Milk and acne connection

There has always been a debate between acne and the food you eat.  And, milk seems to be getting a lot of attention when it comes to acne and milk consumption.  Is there a milk and acne connection, though?

Dairy product problems – is there a milk and acne connection?

Stomach problems like gas and bloating seems to be one of the biggest problems associated with dairy products but a close second is acne.  Sinus congestion is also a huge complaint for many people after eating dairy products.

I found this to be a huge problem for me until I learned about the hormones I was ingesting because of the quality of those dairy products.  I was drinking conventional dairy products, which weren’t optimal.  The food that the cows were getting are not normal.  By not normal, I mean grains and corn.  The cows’ normal diet is grass so grass fed is best.  This can cause inflammation.

If cows were also given a hormone called rBGH, this can also be a problem.  rBGH is given to cows so that they can produce more milk – that helps the dairy companies’ bottom line but not your health and it could mean a milk and acne connection for you.

Outlawed

Did you know that rBGH was outlawed in some countries – specifically Canada and Europe?  Unfortunately, the USA hasn’t outlawed it even though it’s bad for the animal, the environment and our health!  It’s a little concerning for me that some countries recognize the risk of this hormone but the US does not.

Menstrual issues

With all those hormones in the dairy products, it causes problems for our hormones.  If you didn’t know this, don’t feel bad.  I didn’t either.  But, once I knew this, I had a hard time giving up on dairy because I loved it so much.  Milk, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream – yum, right?  So, I switched to organic whole milk products.  I wasn’t sure if this would help or not but here is what I experienced…

Results of switching to Organic Dairy

Here is what I experienced when I switched to organic (grass fed) dairy products:

• Less bloating
• Occasional acne, as opposed to more frequent acne that I was used to.
• Less sinus congestion

It actually was amazing how much of a difference it made, especially with my stomach.  I couldn’t drink a glass of milk by itself when it was the conventional stuff.  So, if you are experiencing stomach problems, acne, sinus congestion or menstrual issues, try decreasing your consumption of milk – especially the non-organic kind to see if you notice a difference in your body.  Ask yourself:

• Do you feel better, generally?
• How much bloating did you feel after consuming less non-organic dairy?
• How much bloating did you feel after consuming organic dairy?
• Did you have any sinus congestion?
• Were there any acne issues and were they less than usual?
• What menstrual issues did you have?  What menstrual issues went away?

The acne and diet connection has been wildly debated for years but I think it has a lot to do with the quality of the dairy product.  Try to make some gradual changes in your diet and see if there is an improvement.  If there is a milk and acne connection, you’ll know pretty fast.