avoided dairy for 3
years then you’ll need to start very slowly. Most reintroduce the wrong king
too quickly. Or as I mention in the article, start with the calcium carbonate
so that you can begin to correct the underlying problem. Plenty of
suggestions are provided in the article.
13.
Kim January 21, 2016 at 10:04 pm - Reply
Thanks for this article! It explains “me” very well. Do I still need to reintroduce dairy slowly
if I have been using lactose free milk? Also, I haven’t used milk for the purpose of just
drinking it in probably 30 years. Even as a kid I didn’t like the taste of it. Could I get away
with using chocolate milk?
o
Hi Kim, If you’re going to use a milk that contains lactose then yes, very
slowly. Try some different brands/sources and see if one tastes better than
the others. As for chocolate milk, store bough should be avoided as it
almost always contains carrageenan, gums, or other thickening agents that
are very irritating to the digest tract. Homemade chocolate milk without any
of of the bad stuff can work great.
14.
Shelley January 21, 2016 at 10:12 pm - Reply
Very informative article Tom, thanks much for the work you do! I love dairy, but for most of
my life when I eat more than a little my ears get very watery, and sometimes itchy, it’s weird!
If I eat quite a bit of it on a regular basis my head gets really stuffed up. I don’t noticeably
have any of the other issues you mentioned. Do you have any idea what this could be from?
Oh, and I’m hypothyroid, have adrenal issues, trying to figure it all out!
o
Hi Shelley, dairy will increase mucous production which is not a bad thing.
Our mucous membrane is our primary immune defense barrier that protects
our insides from the outside world. With that being said… hypothyroidism
itself creates a lot of inflammation and tissue swelling. So if the sinuses are
already inflamed then even a slight increase in mucous production can
further impinge the sinus passageways. Oftentimes bag breathing and
retaining carbon dioxide is enough to temporarily reduce inflammation and
open the passages. However, it’s not a long term fix. The long term fix is to
regulate thyroid function to prevent carbon dioxide loss and decrease the
underlying inflammation.

Shelley January 21, 2016 at 10:24 pm - Reply
Thanks! And carbon dioxide loss is something more to be aware of

and learn about!
15.
Sharene January 28, 2016 at 12:57 am - Reply
Hi Tom, thanks for the info! The first I’ve read on that perspective, which gives me hope for
myself and my two young children! Just wondering though, how it might apply to me – my
mother went off dairy and wheat while breastfeeding me (and my twin) because we both
developed thrush in our mouths. It went away following that. So I’ve obviously had ‘milk
allergies’ since a baby (and my toddler and baby also seem to ‘do better’ on a dairy-free diet).
Does that mean I had thyroid issues from birth? (I’ve had digestive issues all my life, fatigue
issues for almost as long and only now starting to see it’s probably not the gut exclusively, or
adrenals, but thyroid. Also have very poor methylation on a cellular level according to genetic
testing). What would you recommend for young children?
o
Hi Sharene, this was mentioned in the article “Several surveys have found
that of children who have a diagnosed milk allergy, about 2/3 of them grow
out of the allergy.” So, a true allergy is rare even among infants but even
those who are allergic, most do grow out of it. The need for calcium in
children is very important as they have a very high metabolic rate and grow
rapidly.

Sharene February 4, 2016 at 5:30 am - Reply
That’s great for the 2/3! Unfortunately it sounds like I’ll

always have a sensitivity to dairy. Does it ‘pass down’ to children
then? Apart from butter and cheese, my boys have had very little
dairy in their diet. How will I know if they have a ‘true allergy’?
(For me, for example, I develop a sore throat immediately after
eating yoghurt. Mucous congestion from eating more dairy than
usual).

Tom Brimeyer February 4, 2016 at 1:33 pm - Reply
The mucus production is typically a result from something in

the dairy irritating the intestines. Trying different types and
brands can help.
16.
Bernadette January 28, 2016 at 11:08 pm - Reply
Hi Tom! Facinating information you have to share. I’ve been hypo for a long time, I battle
extreme fatigue all day, but drinking coffee helps a ton. I always thought I was doing more
harm with drinking coffee. This info makes me feel happy it doesn’t. I have been taking
armour thyroid for about 12 years, on the same dose. Interestingly while pregnant my dose
needs to be slightly less or I get high blood pressure… Strange because I weigh more,
wouldn’t I need more thyroid?
Anyway, I have been what I thought milk intolerant forever as I’ve avoided it because it gives
me a lot of mucus in my throat. My 3 year old was born with a lot of allergies, (nut, soy, seed,
wheat, milk?) now I feel like he has had leaky gut the whole time! He would get very flemmy
drinking milk though. Why can we eat cheese with no problems? So weird. We have avoided
milk but I don’t want to cause problems later. I’ve had three kids in a row, we have a 1,2 and
3 year old. We eat a whole food diet, with lots of veggies, but maybe they need milk!
Also, I took a 24 urine test and all of my hormones are very low; progesterone, testosterone,
estrogen, dhea, cortisol and other hormones. I find it very interesting the link with
progesterone and lactose deficiency! I feel like since I had my daughter 1 year ago, my
thyroid and adrenals have been so taxed and have had a hard time regulating, getting back to
normal. I am trying to find natural ways to help support my body and it gets very confusing
when the thyroid is in the mix. Like what to work on first. I am gluten free and that’s
helping…but I’ve heard carrots would help rebalance me, would milk help to if I introduce
like you say in the article? Thank you!
17.
Lola Tobiasson March 22, 2016 at 7:22 am - Reply
Wow -this info is really awesome and somehow in the back of my mind it does makes sence.
Born in the early seventies and now mild hypo without meds I can see why my parents
insisted on us drinking milk and even allowing us coffee as young children – stopped drinking
milk years ago to “slim down” getting leaner. I loved drinking milk specially with a bun of
bread. Well, i’ll leave the bread out now.
So now that milkproducts are fine to consume, what about high fat youghurts like fullfat
greek youghurts?
Are all youghurts OK as long as they are sugarfree? Or are we to consume milk and cheese
only?
Great article, thanks a lot from the Netherlands/ Lola
o
Tom Brimeyer March 22, 2016 at 8:28 am - Reply
Hi Lola, greek/strained yogurt it OK because most of the lactic acid is

removed through the straining. I don’t recommend other yogurts as the
lactic acid content from the fermentation is a significant burden to your
liver. Keep in mind that fermentation of foods was really used as a means
of preservation before modern day refrigeration. It wasn’t used to make
foods superior to its original form as many people are led to believe today.
18.
Anthony Llabres March 24, 2016 at 6:57 am - Reply
Outstanding article Tom!!!
19.
Kandy Thompson March 24, 2016 at 5:24 pm - Reply
Any type of milk I drink I get alot of mucous and phlegm which makes me cough quite a bit. I
need to know how to specifically correct this problem.
o
That’s commonly caused by a sensitivity to an additive used with the milk

or a sensitivity to something used in the cow feed.
20.
Beth March 24, 2016 at 6:32 pm - Reply
Tom,
I have recently been making milk kefir, hoping it will help with my gut-issues. You
mentioned above that yogurt wasn’t as good as milk. I assume that would refer to m kefir as
well?? Also have been making kombucha for the probiotics.. What is your take on this? I have
really been enjoying these added foods.
I’m currently in an RV for the rest of the season, but when we get home, plan to start your
program.
Thanks for all the info, I’m slowly ‘digesting’ it!
o
Hi Beth, yes kefir also contains large amounts of lactic acid, which is a
burden to the liver.
21.
Abby March 25, 2016 at 8:48 am - Reply
Hi Tom, thanks for the interesting and thought provoking article. I have cut out milk for
probably 3-4 years. I do have hypothyroidism more subclinical and support the thyroid with a
lot of the vitamins and nutrients you mentioned above. My naturopath did a blood test which
shows an allergy to cow’s milk with positive IgE. My symptoms never seem to be digestion
so much as respiratory with a lot of mucous production, i.e. post nasal drip and quite soon
after I consume dairy products. Any thoughts on that?
o
IgE allergies tend to be more severe so you have to be much more careful.
The mucous production is a common sign that the sensitivity is to an
additive in the milk or to something used in the cow feed.
22.
Bob April 11, 2016 at 5:40 pm - Reply
There is research suggesting that milking pregnant cows delivers milk high in estrogen.
o
Tom Brimeyer April 11, 2016 at 5:51 pm - Reply
Hi Bob, if estrogen were too high it would interfere with the lactation of the
cow and it wouldn’t be able to produce milk. With that being said, the
estrogen in milk isn’t very high and it’s pre-packaged in a way that it is
easily detoxified. But more importantly, the amount progesterone in milk is
more than enough to offset it. If you’re still concerned, then you can use
lower fat milk as the estrogen accumulates in the milk fat.
23.
Juliette April 28, 2016 at 2:12 pm - Reply
Hi Tom,
I have 2 questions for you. I have completely eliminated dairy finally in my diet, for about 7
months, and have finally been able to lose weight. I no longer get acne anymore either. My
questions are these:
1. If I reintroduce dairy into my diet and fix any overgrowth of bacteria, will I still gain
weight, or was the weight gain caused by the inability to digest dairy (rather than the dairy
itself)?
2. And the same question goes to acne – will the reintroduction cause an onset of acne again
(from what I understand acne from dairy is caused by IGF-1 protein)?
Thank you very much, and excellent site and articles!
– Juliette
o
Hi Juliette, acne can be caused by a number of factors but most commonly

a vitamin A deficiency and/or excess estrogen/prolactin. Since dairy
increases hormone production is can make both imbalanced more
pronounced. Cutting out dairy and lowering thyroid function and hormone
production can show improvements in acne but it’s not necessarily a
healthy solution.
24.
ELAINE April 28, 2016 at 3:25 pm - Reply
Tom. This article is really good news. I have been diagnosed with Hashimotos disease for
over 20 years and have been lactose intolerant for about 15. I now use goats milk and goats
cheese and goats butter instead of any dairy products. I am very nervous to try any dairy due
to terrible stomach pains, swollen fingers, headaches, mucous etc that dairy products cause in
me. Are you saying that goats products can not be used as replacement? I was on 200
microgrammes of levothyroxine for many years and was coping well but new gp has reduced
me to 175 and now 150. I have mild depression, huge cold issues, terrible brain fog, weight
gain, hair loss and no energy. I am putting myself back on 200 microgrammes to get myself
up and running again but also because of gp concerns that overdosing could cause heart issues
I am trying to research more in to getting myself better hence I found your site. However I
have found other sites that tell me to give up coffee and gluten. I am confused as to why there
is conflicting advice? I love my coffee! I am based in UK.
o
Hi Elaine, goats milk is perfectly fine to use. As for coffee you’ll find that
low-carb advocates don’t recommend it because their dieting depletes the
liver of glycogen, is unsafe, and will cause a negative response. So, the
problem isn’t the coffee but rather the poor dieting.
25.
Kerry May 11, 2016 at 8:35 pm - Reply
Hi Tom! I find this article very interesting especially since it’s the first article I’ve read that
actually suggests a correlation between leaky gut and hyperparathyroidism. I’ve suffered with
persistent hyperparathyroidism since 2001 and have had 2 glands removed. I have 2
remaining but no surgeon can find these to be enlarged after 2 years of nuclear imaging.
Coincidentally, during my last scan, the surgeon disclosed that no adenine was found but my
thyroid appears as though I have Hashimoto’s. Sure enough, my antibodies were in the 900s
and my FT4 was very low. Fast forward to the present and I’m seeing a functional med doc to
help me heal my leaky gut (have had gut issues my entire life). Also have candida issues. My
question for you is…although SIBO prevents the intestines from absorbing calcium thus
causing an increase in PTH, would it also cause hypercalcemia? I ask because not only is my
PTH elevated but my calcium has been high since 2001. Would it make sense that since the
intestines aren’t absorbing the calcium, it would just end up in my bloodstream causing the
elevated levels? Thank you!
o
Tom Brimeyer May 13, 2016 at 12:17 pm - Reply
Hi Kerry, that’s what the parathyroid glands do is regulate blood calcium.

So if PTH is elevated, which it can be for a number of reasons, then your
blood calcium will be high. Not because your absorbing it through the
intestines but because it’s being leeched from your bones.
26.
Veronika Worr May 15, 2016 at 5:50 pm - Reply
Hi. Thank you so much for all the information you are providing. I was fine with dairy when
we lived in Europe until age 15. We lived in the country and Frank local unpasteurized milk.
At age 15 we moved to Canada and shortly thereafter at age 17, I started getting severe
stomach pains and major debilitating migraines whenever I consumed dairy. It took me
several years to figure out it was related to dairy. I then cut out dairy completely for a few
years and reintroduced it slowly. I am 33 and to this date I cannot consume too much dairy as
my migraine headaches and stomach pains return. I read the comments and most people are
indicating their side effects are mucous and sinus related; I personally do not suffer from this.
Because of the pain and vomiting associated with migraines, I am very fearful of
reintroducing dairy to this degree (Currently I can eat cheese and plain Balkan yoghurt in
reasonable amounts a couple of times per week without symptoms). Do you know what could
be causing my stomach pains and migraines in the dairy? Or is my reaction related to
something else? Thank you

o
Hi Veronika, as mentioned, lactose intolerance is common with

hypothyroidism so everything in the article provided would apply.
27.
Veronika Worr May 15, 2016 at 5:54 pm - Reply
Oh and I forgot to mention: I’m hypothyroid and am currently taking 75mg of Synthroid. My
last test indicated that I lowered my numbers from 5.5 to 2.
I have candida issues and digestive issues and have been for 20 years. I am just now finding
out how it is all connected. It took me almost 1 year of research and a bit of luck to figure this
out. I am now working on correcting it. I have cut out gluten and I have limited sugar
consumption to fruit only. Thank you.
28.
Kirstin May 22, 2016 at 6:32 pm - Reply
Hi Tom, I do not have hypothryoidism or SIBO, but have issues with tolerating milk, which
on,y started about 5 years ago and I also have leaky gut. I cannot add sugar or honey to milk
due to having insulin resistance. I am also in Perimenopause and wonder if that could be
contributing to the milk issue? Milk also give me bad mucus issues. Thanks.
Kirstin
o
Hi Kristin, I wouldn’t assume you don’t have hypothyroidism or SIBO. I

would recommend using our testing to protocol to determine that
here: http://www.forefronthealth.com/lp/ultimate-thyroid-testing-protocol/
Perimenopause involves a number of hormonal changes that can cause

and/or worsen hypothyroidism, i.e. progesterone deficiency which is
directly related to lactose intolerance.
As for insulin resistance and diabetes, it’s not a sugar problem or worsened
by sugar as covered in detail
here: http://www.forefronthealth.com/hypothyroidism-and-diabetes/

Also should have mentioned that anyone who is diabetic or severely
insulin resistant will also be functionally hypothyroid because of it.
29.
Kirstin May 25, 2016 at 3:50 pm - Reply
Thanks, makes sense.
30.
Barbara June 6, 2016 at 6:03 pm - Reply
Wow, I am going to have to read this again, so much to learn. I had the blood allergy test done
where I got the info regarding gluten, Lactose, casein & other intolerances. This was about
late 1990s, but I see the pattern & wonder if taking care of the leaky gut will overcome or fix
Thyroid? I haven’t gone through the whole program as yet. The Bone Broth, DGL, etc., does
seem to be helping.
God bless you for all the help.
31.
Bob June 9, 2016 at 12:23 pm - Reply
So in conclusion, it seems that most people with hypothyroid issues also have lactose
intolerance, yet we should consume dairy to help the thyroid, but not yogurt or kefir which
have the healthy bacteria to heal the gut. This seems sort of contradictory.
One could take enzyme supplements with the dairy, or use goats milk and cheese.
What about organic and gmo-free cheese or grass-fed?

What about the BPA chemical in all the food and drink packaging for the dairy- which
accelerates estrogen dominance?
Thanks- great information, just trying to synthesize it will all the other info.
o
Tom Brimeyer June 9, 2016 at 12:32 pm - Reply
Lacto-fermentation produces lactic acid, which is a burden to the liver.

Hypothyroid people already have high levels lactate due to low carbon
dioxide and dysfunctional metabolism. Burdening the liver even further is
never a good idea. Restoring liver function, which we focus on, protects
against estrogens.
32.
Christine June 17, 2016 at 6:29 pm - Reply
Thank you for the info, being rather isolated here in Tasmania Australia, your emails/links
have helped me perceive the fog parting & therefore understanding gradually that there is
light at the end of the tunnel.
Fond Regards,
Christine

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How to Overcome Dairy Intolerance Once and For All

By Tom Brimeyer| January 21st, 2016|Hypothyroidism, Nutrition|83 Comments

This is Part 1 of a 3-part series on hypothyroidism and gut health:

A true dairy allergy is very rare.

According to Dr. Raymond Peat…

“In a recent study of 69,796 hospitalized newborns, a diagnosis of cow’s milk

But the good news is… you’re not allergic to dairy.

Now, don’t get me wrong.

But is dairy the real problem?

Is dairy the cause of your digestive symptoms?

Is dairy the cause of your hypothyroidism?

The short answer to all three is NO.

I’ll get to the long answer in just a minute.

Take Linda for example…

Why Hypothyroidism Sufferers Sometimes Develop

Association between hypothyroidism and small intestinal

Effects of an enteric anaerobic bacterial culture supernatant

Why Hypothyroidism Sufferers Sometimes Develop Casein

Effects of thyroid hormones on basal and stimulated gastric

One such solution is through the use of coffee.

Caffeine-Stimulated Acid and Pepsin Secretion: Dose-

You can download this daily protocol here.

But that’s not the only problem…

However, as Dr. Raymond Peat points out…

“PTH has many other effects, contributing to inflammation, calcification of

Aside from being rich in calcium, dairy is also rich in…

But the benefits don’t end there.

How Casein (Milk Protein) Reduces Stress and Protects

Protection of adrenocortical activity by dietary casein in ether

10 Simple Tips to Overcome Dairy Intolerance

In fact, it tends to make them worse in the long run.

If you remember, the many benefits that dairy has to offer…

 Dairy reduces parathyroid hormone (PTH)

1. Eat one or two raw carrots daily.

2. Add some honey or maple syrup to your milk.

3. Add some gelatin to your milk.

4. Use Thyroid Hormone (T3).

5. Address Your Progesterone Deficiency.

6. Increase milk consumption slowly.

What we found is this…

9 Avoid cheeses with microbial and GMO rennet.

10. If all else fails, use calcium carbonate.

So, there you have it…

Or maybe you are sensitive to dairy right now.

…including its ability to help improve your thyroid health.

Are you a fan of dairy?

Or are you afraid?

Let me know in the comment section below.

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About the Author: Tom Brimeyer

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Hi Lynn, this is something you would need to contact us

loving it & all the benefits!

Will correcting hypothyroid help with this kind of dairy intolerance?

Hi Lianda, there’s one single cause to fatty liver although we don’t

Hi Judy, this is something that we’re currently working on putting together.

Thanks! And carbon dioxide loss is something more to be aware of

That’s great for the 2/3! Unfortunately it sounds like I’ll

The mucus production is typically a result from something in