Eliminate pasteurized dairy, but add back raw/cultured dairy?

[chilliepepper]

I was asking a friend of mine about her experience with elimination diets, and she told me that I should really try raw milk and kefir or yogurt made from raw milk (while still avoiding pasteurized dairy, of course). She thought it might help DS's eczema faster than any elimination diet, because the good bacteria would restore his gut flora. I'm pretty sure she said that even her son, who is "allergic" to milk (pasteurized), does fine on raw milk products, and that a friend's son's asthma went away when he started getting some raw milk and kefir.

What do you think?

If I add raw dairy and I still see no changes, will I have to start over on my dairy elimination?

[runes]

i am very sensitive to regular pasteurized/homogenized dairy, but do very well on raw/cultured. i have eczema and eating my own homemade yogurt (made from raw milk) has been ok, as is eating goat cheese and cheese and yogurt made from buffalo. 'real' mozzarella is made from buffalo milk and i had some last week and i didn't have any trouble with it. water buffalo yogurt is DIVINE...it tastes so much better than regular yogurt.

i really do think it's the processed cow protein that the majority of people with dairy allergies/sensitivities have a problem with.

[chilliepepper]

My friend seemed to be saying that a person could do better (as far as getting rid of eczema and other allergic reactions) with raw diary products than with no dairy at all. So it wouldn't be just "we can tolerate raw dairy," but actually "raw dairy helps us more than no dairy."

Does that make sense?

Do you agree?

[tallanvor]

Well, it somewhat depends, I think, on what part of the milk you have a problem with. My son has always done fine on raw milk and until this last year would throw up if he drank pasturized milk. Raw milk is very healthy for you, though, as it has so many good bacteria. All those live cultures everyone keeps talking about as good for your gut are in the raw milk. And having your gut right decreases your allergy problems. At least, as far as I know it does.

Crystal

[runes]

it is possible, as the probiotics and enzymes in raw milk can heal/restore normal gut flora which is very often a problem in people with atopic issues like eczema. but it is very much an individual thing and ymmv, but i do believe it is worth it to try.

[WC_hapamama]

Casein is casein... that doesn't change in raw milk. If you're dealing with an IgE mediated allergy, trying a raw or cultured dairy product would not be a wise thing. Eczema usually denotes an IgE allergy of some kind.

If you want to restore the gut flora without the risk involved with a milk allergy, there are dairy free sources for that.

[chilliepepper]

Originally Posted by WC_hapamama

Casein is casein... that doesn't change in raw milk. If you're dealing with an IgE mediated allergy, trying a raw or cultured dairy product would not be a wise thing. Eczema usually denotes an IgE allergy of some kind.

If you want to restore the gut flora without the risk involved with a milk allergy, there are dairy free sources for that.

Hm, good point. Well, here's some more detail on DS: we had him blood tested when he was around 9 months (?). He came out with very high overall IgEs, but none of the specific ones. Milk, for example, was normal. But I know the test isn't always accurate.

His eczema has never been too too terrible (could it still be an allergy, only manifesting in mild eczema?), but I'm to a point where I'd really like to figure it out.

When you say "If you're dealing with an IgE mediated allergy, trying a raw or cultured dairy product would not be a wise thing," are you talking about an IgE mediated allergy of ANY kind, or a specific milk allergy? Does that make sense?

What I'm thinking is that he probably isn't technically ALLERGIC to milk, but maybe just intolerant or sensitive. So if it's just a sensitivity to (pasteurized) milk but he's allergic to some other unknown thing, would you still advise against raw or cultured dairy?

FWIW, in the past three days or so he hasn't had any dairy, and his skin looks a lot better. However, I also put some hydrocortisone cream on him a few days ago when it was looking really bad, so that could be why it's better now.

I know, rambly and disjointed. Hope you can sort out what I'm trying to ask. I'm not sure the best way to explain my questions.

[momto5girls]

I think that WC Hapamama means that if you have an IgE mediated Dairy allergy.

If you have more questions about raw milk, you might want to ask over in the Traditional Foods Forum. The Mamas over there are the experts in raw milk, have done their research, and might be able to help you out.

Good luck with your sons eczema. I'm battling it with 2yodd, and wish I had a source of raw dairy to work with...

[chilliepepper]

True---maybe I'll cross post over there. Thanks!

[WC_hapamama]

Blood testing for allergies is not terribly accurate for children under 2 years of age. My dd had a RAST test done at 18 months that came back negative for milk, despite the fact that she'd get hives and eczema if she got a hold of something with milk in it.

Eczema isn't only a food allergy thing, but it can be the only symptom of a food allergy. I know that it was for my oldest son when he was a toddler.

[chilliepepper]

Ok...I posted over in Traditional Foods too, but I thought I'd bounce this off whoever is here too. Here's what I'm thinking:

If he DOES have an IgE mediated dairy allergy with only mild eczema as the reaction (and I don't even know if that's possible---if it was a real allergy, would the symptoms be more severe?), and I tried the raw dairy, the worst that could happen is his eczema would flare up. OTOH, if he has an IgE allergy to something but it's not dairy, the best case scenario is that the good bacteria in the raw milk or kefir or whatever would heal up his gut and the eczema would go away. Or, if nothing else, I could get some fat on his bones LOL!

What do you think?

[WC_hapamama]

I think you're on the right track. If it's just eczema right now, trialing him on raw dairy probably (not definitely though) wouldn't cause more than just an eczema flare.

Here's what I would do. Take a couple of drops of raw milk and rub it on a part of him that is clear of eczema (not somewhere he could rub it into a mucous membrane). If that doesn't cause trouble, try him on a small amount, and over the next couple of days increase the amount, stopping if his eczema flares, or he develops any other symptoms of an allergy (stuffy nose, facial swelling, coughing, wheezing, GI upset or hives).

That's how we've trialed things at home with our kids.

[chilliepepper]

Originally Posted by WC_hapamama

I think you're on the right track. If it's just eczema right now, trialing him on raw dairy probably (not definitely though) wouldn't cause more than just an eczema flare.

Here's what I would do. Take a couple of drops of raw milk and rub it on a part of him that is clear of eczema (not somewhere he could rub it into a mucous membrane). If that doesn't cause trouble, try him on a small amount, and over the next couple of days increase the amount, stopping if his eczema flares, or he develops any other symptoms of an allergy (stuffy nose, facial swelling, coughing, wheezing, GI upset or hives).

That's how we've trialed things at home with our kids.

Ok, that sounds like a plan. But for that matter, couldn't I just trial pasteurized milk that way too?